In Turkestan region of Kazakhstan, police detained an official on suspicion of ordering the murder of journalist Amangeldy Batyrbekov.
ACCA has already written about Amangeldy Batyrbekov several times. In 2015, the International Foundation for the Protection of Freedom of Speech “Adil Soz” called Batyrbekov a prisoner of freedom of speech. In 2017, the Foundation “Open Dialog” (European organization dedicated to protecting human rights, democracy and the rule of law in the post-Soviet countries, as well as in the EU countries) included the journalist in the list of Kazakhstani political prisoners and persons who faced politically motivated persecution by Kazakhstan.
Batyrbekov was repeatedly prosecuted for slander. Each time, lawsuits against the journalist were initiated by local officials who became the heroes of scandalous publications based on Batyrbekov’s journalistic investigations.
The last time a criminal case against him started in September last year. The case was initiated under the article “Slander against a judge, juror, prosecutor, person conducting pre-trial investigation, expert, bailiff, bailiff” on the complaint of three judges (Aidos Sultanov, Talgat Ongarbaev and Burkit Baidullaev) of the Regional Court of Turkestan.
Apparently, tired of publications and realizing that Batyrbekov cannot be silenced by legal means, one of the heroes of his publications decided to take a desperate step.
On the night of January 3-4, an attempt was made on Batyrbekov. Unknown people fired at the journalist’s house. As a result of the shooting, the son of Amangeldy, Dinmukhamed Batyrbekov, was wounded. In serious condition, he was hospitalized in the district hospital of Saryagash. He was diagnosed with a shot wound to the chest, a wound to both upper extremities with damage to the muscles of the shoulder. Amangeldy Batyrbekov immediately stated that he connected the assassination attempt with his professional activities.
Meanwhile, according to the Police Department of Turkestan region, a group of professional operatives of the criminal police was sent to Saryagash district to investigate the assassination attempt. During the investigation, the version that the assassination attempt was connected with Batyrbekov’s professional activities was fully confirmed.
Investigators established that Batyrbekov’s assassination was ordered by a local official. He instructed his subordinate to find the executor. The official estimated the journalist’s life at $11.5 thousand. The official’s subordinate through an intermediary found two perpetrators, who fired at the journalist’s house. After completing the order, trying to cover their tracks, they left for Chimkent.
The police managed to arrest them. In addition, the official himself, his subordinate and intermediary were also detained. By the way, two cars were seized from the perpetrators, purchased with money received from the customer of the murder, as well as 16-gauge cartridges.
Leave feedback about this