Reporters Without Borders calls for an investigation into the assassination of Qazaq journalist Aydos Sadykov
Qazaq opposition journalist Aydos Sadykov. Photo by Hromadske Radio
The international organization "Reporters Without Borders" (RSF) called on the Ukrainian and Qazaq authorities to find the perpetrators of the assassination of the Qazaq opposition journalist Aydos Sadykov and to bring them to justice, the watchdog reports on their website.
"This brutal shooting to silence Kazakh opposition blogger Aydos Sadykov in the centre of Kyiv must not go unpunished. RSF urges the Kazakh authorities to cooperate with the Ukrainian authorities in a transparent and rigorous investigation to identify those behind this shocking crime and bring all those responsible to justice," said Jeanne Cavelier, the Head of RSF’s Eastern Europe and Central Asia desk.
Aydos Sadykov assassination
On June 18, 2024, an unknown person shot at Qazaq opposition journalist Aydos Sadykov in the Shevchenkiv district of Kyiv.
The Kyiv National Police HQ have begun a pre-trial investigation into the attempted assassination of the Qazaq journalist Aydos Sadykov.
On June 20, Qazaqstan President Kasym-Zhomart Tokayev said that the Qazaq state authorities were ready to join the investigation into the attempted assassination of Qazaq opposition journalist Aydos Sadykov in Kyiv.
On June 24, Aydos Sadykov's wife Natalia quoted the doctors as saying there is a 0.01% chance that her husband will be fine. According to her, Aydos is now in intensive care in a deep coma.
On June 25, the Prosecutor General's Office announced the beginning of the extradition of the suspects in the attempted assassination of Qazaq journalist Aydos Sadykov.
On the night of July 2 Aydos Sadykov died. The journalist's wife Natalia Sadykova blamed his death on the President of Qazaqstan, Kasym-Zhomart Tokayev.
On the same day, July 2, the Kyiv City Prosecutor's Office announced they were changing the article under which the suspects in the assassination attempt were being prosecuted, since the journalist died.
Who is Aydos Sadykov
According to RBC Ukraine, Aydos Sadykov was born in the village of Qarabutaq (Aktobe region, Qazaqstan), near the border with Russia. He graduated from the history department of the Aktobe Pedagogical Institute.
Sadykov has been prosecuted in his homeland. In 2010, he was sentenced to two years in prison on charges of "hooliganism" and released in 2012. He and his supporters called the charges fabricated. Sadykov was an active public figure, organized protest rallies. He ran the Aktobe region branch of the oppositional All-National Social Democratic Party "Azat"; having left the party, he attempted to create the opposition public movement "Hastat" and an independent trade union at the enterprises of the Chinese oil company "SNPS-Aktobemunaigaz".
He and his wife run the YouTube channel "BASE", criticizing the Qazaq authorities and oligarchs. Sadykov is also known for supporting the January 2022 protests in Qazaqstan, which were suppressed by CSTO troops. In October 2023, he was declared wanted in Qazaqstan for "inciting hate".
The latest video on his channel was uploaded today. It has the title "The Qazaq President has become a puppet to Russian influence agents."
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