ASTANA -- Kazakh officials have confirmed the conviction of a nephew of former President Nursultan Nazarbaev, who lost his influence on the country's political scene after deadly, unprecedented anti-government protests in January 2022.
The Astana City Court told RFE/RL on March 20 that Samat Abish was convicted of abuse of power and handed a suspended sentence of eight years in late February. It added that the former president's nephew was also barred from serving in public offices for 10 years.
The court's press service refused to give any further details, saying the trial materials were classified.
Kazakhstan's DAT newspaper was the first to report the conviction, quoting sources as saying Abish was found guilty and sentenced, while also being stripped of his rank of general and various state awards.
Interior Minister Erzhan Sadenov told journalists in Astana on March 20 that the 45-year-old Abish was currently under parole-like probation.
"He is barred from leaving the country and must stay at his registered residence only," Sadenov said, refusing to provide any other details.
Abish was dismissed as first deputy chief of the National Security Committee (KNB) following the January 2022 protests, which initially began in the southwestern town of Zhanaozen over a sudden fuel price hike. The protests quickly spread across the country as Kazakhs vented their anger over corruption, political stagnation, and widespread injustice.
Much of the protesters' focus was directed at Nazarbaev, who ruled Kazakhstan from 1989 until March 2019, when he handed over power to his then-ally, Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev. However, Nazarbaev was widely believed to remain in control behind the scenes.
The protests were violently dispersed by police and military personnel, including troops from the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization that Toqaev invited into the country, claiming that "20,000 extremists who were trained in terrorist camps abroad" attacked Almaty, the Central Asian country's largest city.
The authorities have provided no evidence to back Toqaev's claim about foreign terrorists.
Following the unrest that claimed at least 238 lives, including those of 19 law enforcement officers, Abish's direct boss, then the KNB chief and one of Nazarbaev's closest allies, Karim Masimov, and his three other deputies were arrested over their roles in the deadly events.
Masimov was later sentenced to 18 years in prison, while his deputies, Anuar Sadyqulov and Daulet Erghozhin, were sentenced to 16 years and 15 years. A court in Astana found all three men guilty of high treason, attempting to seize power by force, and abuse of office and power.
Another former deputy of Masimov, Marat Osipov, was sentenced to three years in prison on a charge of abuse of office at the same trial.
Abish is Nazarbaev's second nephew to be convicted following the deadly unrest.
Abish's older brother, Qairat Satybaldy, was arrested in March 2022 and later sentenced to six years in prison on corruption charges.