(Adil Soz/IFEX) – On 13 February 2006, Altynbek Sarsenbayev, former minister of culture, information and sport, and two other men were found shot dead, with their hands tied, near Almaty. Sarsenbayev, his driver and bodyguard reportedly had gunshot wounds in the head and back. Sarsenbayev was appointed the minister of information twice, in 1993 and […]
(Adil Soz/IFEX) – On 13 February 2006, Altynbek Sarsenbayev, former minister of culture, information and sport, and two other men were found shot dead, with their hands tied, near Almaty. Sarsenbayev, his driver and bodyguard reportedly had gunshot wounds in the head and back.
Sarsenbayev was appointed the minister of information twice, in 1993 and 2004. He initiated the most progressive media law in the history of independent Kazakhstan, “On Guarantees of Freedom of Expression”. In September 2004, he resigned in protest against the parliamentary election results, saying they had been falsified. Sarsenbayev, regarded as one of the foremost opposition leaders, had openly supported opposition candidate Zharmakhan Tuyakbai in the presidential elections of 2005. He also chaired the opposition Ak Zhol party.
At a news conference, “For a Just Kazakhstan” party officials said they believed he was killed for political reasons. They noted that in November 2005 another opposition figure, Zamanbek Nurkadilov, was shot dead.
