Official statement of Prosecutor General's Office on the murder of A.Sarsenbayuly, V.Zhuravlyov and B.Baibosyn

The press statement

On February 11, 2006, in Almaty the kidnapping and murder of Altynbek Sarsenbayuly, Vassiliy Zhuravlyov and Baurzhan Baibosyn were committed.
During the investigation the law enforcement agencies have identified the persons involved in this crime. This is Rustam Ibragimov and nine other persons.
In his turn, Rustam Ibragimov has named Yerzhan Utembayev who was the chief of the Head-Office of the Senate of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan in that period as the hirer of the murder of Altynbek Sarsenbayuly.
On August 31, 2006, all the persons determined by the investigation were sentenced to long terms by Almaty Oblast Court, and Ibragimov as the direct organizer and executor was sentenced to the capital punishment, which was later replaced by life imprisonment.
However, on April 16, 2012, Ibragimov, who is serving his sentence in prison, filed the petition to the Supreme Court where he reported on the circumstances of the committed crime, previously unknown to law enforcement and judicial authorities.
In that statement, the first time he confessed of the murder, describing in detail the circumstances of its commission, and he also stated that the true hirers of the kidnapping and murder of Altynbek Sarsenbayuly were Rakhat Aliev and Alnur Musayev, and not Yerzhan Utembayev.
By the order of the Supreme Court, the accuracy of his testimony was further verified by the specially created operational investigative team, which included the representatives of the Prosecutor General's Office, Committee for National Security and Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
At the same time, at the request of the Prosecutor General's Office of the Republic of Kazakhstan, U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation were directly involved in the investigation.
Based on the investigation results, the newly discovered evidences have been proved true.
Thus, it was found in 2006, that after the completion of polygraph research and interview with the U.S. FBI agents, Rustam Ibragimov told that the true hirer of the murder was Rakhat Aliev.
At the same time Rustam Ibragimov refused to give official testimony to the law enforcement bodies and asked not to disclose this information because of fear of possible threat for his family's safety from Aliev and Musayev.
Currently in the process of interaction within investigating Rustam Ibragimov's statement, the U.S.FBI has confirmed that information providing the relevant documents.
During the reinvestigation, Ibragimov testified that Yerzhan Utembayev really asked him to beat Altynbek Sarsenbayuly because of personal aversions. Rakhat Aliev had found out about it, and together with Alnur Musayev, decided to exploit the situation and under the execution of the order of Yerzhan Utembayev instructed Inragimov to carry out the murder of Altynbek Sarsenbayuly.
The Rustam Ibragimov's explanation was fully confirmed by objective evidences collected during the investigation. There are obtained new evidences and testimonies confirming version of involvement of Rakhat Aliev and Alnur Musayev in the order and organization of the murder of Altynbek Sarsenbayuly and his two companions.
In August 2013 the testimony of Rustam Ibragimov and several key witnesses were verified for accuracy and confirmed by specially invited FBI polygraph examiners.
In this connection, on December 11, 2013, the Prosecutor General's Office of the Republic of Kazakhstan directed to the Supreme Court the opinion of the partial reconsideration of the verdict in the murder of Altynbek Sarsenbayuly, Vassiliy Zhuravlyov and Baurzhan Baibosyn.
On December 9, 2013, the Supreme Court of the Republic of Kazakhstan based on the result of consideration of Rustam Ibragimov's statement and with account of new materials, partially cancelled the previous verdict with respect to Yerzhan Utembayev.
The grounds for a retrial with regards to other participants of the crime have not been established, because new evidences did not affect classification of their action.
The same day, December 19, Supreme Court sent the criminal case for a new trial in the Special Criminal Interdistrict Court for Almaty oblast.
In case of adoption of a relevant court decision, a criminal case on Rakhat Aliev and Alnur Musayev will be initiated, and preliminary investigation will be conducted with participation of the FBI agents for checking implication of Rakhat Aliev and Alnur Musayev in the murder of Altynbek Sarsenbayuly, Vassiliy Zhuravlyov and Baurzhan Baibosyn.
The results of these legal proceedings will be announced additionally.