Aydos Sadykov, a prominent critic of Kazakhstan’s political regime, succumbed to his injuries two weeks after an assassination attempt in Kyiv. His wife, Natalia Sadykova, announced his passing on social media and accused Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of being complicit in the attack (announcement).
President Tokayev responded to the incident by emphasizing the importance of the rule of law and stating Kazakhstan’s willingness to cooperate fully with Ukrainian officials in the ensuing investigation (response).
The Ukrainian police have identified two Kazakh nationals, Meiram Karatayev and Altay Zhakanbayev, as suspects in the attempted murder that occurred on June 21. Karatayev remains at large, while Zhakanbayev has voluntarily surrendered to Kazakh authorities and is currently detained in Kazakhstan without any plans for extradition to Ukraine. Authorities believe both suspects fled to Moldova on the day of the attack (identification, detention, flight).
Sadykov had sought asylum in Ukraine in 2014 alongside his wife and continued his activism via social media and his YouTube channel. Unfortunately, an assassination attempt on June 18 left him critically wounded.
Sadykov’s death has sparked widespread outrage among human rights activists and has heightened concerns regarding the safety of political dissidents globally. Human Rights Watch and other international organizations have condemned the attack, demanding a thorough investigation and urging the Ukrainian government to ensure the security of other exiled activists and dissidents.
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