After the January ‘explosion’ of the protests, some once-popular activists of the Kazakh opposition whom their fellow citizens have already managed to forget have suddenly returned to the political front stage. Which, by the way, means that something has drastically changed in Kazakhstan since these people have chosen, at the least, to remind the Kazakhs of themselves and, at the most, to start fighting for power in the country.

In view of this, we were not at all surprised by Kayrat Nurkadilov’s request that the Public Prosecution Office of the Republic of Kazakhstan must start a new investigation of the murder of his father Zamanbek Nurkadilov who was killed by unknown persons on November 12, 2005.

Let us present some quotes from his claim.

‘My father, Nurkadilov Zamanbek Kalabayevich, was shot by unknown persons on November 12, 2005, in his home. Despite the fact that my father was obviously murdered, they opened a criminal investigation on the fact of his suicide. They did it in spite of the undisputed proof that the number of the shot fired - two in the heart and one in the head - completely rules out the possibility of suicide’.

‘He was full of life, was a vocal civil activist in our society, was a member of the opposition, criticised the authorities and was preparing for the presidential elections’.

‘His murder was politically motivated, it was a targeted killimg cynical in its execution. Today our county is defining the new democratic ways of its development that can only be achieved if the past is stripped off its black spots - the covert and covered-up murders’.

Of course, by taking such step, Nurkadilov, Jr. is taking a serious risk since the main culprit of his father’s death is still alive and continues enjoying his status of the ‘leader of the nation’. 

Putting the discussion of Zamanbek Nurkadilov’s life and death back in the focus of the Kazakh and foreign civic society’s attention is extremely irritating for the Library; and it is quite easy to see why. The very fact that, in 2005-2006, two of the vocal representatives of the Kazakh oposition (those who, one way or another, posed a threat for Nursultan Nazarbayev and his political regime) were brutally murdered is casting a jeep negative shadow on the ‘leader of the nation’.

On our part, we would like to add that, actually, they intended to kill three people and Mukhtar Ablyazov was to ‘join’ Zamanbek Nurkadilov and Altynbek Sarsenbayev. However, the former was warned about the coming assassination by, among others, Rakhat Aliyev. Besides, he was spending too much time abroad, therefore, had managed to escape after all.

You will also recall that not for a second did the opposition and the independent press believe in the suicide of Zamanbek Nurkadilov via three shots, including two in the chest and one in the head. It’s just that this death was too convenient for Nursultan Nazarbayev. 

It looks like the future ‘leader of the nation’ did not want the former mayor of Almaty interfering with the upcoming presidential elections, among other things, by revealing the secrets known only to those two. 

According to KZ.expert’s data, these secrets had to do not only with the Elbasy’s legal earnings from embezzling the state property and budget funds but also with Nazarbayev’s agreements with Marat Ospanov and Zamanbek Nurkadilov on their joint fight for power against their numerous opponents of the 1990s.

Allegedly, as part of these agreements, the three parties were to lead the state by rotation, however, Nursultan Nazarbayev had eventually broken his promise and betrayed his partners. 

Unfortunately, there is virtually no hope that the other participants of that tragic drama, for instance, the then NSC chief Nartay Dutbayev and the minister of interior Baurzhan Mukhamedzhanov start talking about what happened in the house of Zamanbek Nurkadilov. Although we would very much like to address some questions to Mukhamedzhanov who, at the time, was exerting direct psychological pressure on Kayrat Nurkadilov demanding that he acknowledges and supports the official verdict of his father’s suicide. 

You will recall that, back then, Nurkadilov, Jr. and the other relatives were forced to comply. Kayrat Nurkadilov did it primarily because he had an Achilles heel - at the time he was employed as a top-manager at Dostyk-Interavto LLP (previously known as Italavto JV). This company had received abnormally favourable concessions to import auto equipment from prime minister Akezhan Kazhegeldin; the concessions the company was actively using.

We are certain that, having waited some time formally required for examining the criminal case materials, the Public Procecution Office will reply to the claimant that no foundation has been found for opening a new criminal case. 

Nonetheless, there is still a chance that the impossible happens and they decide to reopen the investigation - if Nurkadilov, Jr. has decided to act not alone but with the approval from certain people from Akorda. We are at KZ.expert believe that this is quite feasible, for, the current power holders are in the need of the scapegoats. And it little matters who these scapegoats will be - the ‘20,000 terrorists’ or Nursultan Nazarbayev; the main thing is to make it through today.