Last week, the BBC reported that six Czech tourists were arrested in Kazakhastan and fined $68 each for “indecency” and “committing minor hooliganism.”
The tourists were sporting black, curly wigs and revealing lime green-one-piece mankinis, a male swimsuit made famous by the 2006 movie Borat. They were caught while trying to take pictures in front of an “I Love Astana” sign, in the Kazakhastan capital.
On Tuesday, Sacha Baron Cohen, who created the character Borat– full title Borat! Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan– came forward and offered to pay the fines for the six men.
The mockumentary film maker wrote on his Facebook page: “To my Czech mates who were arrested. Send me your details and proof that it was you, and I’ll pay your fine.”
When the film first premiered, it was banned in Kazakhastan for being offensive and portraying the country as racist, backward, and primitive. Kazakh authorities banned the film and sales of the DVD. The government also threatened to sue Baron Cohen.
But in 2012, the Kazakh foreign minister publicly thanked Cohen and credited the film with boosting tourism to the central Asia country through an increase of visa applications to the country.