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Kazakhstan to Equip Emergency Medical Workers with Body Cameras in Security Push

The Ministry of Health of Kazakhstan plans to introduce body cameras for emergency medical personnel by the end of 2025, in a move aimed at increasing their protection amid rising incidents of violence. Health Minister Akmaral Alnazarova announced the initiative during a government briefing. “As for protection, we will introduce video badges that will record everything that happens. We have issued a corresponding order. Local authorities will have to allocate funds. I think we will carry out this work in stages by the end of this year,” said Alnazarova, as quoted by Zakon.kz. According to the minister, the pilot initiative may later be expanded to other categories of healthcare workers, including doctors and nurses in outpatient clinics. Alnazarova noted that body cameras are intended to deter both aggressors and healthcare workers from misconduct. In parallel, the Ministry of Health has proposed criminal penalties for assaults on medical personnel while on duty. The proposal has received support from the Prosecutor General’s Office, the Ministry of Justice, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Response to Violence Against Medical Staff Kazakhstan has witnessed a series of alarming assaults on healthcare professionals in recent years. In Almaty, a gynecologist was struck with a mobile phone by a patient; in Kokshetau, intensive care doctors were attacked by the parents of a child; and in Talgar, relatives of a deceased person assaulted medical staff attempting to retrieve the body. Victims have sustained severe injuries, including fractures and traumatic brain injuries. One of the most tragic incidents occurred in Almaty, where gastroenterologist Yuri Shumkov was shot and killed at point-blank range by a patient dissatisfied with his diagnosis. The suspect fled but was later apprehended. In another shocking case in the Aktobe region, a young doctor participating in the government’s “With a Diploma to the Village” program was brutally beaten and raped. From Promises to Policy Alnazarova initially announced plans for body cameras in December 2024, following a violent attack in Kostanay in which a paramedic was assaulted by relatives of a deceased woman. The ministry subsequently began drafting legal and physical protection measures for healthcare workers. “We want to ensure that our employees can work safely, using the experience of law enforcement agencies. This will be regulated at the regulatory level,” the minister stated at the time. Additional proposals under discussion include health insurance coverage for personnel at high risk of assault, aimed at compensating for physical harm and emotional trauma sustained while on duty.

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Shadows of Power: Assassination Attempt Exposes Kazakhstan’s Turbulent Past

The assassination attempt on the deputy akim (head of the local government) in Shymkent, Kazakhstan’s third-largest city with a population exceeding one million, has drawn intense public attention. Shymkent, designated a city of republican significance, rarely sees violence of this nature targeting high-ranking officials. Ruslan Berdenov, the official in question, was wounded by shotgun fire from a smoothbore weapon on the steps of the city administration building, which struck him in the thigh and the shoulder. The attack appears less like a calculated contract killing and more like an act of personal retribution. Despite its entrenched presence in Russian criminal culture, the phenomenon of contract killings has not firmly taken root in Kazakhstan or the broader Central Asian region. Nonetheless, several contract-style assassinations have left a deep imprint on the public consciousness. The following cases are among the most significant. Alexander Svichinsky On December 28, 1992, Alexander Svichinsky, the general director of the Karaganda Metallurgical Plant, was gunned down in Temirtau. This was the first confirmed contract killing in post-Soviet Kazakhstan. Svichinsky, who had risen through the ranks at Karmet Combine from mechanic to general director, had recently succeeded Oleg Soskovets, who later served in both the Kazakh and Russian governments. He was shot in the back of the head at the plant’s gatehouse. President Nursultan Nazarbayev took personal control of the investigation. Gabdrakhim Mendeshev, a veteran criminal investigator, eventually uncovered the truth: the hit was arranged by a demoted former deputy of Svichinsky. The intermediary, a driver at the plant, enlisted three Lithuanian nationals staying at a local hotel to carry out the murder. Following Svichinsky’s death, the plant’s fortunes declined. It was eventually sold to Indian industrialist Lakshmi Mittal’s Ispat Corporation. Iosif Milgram A year later, in December 1993, Almaty saw its first major contract killing. Iosif Milgram, the head of the Almatygorstroy construction firm, and his driver Dmitry Tarasov were murdered in the courtyard of Milgram’s home. The case went unsolved until 1998 when a traffic stop led to the arrest of Zakir Salakhutdinov. After killing a police officer during the stop, Salakhutdinov was detained and eventually confessed to the murder of Milgram. Investigators discovered that Milgram had accused his business partner, Valentin Li, of embezzlement. Li allegedly paid Salakhutdinov $20,000 to carry out the killing. In 1999, Salakhutdinov was sentenced to death and Li received a 15-year sentence, although he was released early due to illness. Nurlan Turysov In 2002, businessman Nurlan Turysov and his wife Bayan Atabaeva were murdered in their Almaty apartment. Turysov was the son of Karatay Turysov, a prominent political figure in Soviet Kazakhstan who had served as vice-premier of the republic’s Council of Ministers. Investigators believe Turysov was acquainted with the killers, as he let them in himself. He was shot twice in the temple and once in the back of the head. Hearing the shots, his wife attempted to flee and was attacked at the window, stabbed, and then shot in the head. The apartment was ransacked, suggesting the killers...

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Opinion – Tokayev Moves to Reclaim Kazakhstan’s Energy Future

In January 2025, Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev instructed the government to seek revisions to the nation’s production-sharing agreements (PSAs). The first known result of that directive has now surfaced, with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) publishing a report regarding a confidential interim ruling in an arbitration case. According to this information, Kazakhstan is pursuing a $160 billion claim against the North Caspian Operating Company (NCOC), the consortium managing the Kashagan oil field. The ruling states that after royalty payments, NCOC receives 98% of remaining revenue from Kashagan’s output. The document concerns a narrower environmental dispute, but the 98% figure alters the landscape. The contract in question dates to the 1990s, when Kazakhstan — newly independent, fiscally constrained, and eager for technical expertise — entered into deals that prioritized attracting investment over securing long-term national benefit. The government now argues that those historical constraints no longer apply, while the revenue-sharing terms remain effectively frozen in place. Rather than seek unilateral redress or executive override, Tokayev’s administration has turned to arbitration. The venue, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, and the legal framing mark a continuation of Kazakhstan’s methodical approach to reasserting national interests in its domestic political economy. This latest move cannot be understood as an isolated decision. It reflects a trajectory of state behavior extending back three decades. In the early 1990s, when Chevron’s bid for Tengiz was effectively imposed as a condition for U.S. bilateral assistance, Kazakhstan lacked both the leverage and the institutional competence to resist — a dynamic I analyzed in detail at the time. Chevron’s refusal to direct more than a token amount of investment to social infrastructure nearly sank the agreement. A similar dynamic surrounded the financing and structuring of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC). Kazakhstan’s attempts to assert greater influence were often thwarted, not least by the asymmetry of legal expertise and negotiating experience. That imbalance began to shift by the early 2000s. The creation of KazMunaiGas (KMG) in 2002 consolidated the state's participation in the energy sector and enabled its strategic action to become more coordinated. By 2003, Kazakhstan was insisting on conformity with international accounting standards at Tengiz, not only to ensure transparency but also to block attempts by foreign operators to defer investment obligations. Environmental enforcement became more assertive as well, with fines imposed on Tengizchevroil for massive open-air sulfur storage, a practice that had long provoked public concern. The Kashagan field, discovered in the late 1990s and described as the largest oil find since Alaska’s Prudhoe Bay in 1968, became the focal point of these tensions. From the outset, Kazakhstan’s participation in the consortium was marginal. A restructuring of the consortium in the early 2000s brought KMG back in, but cost overruns and delays continued. By 2007, the government had suspended work at Kashagan, citing both ecological violations and spiraling expenditures, in a sequence of events I traced contemporaneously during the legislative and consortium restructuring that followed. Amendments to the Law on the Subsurface followed, granting...

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Deputy Akim of Shymkent Shot and Wounded

On the evening of April 21, Ruslan Berdenov, Deputy Akim of Shymkent, was shot and wounded in an apparent assassination attempt near the city hall. The incident occurred under unclear circumstances and has sparked widespread public attention and speculation. Preliminary reports indicate that Berdenov was hit three times by a Saiga-12 shotgun. The suspect, who was detained at the scene, was confronted by Berdenov’s driver, who reportedly accelerated the vehicle to subdue the attacker. “The assailant waited near the Akimat and shot at close range when the official exited the building. The driver intervened by striking the shooter with the car,” journalist Mikhail Kozachkov reported on Telegram. Suspect Identified as State Employee According to the Telegram channel Letters to the President, the suspect has been identified as 30-year-old Zhienbai Yernar Zhienbayuly, a specialist at Turgyn Shymkent LLP, which operates under the Akimat. He is reported to be a subordinate of Berdenov. A criminal investigation has been launched under charges of attempted murder. Berdenov sustained gunshot wounds to his right thigh and shoulder. The city’s health department stated that as of the morning of April 22, he had regained consciousness and was in a stable but serious condition. Speculation Over Motives Following the attack, various unverified theories were circulating on social media, with one suggesting the motive was personal jealousy. However, this was publicly denied by Berdenov's business partner, Beibit Alibekov, who described the rumors as fabrications. Alibekov suggested instead that the incident may be linked to Berdenov’s recent anti-corruption efforts in the construction sector. The Akimat also rejected claims that the suspect's wife had been harassed by Berdenov, stating that such allegations “do not correspond to reality.” The Respublica Party, of which Berdenov is a member, urged caution, stating that “any premature assessments can be regarded as interference in the investigation.” The party emphasized its stance that “violence in any form is unacceptable.” Law enforcement agencies have confirmed that the investigation is ongoing and all circumstances surrounding the attack are being examined. Ruslan Berdenov was appointed Deputy Akim of Shymkent in February 2025. Before that, he served as a deputy in the Mazhilis, the lower house of Kazakhstan’s Parliament, where he worked on the Finance and Budget Committee. A native of Shymkent, Berdenov is 39 years old and fluent in Kazakh, Russian, English, Turkish, and Azeri.

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Open Wounds: Why a Murder Trial in Talgar Has Gripped Kazakhstan

In recent years, Kazakhstan has begun broadcasting high-profile criminal trials online in a move toward greater transparency in the justice system. The trial of former Minister Kuandyk Bishimbayev, sentenced to 24 years for brutally beating his wife Saltanat Nukenova to death, marked the beginning of this new judicial openness. Now, another trial has captured the public imagination: the case of the killing of teenager Sherzat Bolat in a street fight involving adult men. The tragic events in Talgar, a small town near Almaty, have resonated across the country, exposing what many see as a long-standing culture of impunity and complacency within law enforcement. The Talgar Tragedy While the full chronology of events is still being established in court, several key details were released early in the investigation. Video footage suggests that Sherzat Bolat may have initiated the confrontation, allegedly striking a man he believed hadn’t paid for beer outside a store rented by his father. The man then summoned reinforcements. A group of eleven men reportedly responded to his call, sparking a violent altercation. During the melee, Bolat was fatally stabbed in the heart. His uncle, who rushed to defend him, was also stabbed and beaten. The incident occurred on October 4, 2024, in Talgar, a town with untapped tourism potential and historical roots tracing back to the medieval city of Talhiz. But for many, Talgar symbolizes not cultural heritage, but bureaucratic neglect. The town's overgrown archaeological remnants mirror what residents say is the indifference of local authorities. When no swift action followed his son’s death, Sherzat’s father, Karzhaubai Nurymov, staged a protest on October 7 alongside several residents. Nurymov demanded a transparent investigation and an open trial, appealing directly to Prosecutor General, Berik Asylov, and calling for visits from senior officials, including the Akim of the Almaty Region. Demonstrators threatened to block roads unless their demands were immediately addressed. The protest prompted action. With the Minister of Internal Affairs taking the case under his control, the authorities began reviewing the family’s allegations. Intimidation and Escalation Just days later, on October 12, Sherzat’s family home was set on fire while relatives gathered at his grandmother’s house for a memorial. Police opened a criminal case for arson and placed the family under protection. According to the family’s lawyer, Askar Kaymakov, they had requested protection a day earlier after receiving threats. The next day, National Guard units were deployed to patrol Talgar amid rumors of entrenched organized crime networks operating with the complicity of local officials and police. While the government has denied the existence of a "Talgar mafia," the incident triggered a wave of dismissals in the local police force and administration, seemingly validating public suspicion. Despite initial skepticism, the investigation appears to have been thorough. Authorities conducted 40 forensic examinations, questioned around 200 witnesses, and recreated the crime scene with the suspects. Confrontations and other legal procedures were carried out, and eight videos were analyzed. The criminal case now spans 62 volumes. A Nation’s Unresolved Trauma The Talgar case has...

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Swiss Bank Investigated Over Ties to Central Asian Elites

Swiss bank Reyl, part of Intesa Sanpaolo Group, is under investigation by Switzerland’s financial regulator FINMA for allegedly failing to prevent money laundering and mishandling accounts belonging to high-risk clients, including relatives of prominent former Central Asian leaders. The investigation stems from confidential correspondence reviewed by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) and Le Monde. High-Risk Clients from Central Asia Among the individuals named are the daughters of the former presidents of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. OCCRP also identified the bank’s connections with the son-in-law of a powerful Central Asian leader. One such client is Lola Karimova, daughter of the late Uzbek president Islam Karimov, and her husband, Timur Tillyaev. The couple, known for their lavish lifestyle, relocated to Geneva by 2013. In 2012, Swiss regulators warned another financial institution, Fidurhône, that the couple posed a high compliance risk. By 2014, Fidurhône was instructed to sever ties with them after account balances surged to 190 million Swiss francs. The bank faced the threat of losing its license for non-compliance, and one partner was fined for failing to report suspicious transactions. In 2020, Tillyaev’s company became a client of Reyl, which was followed by the opening of his personal account. By late 2023, one of these accounts held 83 million francs (approximately $97 million). In January 2024, FINMA requested full disclosure of all Reyl accounts linked to Uzbekistan, including Tillyaev’s. The bank stated it was re-evaluating its relationship with him due to reputational concerns amid renewed media focus on his sister-in-law, Gulnara Karimova. The eldest daughter of Islam Karimov, Gulnara Karimova was once a prominent public figure in Uzbekistan, known for her ventures in business, fashion, and music under the name Googoosha. She also served in diplomatic roles. Her fall from grace began in 2014 with her house arrest, followed by a series of legal proceedings after her father’s death in 2016. In 2017, she was sentenced to nine years for corruption, which was later increased to over 13 years. Kazakhstan Connection Kazakhstan’s former president Nursultan Nazarbayev, who ruled for nearly three decades, oversaw the emergence of a wealthy inner circle. OCCRP has previously reported that he established private foundations controlling assets worth approximately $8 billion. His daughter, Dinara Kulibayeva, moved to Switzerland in 2007 and entrusted Reyl with managing part of her wealth. For years, bank CEO François Reyl personally oversaw her accounts. However, in 2023, FINMA launched an inquiry into the origin of the large deposits in her accounts. In May 2024, the bank was ordered to provide comprehensive documentation on her financial holdings and those of her Luxembourg-based company, which had secured a €25 million loan from Reyl to purchase real estate in France. The investigation was prompted by a suspicious activity report filed by Reyl and the opening of a criminal case in Switzerland. A lawyer representing Kulibayeva stated she had fully cooperated with authorities and that her wealth derives from shares in Halyk Bank, one of Kazakhstan’s largest financial institutions. The bank confirmed that her...