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Rakhat Aliev's Father Denies Problems With Son In Vienna


Rakhat Aliev
Rakhat Aliev
PRAGUE -- Mukhtar Aliev, the father of Rakhat Aliev -- the former son-in-law of Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev -- has left the Kazakh Embassy in Vienna and is denying reports of problems with his son, RFE/RL's Kazakh Service reports.

Mukhtar Aliev told RFE/RL that the allegations made by the Kazakh Foreign Ministry about his son keeping him in Vienna since October by taking his travel documents are untrue.

Mukhtar Aliev was reported to be flying back to Kazakhstan on May 6 but he did not arrive in Almaty when he was expected.

Rakhat Aliev told RFE/RL that his father disappeared on May 4 and was probably kidnapped and forced to make such statements against him.

Mukhtar Aliev was also taken to a hospital in Vienna, saying he didn't feel good at the embassy and says people there gave him some "pills."

The Kazakh Embassy denies giving him any medicine but says he did see a cardiologist.

The Kazakh Foreign Ministry insists that Mukhtar Aliev came to the embassy by himself on May 4 asking for help to return to Kazakhstan. They showed a statement to reporters signed by Mukhtar Aliev stating such wishes.

Rakhat Aliev, who used to be the Kazakh ambassador to Austria and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, has been living in self-imposed exile in Vienna since 2007.

He has been convicted of crimes in Kazakhstan in absentia and sentenced to prison. Austria refuses to extradite him.
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