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By Country / Kazakhstan

Kazakh Opposition Figure's Death Ruled Suicide

November 29, 2005

Zamanbek Nurkadilov (file photo) (RFE/RL)

Almaty, 29 November 2005 (RFE/RL) -- The official investigation into the shooting death of Kazakh opposition figure and former Emergency Situations Agency head Zamanbek Nurkadilov has concluded that he committed suicide.

The investigative team found that Nurkadilov first shot himself twice in the chest before putting the gun to his head and firing a bullet into his brain.

Interfax quoted an unnamed Kazakh law-enforcement official as saying that investigators concluded that the main reason why Nurkadilov shot himself related to family conflict.

Nurkadilov was found dead on 12 November. The For a Just Kazakhstan bloc has declared that Nurkadilov's death "without any doubt can be qualified as political."

A former mayor of Almaty and government minister, Nurkadilov later joined the opposition and accused the government of corruption.

(ifx/kazakh svc)