Kazakhstan Drops Drug Charges Against Russian Rapper Navai

Oct. 20, 2026 navaib / Instagram Authorities in Kazakhstan have dropped drug smuggling charges against popular Russian hip-hop artist Navai and deported him from the country, local police said Tuesday. Navai Bakirov was arrested last Tuesday while entering Kazakhstan from neighboring Kyrgyzstan after border guards found 2.5 grams of marijuana in his vehicle. A court placed him in pre-trial detention for two months. Bakirov reportedly admitted during interrogation to purchasing the cannabis in Bishkek prior to crossing the border, triggering an internal investigation in Kyrgyzstan. “The criminal case against the Russian rap artist was terminated on non-rehabilitating grounds,” Kazakhstan’s Zhambyl regional police department told the Tengrinews outlet. Kazakh authorities took into account Bakirov’s “active repentance” and the fact that it was his first offense. “The foreign citizen has been deported,” the police department said in comments quoted by Russia’s state-run TASS news agency. Bakirov’s defense team said earlier it was seeking to secure his release on bail. The arrest forced the cancellation of Bakirov’s concert in Astana scheduled for last Wednesday, while organizers postponed his remaining tour dates. Bakirov, a native of southern Russia’s Samara region, rose to prominence across the post-Soviet space as part of the hit-making duo HammAli & Navai before launching a solo career. His legal trouble in Central Asia came nearly one month after he resolved a separate civil dispute in Moscow by compensating the city for damages caused when he crashed his Ferrari in the center of the Russian capital in May. Read more about: Kazakhstan , Drugs , Music Sign up for our free weekly newsletter Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy We sent a confirmation to your email. Please confirm your subscription. A Message from The Moscow Times: Dear readers, We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent." These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia. We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help. Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact. By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us. Once Monthly Annual Continue Not ready to support today? Remind me later. × Remind me next month Remind me Thank you! Your reminder is set. We will send you one reminder email a month from now. For details on the personal data we collect and how it is used, please see our Privacy Policy. Read more Kazakhstan Arrests Russian Rapper Navai on Drug Smuggling Charges Bakirov’s legal trouble in Central Asia comes nearly a month after he resolved a separate civil dispute in Moscow related to crashing his Ferrari in... 1 Min read Russian Pop Song from 2004 Goes Viral on TikTok Commenting on the trend, singer Katya Lel said that “life is unpredictable and full of surprises.” 1 Min read Kazakh DJ Imanbek Makes History With First Post-Soviet Grammy Imanbek's remix of SAINt JHN’s “Roses” went viral on TikTok and racked up over 1 billion plays on Spotify. Putin Thanks Kazakh President for Help in Russian-Turkish Conflict Russian President Vladimir Putin has thanked Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev for his help in healing Turkish-Russian ties, the RBC news outlet reported...