Lebanese, Jordanian workers beaten in Kazakhstan over 'offensive picture'

The Arab engineers, working at Consolidated Contractors construction company, were heavily beaten on site on Saturday over allegations that one of the Lebanese workers shared a picture of himself with a female Kazakh employee, that the local employees deemed offensive. 

Videos shared on social media showed men with bloodied faces lying on the ground being kicked.

One of the videos showed a man being battered over the head with a garbage can.

Local media reported that at least 50 Arab employees, including Lebanese and Jordanians were injured in the attack.

The army arrived on scene to break up the fight, local media added. 

Kazakh Defence Minister Nurlan Ermekbaev said that the men taken to the hospital sustained only minor injuries and that they had all been discharged, the state-run National News Agency reported. 

A statement from the company, posted on the Kazakhstani embassy's Facebook page, said that some 30 employees received medical treatment due to injuries resulting from the assault, which stemmed from a "personal dispute" between two employees, noting that "none are in a life-threatening condition".

Work at the site has been temporarily suspended, the company added.

The Lebanese Foreign Ministry issued a statement late on Saturday condemning the attack and said that it was following up with relevant authorities to ensure the safe return of Lebanese workers.

Jordan said it was investigating the incident with relevant authorities in Kazakhstan.

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