Nurbank murder case

Last updated January 11, 2025

The Nurbank bank, founded in Atyrau regional governor's office was taken over by Rakhat Aliyev in January 2007. Shortly after, two Nurbank managers, Zholdas Timraliyev and Aybar Khasenov, were kidnapped, tortured and eventually killed by Aliyev. In May 2007, the criminal proceedings against Aliyev in Almaty began and Kazakhstan sentenced him for forty years.^[1]

History

In 1992, the Nurbank bank opened for business and became the seventh largest bank in Kazakhstan. "According to its Website, it is owned by the largest oil, food, publishing and foreign trade firms operating in Kazakhstan, and also currently lends to oil, food, foreign trade, and publishing & information firms."^[2]

In January 2007, Rakhat Aliyev became the main owner and acquired about 75% of all Nurbank’s assets. His father owned 6.71% and his 22-year-old son Nurali Aliyev was a sitting board member.^[2]

First kidnapping

Around January 18, 2007, Zholdas Timraliyev (vice president) and Abilmazhen Gilimov (chairman of Nurbank) were kidnapped and threatened by Rakhat Aliyev, according to Gilimov. Aliyev was seeking to acquire a prized financial building in Kazakhstan's commercial capital, Almaty, by ensuring ownership passed to him. The two men were held for 24 hours,^[2] during which Timraliyev managed to call his wife, Armangul Kapasheva (also referred to as Armangul Qapasheva), and inform her of his abduction. She reported him missing. On January 19, both Timraliyev and Gilimov resigned from their positions at Nurbank.^[2]

According to newspapers, the building that Aliyev wanted them to sell was sold on January 22 for a significantly low price, just four days after the kidnapping incident.^[3]

Second kidnapping

On January 31, Timraliyev disappeared again after receiving summons to speak with the tax police. Him and chairman of the board, Aibar Khasenov were reported missing.^{[ citation needed ]} After a days of violent acts, both of the bodies were tucked into a metal drum, assailed with chalk and buried on a waste dump.^[4]

During his kidnapping, Timraliyev was able to phone his wife (Armangul Kapasheva) and tell of his abduction. She reported them missing and her strong public appearance about the disappearance of her husband and mounting pressure against Aliyev, the Kazakh authorities finally initiated criminal proceedings on May 10, 2007.^[4] The wives of the two missing Nurbank managers establish the TAGDYR association in order to find their husbands.^[5]

Lawsuits

See Also Tagdyr

As a result, Aliyev brought forth a lawsuit against the two wives, for “insulting his honor and dignity.”^[3]

Timraliyev’s wife was interviewed and several news outlets including,Svoboda Slova," "Tasjargan," "Vremya," and zonakz.net published her comments and now faced legal suit from Aliyev.^[3]

Criminal prosecution

Aliyev was quickly appointed the new Kazakh ambassador to Austria on February 9, 2007 as a polite way to get him out of the country. While in Austria, Aliyev announced his candidacy for the upcoming Kazakhstan elections and criticized the sitting Kazakh President, Nursultan Nazarbayev. A full domestic Kazakh investigation began in May 2007 into Aliyev’s activities. His diplomatic passport was cancelled, as was his diplomatic immunity. Kazakhstan filed its first extradition request at this time. The domestic Kazakh investigation concluded January 2008 and Kazakh courts sentenced Aliyev to 20 years of imprisonment in absentia. His crimes were kidnapping, treason and plotting a coup d'état against his father-in-law Nursultan Nazarbayev.^[6]

Their second request for extradition in 2011 was also rejected, as Austria feared Kazak political persecution of Aliyev. They did however open their own investigation into Aliyev's dealings.

January 2013, Aliyev claimed Kazakhstan was politically persecuting him because he rejected the political system. Viennese supreme court excluded political underpinnings as a reason for persecution, which helped to greatly legitimize legal action brought against him.^[7]

Other crimes

Rakhat Aliyev (Shoraz) is also suspected of the murder of opposition leader and former Kazak ambassador to Russia Mr Sarsenbayev in early 2006, a complex embezzlement scheme stretching from Germany to Malta and Nevis, torturing two Kazak bodyguards in 2001, and the death of his girlfriend Anastasiya Novikova in 2004.^[8]

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References

↑ "Rakhat Aliyev may be sentenced to life imprisonment in Austria - newspaper". Interfax.kz. Retrieved 2015-12-07.
1 2 3 4 "Kazakhstan: Nurbank scandal widens". Foreign Policy Blogs. 24 May 2007. Retrieved 2015-12-07.
1 2 3 Pannier, Bruce (2 February 2012). "Kazakhstan: Nazarbaev's Son-In-Law Sent To Austria Amid More Accusations". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Retrieved 2015-12-07.
1 2 "The "Nurbank" Murder Case - Verein Tagdyr". Archived from the original on May 19, 2014. Retrieved July 3, 2014.
↑ "Rakhat Aliyev in Malta lives in fear that he will be kidnapped". Global Post. 2013-04-11. Retrieved 2015-12-07.
↑ "The Roberts Report on Central Asia and Kazakhstan: February 2007". Roberts-report.blogspot.com. Retrieved 2015-12-07.
↑ Пишет: Steven Откуда: Simon (2013-07-21). "Caucasus Times". Caucasus Times. Retrieved 2015-12-07.
↑ "Former Kazakh diplomat Rakhat Aliyev arrested in Vienna - General News - Austrian Times Online News - English Newspaper". Archived from the original on June 10, 2014. Retrieved July 3, 2014.