Kazakh Leader's Son-In-Law Freed On Bail In Austria

Aliev is wanted in his homeland in connection with an alleged abduction. He was arrested on June 1 for alleged involvement in the suspected kidnappings of two senior managers of a bank he controls.

Gerhard Jarosch, a spokesman for the Vienna public prosecutor's office, said Aliev was released on $1.3 million bail but must remain in Austria and continue to make himself available for extradition proceedings.

In an appeal to the Austrian government not to extradite him, Aliev told the
Austrian magazine "Profil," in an article to be published on June 4,
that his "life and the lives of my family are endangered" back in
Kazakhstan.

Aliev rejects the charges against him and blames them on presidential ambitions that he says he confided in President Nursultan Nazarbaev earlier this year.

Aliev, who is married to Nazarbaev's
eldest daughter Darigha, served as Kazakhstan's ambassador to Austria
before he was dismissed from the post a week ago.

(AP, dpa)