- Altynbek Sarsenbayev
Altynbek Sarsenbayev ( _kk. Алтынбек Сәрсенбаев; or Алтынбек Сәрсенбайұлы; [Altynbek Sarsenbaiuly] ;
1962 -February 13 ,2006 ) served in theGovernment of Kazakhstan before becoming a political opposition leader. At the time of his death, he served as co-chairman of the opposition "Naghyz Ak Zhol" (True Bright Path ) party.In 2003, after a long career in senior Kazakh government positions, including Mayor of
Almaty , Information Minister and Kazakhstani ambassador toRussia , Sarsenbayev joined the opposition ranks in protest against what he regarded as the administration's authoritarian policies.Fact|date=February 2007Soon after his decision to contest the December 2005 Kazakhstan presidential elections, Sarsenbayev faced government intimidation tactics, including a physical assault by unidentified individuals during a presidential campaign meeting with voters and the alleged beating of his two nephews in November 2005.Fact|date=February 2007
Murder and investigation
On
13 February 2006 the bodies of Sarsenbayev, his bodyguard and his driver were found dead on a road near the city of Almaty, reportedly lying face-down, hands tied on their back, and shot in the head at point blank range.On
22 February 2006 five officers of Kazakhstan's KNB security service, and specifically the elite Arystan combat division, were arrested for involvement in Sarsenbaev's murder. According to Interior MinisterBaurzhan Mukhamedzhanov the five men were paid $25,000 for committing the murder.Nartay Dutbayev , the chief national security officer in the government, resigned on23 February , the day after his subordinates were arrested. [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F30B16FB355A0C708EDDAB0894DE404482&n=Top%2fNews%2fWorld%2fCountries%20and%20Territories%2fKazakhstan Top Kazakh Aide Quits in Crisis After Killing of Opposition Figure] New York Times]Police arrested a sixth man, a former law enforcement officer, as a suspect for organizing the operation.
References
External links
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4709580.stm BBC News obituary]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4736230.stm BBC News: Kazakh officers linked to murder]
* [http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2006/01/f898bf0f-1e6a-414b-938f-bfddb59a6473.html Kazakhstan: Freed Opposition Leader Returns To Almaty]
* [http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2006/12/CF021DC5-EB0D-4EB9-A24C-FE2B4C6B70DD.html Kazakh Court Upholds Sarsenbaev Murder Convictions]
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
