Trial of Kazakh former prime minister
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IAC Eurasia, August, 2001

On August 15, the Supreme Court began trial of former prime minister, chairman of the opposition Republican People's Party Akezhan Kazhegeldin.

The trial is being held in Astana, Kazakhstan's capital. It has become known as one of the "most strange" trials: the point is that it's held in absentia.

For several years already Kazhegeldin has been living outside Kazakhstan in a forced exile. Kazakhstan's foreign ministry turned to the law-enforcement agencies of the U.S., Italy, Switzerland, Belgium and Canada to extradite the opposition activist. However, the authorities in those countries turned down Kazakhstan's requests: they are sure that the charges against the opposition leader are politically motivated. In 1999, the Russian General Prosecutor's Office found a similar extradition warrant politically motivated and ungrounded.

Having failed to convince foreign countries to extradite his main political rival, president Nazarbayev has changed Kazakhstan's Criminal Code in such a way that today it allows trying persons for alleged crimes in absentia. Kazhegeldin currently faces charges of tax evasion, embezzlement, abuse of office, and illegal issuing decrees. Supreme Court Judge Bektas Beknazarov hears the case.

It should be mentioned that Kazakh public shares the opinion that the trial is just an attempt to do away with Nazarbayev's main opponent politically. Soft opposition leaders have called trial in absentia and subsequent conviction a 'legal absurdity'. In his address to his fellow countrymen, Akezhan Kazhegeldin described his trial in absentia as 'a 'flaccid hysteria of the authorities.'

According to many sources, Nazarbayev has ordered that this trial be completed by August 25. Reasons for such a hurry are far too clear. The incumbent Kazakhstan's president does not need such a strong rival as Kazhegeldin in the run-up to presidential elections scheduled for spring 2002. In addition, the US Justice Department has been conducting investigation into activities of an American businessman who is suspected of funneling millions of dollars from US oil companies to high-ranking Kazakh officials.

This case, which has implicated Nursultan Nazarbayev, is known in the West as 'Kazakhgate'. The hearing is to open in fall. Trial of Kazhegeldin in absentia has been staged to deflect attention from a graft scandal and represent it as vengeance of Nazarbayev's political rival.

IAC Eurasia

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