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The Czech tourists in front of the sign in the Kazakh capital.
The Czech tourists in front of the sign in the Kazakh capital. Photograph: AP
The Czech tourists in front of the sign in the Kazakh capital. Photograph: AP

Czech tourists dressed in Borat-style mankinis detained in Kazakhstan

This article is more than 6 years old
  • Six tourists had hoped to take picture in front of ‘I love Astana’ sign
  • Local police detained them for minor hooliganism and issued fine

Six Czech tourists who dressed up in skimpy swimsuits made famous by Borat have reportedly been detained by authorities in Kazakhstan’s capital Astana.

Sporting lime green mankinis and black wigs, the men had hoped to take a picture in front of the “I love Astana” sign.

But local police took action, detaining them on Friday and fining them 22,500 tenge ($68) each for committing minor hooliganism, according to the Kazakh news website informburo.kz.

The swimsuit became popular after Sacha Baron Cohen, playing the fictional Kazakh television presenter, sported it in the 2006 movie Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan.

That film offended many Kazakhs by portraying the country as backward and degenerate.

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