Yerlan Zhakiparov. Photo courtesy of bureau.kz
A military court in Almaty has found National Guard serviceman Aytchan Aubakirov guilty of the deaths of archaeologist Yerlan Zhakiparov and Almaty region resident Auez Kapsalanov during the January 2022 unrest, sentencing him to seven years in prison, Vlast.kz reports.
Aubakirov was convicted under Article 451 of Kazakhstan’s Criminal Code, “Abuse of Power,” and will serve his sentence in a medium-security facility. He has also been stripped of his military rank of colonel.
Additionally, the court partially granted a civil claim by Nurlan Zhakiparov, the brother of the slain archaeologist, awarding him 20 million tenge ($39,000) in moral damages. Nurlan Zhakiparov stated that the funds would be used to support his brother’s work. Yerlan Zhakiparov was a well-known “petroglyph hunter” in Kazakhstan. In early January 2022, his family and friends launched a search for him through social media. On January 12, his relatives were informed that his body had been found in the morgue. His brother later reported finding him in a corridor, handcuffed, brutally beaten, and killed by a gunshot to the heart. He was 49 years old.
The trial began in December 2023. Aubakirov, the 42-year-old former deputy commander of military unit 5571, was charged with exceeding his authority, resulting in severe consequences.
According to the indictment, on January 6, 2022, between 7:30 and 8:00 p.m., special forces from the National Security Committee detained Zhakiparov and Kapsalanov near Republic Square. The detainees were placed under the guard of the 1st Battalion of military unit 5571, where they were handcuffed and repeatedly beaten with fists, feet, and weapons, including blows to the back and groin, inflicting “moral and physical suffering.”
Several hours later, Aubakirov’s commander ordered the detainees to be released. Aubakirov instructed a subordinate to carry out the order, and as a soldier unfastened Zhakiparov’s right-hand cuff, Zhakiparov, fearing further beatings, pushed the guard and fled with Kapsalanov toward Satpaev Street.
Believing they were escaping, Lieutenant Colonel Aubakirov opened fire, killing both men on the spot.
During the trial, Aubakirov apologized to the victims’ families but did not admit guilt. He stated that he was following orders and operating under curfew rules that allowed security forces to use lethal force.
The January 2022 unrest, known in Kazakhstan as Qantar or “Bloody January,” resulted in 238 deaths and over 4,500 injuries, according to government reports.
