In Almaty, during the riots, the “father of Kazakh hip-hop” Saken Bitaev was killed

In Almaty, musician and director Saken Bitaev, who was called the “father of Kazakh hip-hop”, was shot dead during protests. About the death of a musician wrote on Facebook journalist Daniyar Adilbekov.

On January 6, Bitaev and his friend were sitting in the car and talking when a crowd of looters approached the car. According to a surviving friend of the musician, the looters tried to open the doors and take the car from them. Bitaev and his companion tried to leave, but they began to shoot after them. “One bullet pierced Saken’s lung,” said Adilbekov. The musician died.

According to Adilbekov, Bitaev’s parents cannot take his body because there are not enough police officers to fill out the death documents. “The perpetrators were not found either, and I think they will hardly be found,” the journalist added.

Saken Bitaev is the founder of the musical project Salamalec sound. He has also directed films and music videos.