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Rahat AlievMedia magnate, politician, former Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Austria and the OSCE
Date of Birth: 10.12.1962
Country:  Kazakhstan |
Content:
- Early Life and Education
- Career in Healthcare and Public Service
- Ascension in the Tax and Law Enforcement Sector
- Transition to National Security
- Diplomatic and Media Careers
- Diplomatic Controversy and Allegations
- Criminal Prosecution and International Incidences
- Extradition Proceedings and International Allegations
- International Accusations and Second Criminal Case
- Personal Life and Media Interests
Early Life and Education
Born on December 10, 1962, in Almaty, Kazakhstan, Rakhat Mukhtarovich Aliyev was the son of著名 surgeon and academic Mukhtar Aliyev, who served as Minister of Health of the Kazakh SSR from 1982 to 1987.
Aliyev followed in his father's footsteps, graduating from the Almaty State Medical Institute in 1986. He subsequently worked as a laboratory technician at the Kazakh Scientific Research Institute of Surgery. From 1986 to 1989, he pursued postgraduate studies as a clinical physician at the 2nd Moscow Medical Institute.
Career in Healthcare and Public Service
Returning to the Kazakh Scientific Research Institute of Surgery, Aliyev held senior research positions until 1993. That year, he became Deputy Head of the Department of External Economic Relations within the Ministry of Health of Kazakhstan.
In the same year, Aliyev became General Director of the foreign trade company "KazMedImport" within the Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations, responsible for importing pharmaceuticals into Kazakhstan.
Ascension in the Tax and Law Enforcement Sector
In 1996, Aliyev left business to become First Deputy Chief of the Main Tax Police Department of the State Tax Committee of Kazakhstan and Head of the Department for Combating Corruption and Smuggling.
By 1997, he had risen to the positions of Chief of the Almaty Tax Police Department and, later, Director of the Department of Tax Police within the Ministry of Finance. In that year, Aliyev graduated from the Adil University of Law and interned at the FBI Academy in the United States.
In October 1998, Aliyev became Chairman of the Tax Police Committee and First Vice Minister of State Revenues of Kazakhstan.
Transition to National Security
In September 1999, Aliyev was appointed Head of the Department of the National Security Committee (KNB) for Almaty and Almaty Region. In July 2000, he became Deputy Chairman of the KNB and, in May 2001, First Deputy Chairman of the KNB.
According to reports, in the fall of 2001, Aliyev played a role in a political crisis in Kazakhstan, where tensions between security services and influential entrepreneurs led to a consolidation of anti-Nazarbayev forces, which the government perceived as an attempted "oligarchic coup."
Diplomatic and Media Careers
In November 2001, Aliyev was appointed Deputy Chief of the Security Service of the President of Kazakhstan and, in January 2002, President of the National Olympic Committee.
In the spring of 2002, he was sent on a diplomatic mission to Vienna, where he served as Kazakhstan's Ambassador to Austria and Representative to the OSCE and other international organizations.
In July 2005, Aliyev returned to Kazakhstan as First Deputy Foreign Minister and, in August 2005, as Kazakhstan's Special Representative for OSCE Cooperation.
In September 2006, Aliyev proposed recognizing the tribal nature of Kazakh society, abolishing the republican form of government, and establishing a constitutional monarchy with a sultan at its head.
Diplomatic Controversy and Allegations
On February 9, 2007, Aliyev was reappointed as Kazakhstan's Ambassador to Austria and Representative to international organizations in Vienna.
In the aftermath of a scandal surrounding Nurbank, one of Kazakhstan's leading banks, Aliyev's appointment sparked speculation. Some experts suggested that President Nazarbayev had transferred Aliyev to Vienna to distance him from the controversy.
On March 12, 2007, Aliyev was declared a fugitive from justice after criminal cases were initiated against him for "fraud" and "issuing заведомо irreversible loans or concluding заведомо unprofitable transactions for the bank."
On May 18, 2007, Aliyev accused Almaty Mayor Imanghali Tasmagambetov and Minister of Internal Affairs Bauyrzhan Mukhamezhanov of criminal connections with Nurbank suspects. He offered a 10-million tenge reward for information leading to Zholdas Timraliyev's discovery.
Criminal Prosecution and International Incidences
On May 23, 2007, a criminal case was opened against Aliyev for suspected involvement in Timraliyev's kidnapping. On May 26, 2007, Nazarbayev dismissed Aliyev from his diplomatic post.
On May 28, 2007, Aliyev was declared an international fugitive. Aliyev attributed his dismissal to his intention to run for president of Kazakhstan in the 2012 elections.
On May 30, 2007, Austrian authorities revoked Aliyev's diplomatic immunity. On June 1, 2007, he was arrested by Vienna police upon exiting a hairdresser.
After complaining of chest pains, Aliyev was admitted to a prison hospital. On June 3, 2007, he was released on bail of one million euros and a pledge not to leave the country.
Extradition Proceedings and International Allegations
On June 4, 2007, extradition hearings began in Vienna for Aliyev and the other detained Kazakh citizens. Aliyev requested political asylum in Austria.
On August 8, 2007, an Austrian court refused to extradite Aliyev to Kazakhstan, citing concerns about the fairness of his trial there.
International Accusations and Second Criminal Case
In July 2008, Aliyev gave an interview to The Wall Street Journal, accusing his former father-in-law of corruption. He alleged that President Nazarbayev had embezzled billions of dollars from the state budget, secretly owned shares in major industries, operated a network of offshore bank accounts, and collected illegal commissions from companies exploiting his country's natural resources.
In March 2008, a Kazakh court convicted Aliyev and former KNB Chairman Alnur Musayev of preparing a coup d'état and sentenced them both to 20 years in prison.
Personal Life and Media Interests
Aliyev was married to Dariga Nazarbayeva, the eldest daughter of President Nazarbayev. They had two sons and a daughter.
Aliyev was a prominent media figure and owned shares in several major Kazakh media outlets, including Khabar and KTK television channels, the Karavan weekly, and the Kazakhstan Today news agency.
