US embassy cable - 05ALMATY3839

C O N F I D E N T I A L ALMATY 003839 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/CACEN (J. MUDGE) 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/18/2015 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, PHUM, PINR, KZ, POLITICAL 
SUBJECT: KAZAKHSTAN: INTERIOR MINISTER FIRED OVER ARREST OF 
OPPOSITION POLITICIAN 
 
REF: A. ALMATY 3790 
     B. ALMATY 3453 
 
Classified By: Ambassador John Ordway, reasons 1.4 (B) and (D). 
 
1. (C) Summary:  Interior Minister Turisbekov was fired over 
the arrest of an opposition politician just hours before 
Secretary Rice's arrival here, according to presidential 
 
SIPDIS 
advisor Masimov.  Turisbekov will be replaced by deputy PA 
head Baurzhan Mukhamedzhanov, thought to be the initiator of 
several recent pieces of repressive legislation.  End summary. 
 
2. (C) During an October 16 breakfast with the Ambassador and 
former Secretary Henry Kissinger, presidential advisor Karim 
Masimov stated that Interior Minister Zautbek Turisbekov had 
been fired over the October 12 arrest of opposition 
politician Tulen Tokhtasynov (Ref A).  Masimov described the 
arrest as a "provocation designed to embarass President 
Nazarbayev" just hours before Secretary Rice's arrival in 
Astana. 
 
3. (C) According to an October 14 presidential press service 
announcement, Turisbekov has been moved to head the State 
Civil Service Agency, clearly a demotion.  Baurzhan 
Mukhamedzhanov, a deputy head of the presidential 
administration and chief of the PA legal department since 
June 2003, will replace Turisbekov at the Interior Ministry. 
Mukhamedzhanov, born November 26, 1960, is a lawyer by 
training.  He served as Minister of Justice from 1997-2000 
and deputy Prime Minister from 2002-2003.  In recent months, 
several human rights contacts had identified Mukhamedzhanov 
as the initiator of the recent string of repressive 
legislation, including the extremism law, election law 
amendments, and NGO legislation.  During a September 27 
meeting with the Ambassador (Ref B) on election-related 
issues, however, Mukhamedzhanov went out of his way to appear 
open and constructive. 
 
4. (C) Comment:  There had been rumors for several weeks that 
Turisbekov was on his way out for unspecified reasons.  It is 
possible that the Tokhtasynov arrest was the last straw, 
resulting in his significant demotion.  Post's cooperation 
with the Interior Ministry on law enforcement and security 
issues has been quite good; it remains to be seen whether 
Mukhamedzhanov will be as proactive an interlocutor.  End 
comment. 
ORDWAY 
 
 
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