Exiled Kazakh banker says he wants to topple Nazarbaev's regime
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 15 December 2016 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Exiled Kazakh banker says he wants to topple Nazarbaev's regime, 15 December 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5975a35fa.html [accessed 15 October 2022] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
December 15, 2016
Kazakh opposition figure and oligarch Mukhtar Ablyazov (file photo)
An exiled Kazakh opposition figure who has just been released from custody in France says he is aiming to topple the government of Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev within the next three years.
Tycoon Mukhtar Ablyazov told the French AFP news agency on December 15 that he will base himself in Paris to plot the downfall of Nazarbaev's regime.
Ablyazov said he also wants to bring "economic reforms" to Kazakhstan, which has been ruled by Nazarbaev for 27 years.
Ablyazov was released from a French jail on December 9 after France's highest administrative court cancelled an order for his extradition to Russia, saying the extradition request was made for political reasons.
Ablyazov, the former head of Kazakhstan's BTA bank, is wanted by Kazakhstan, Russia, and Ukraine on allegations of embezzling some $5 billion.
Kazakhstan's Prosecutor-General's Office said on December 14 that it will continue efforts to prosecute Ablyazov, who is charged with embezzlement, organizing a criminal group, illegally obtaining other people's property, financial mishandling, money laundering, and abuse of office.
Based on reporting by AFP and RFE/RL's Kazakh Service
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
