Kazakh President Fires Son-in-Law As Ambassador

Rakhat Aliev (file photo) (OSCE) May 26, 2007 -- Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev has removed his son-in-law, Rakhat Aliev, from his post as the ambassador to Austria, according to the Kazinform news agency.
Earlier today, Aliev accused Nazarbaev of trying to silence him after he announced his intention to run for president.

Kazakhstan's Interior Ministry announced on May 23 that charges have been filed against Aliev in connection with the kidnapping and assault of two senior members of a Kazakh bank, Nurbank.

Relatives of the two officials from Nurbank told
RFE/RL earlier this year that Aliev had kidnapped the two and
beat them to force them to sell the building housing the bank's
headquarters.

(Reuters)

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