Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05ALMATY3839
2005-10-19 09:05:00
CONFIDENTIAL
US Office Almaty
Cable title:  

KAZAKHSTAN: INTERIOR MINISTER FIRED OVER ARREST OF

Tags:  PGOV PREL PHUM PINR KZ POLITICAL 
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C O N F I D E N T I A L ALMATY 003839 

SIPDIS


DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/CACEN (J. MUDGE)

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/18/2015
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM PINR KZ POLITICAL
SUBJECT: KAZAKHSTAN: INTERIOR MINISTER FIRED OVER ARREST OF
OPPOSITION POLITICIAN

REF: A. ALMATY 3790

B. ALMATY 3453

Classified By: Ambassador John Ordway, reasons 1.4 (B) and (D).

C O N F I D E N T I A L ALMATY 003839

SIPDIS


DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/CACEN (J. MUDGE)

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/18/2015
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM PINR KZ POLITICAL
SUBJECT: KAZAKHSTAN: INTERIOR MINISTER FIRED OVER ARREST OF
OPPOSITION POLITICIAN

REF: A. ALMATY 3790

B. ALMATY 3453

Classified By: Ambassador John Ordway, reasons 1.4 (B) and (D).


1. (C) Summary: Interior Minister Turisbekov was fired over
the arrest of an opposition politician just hours before
Secretary Rice's arrival here, according to presidential

SIPDIS
advisor Masimov. Turisbekov will be replaced by deputy PA
head Baurzhan Mukhamedzhanov, thought to be the initiator of
several recent pieces of repressive legislation. End summary.


2. (C) During an October 16 breakfast with the Ambassador and
former Secretary Henry Kissinger, presidential advisor Karim
Masimov stated that Interior Minister Zautbek Turisbekov had
been fired over the October 12 arrest of opposition
politician Tulen Tokhtasynov (Ref A). Masimov described the
arrest as a "provocation designed to embarass President
Nazarbayev" just hours before Secretary Rice's arrival in
Astana.


3. (C) According to an October 14 presidential press service
announcement, Turisbekov has been moved to head the State
Civil Service Agency, clearly a demotion. Baurzhan
Mukhamedzhanov, a deputy head of the presidential
administration and chief of the PA legal department since
June 2003, will replace Turisbekov at the Interior Ministry.
Mukhamedzhanov, born November 26, 1960, is a lawyer by
training. He served as Minister of Justice from 1997-2000
and deputy Prime Minister from 2002-2003. In recent months,
several human rights contacts had identified Mukhamedzhanov
as the initiator of the recent string of repressive
legislation, including the extremism law, election law
amendments, and NGO legislation. During a September 27
meeting with the Ambassador (Ref B) on election-related
issues, however, Mukhamedzhanov went out of his way to appear
open and constructive.


4. (C) Comment: There had been rumors for several weeks that
Turisbekov was on his way out for unspecified reasons. It is
possible that the Tokhtasynov arrest was the last straw,
resulting in his significant demotion. Post's cooperation
with the Interior Ministry on law enforcement and security
issues has been quite good; it remains to be seen whether
Mukhamedzhanov will be as proactive an interlocutor. End
comment.
ORDWAY


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