Rakhat Aliyev

Rakhat Aliyev, born on December tenth, nineteen sixty-two in Almaty, was a prominent Kazakh diplomat, economist, politician, and businessperson. His career spanned various high-profile positions, including chief of Kazakhstan's tax police, deputy chief of the KNB state security service, ambassador to Austria, and first vice foreign minister. Throughout his tenure in these roles, Aliyev amassed a significant fortune in sectors such as banking, oil refining, news media, telecommunications, and agricultural commodities.

In February two thousand seven, he began his second term as Kazakhstan's ambassador to Austria and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. However, his diplomatic career took a drastic turn when he was relieved of his post and subsequently lost his diplomatic immunity. Until June two thousand seven, he was married to Dariga Nazarbayeva, the eldest daughter of Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev.

After a fallout with Kazakhstan's leadership, Aliyev sought refuge in Malta to evade an Interpol warrant for his arrest. His attempts to gain Cypriot citizenship were unsuccessful, leading to his arrest by Austrian authorities in June two thousand fourteen on serious charges, including kidnapping and murder. He was incarcerated at the Josefstadt prison, where he awaited trial, classified as a suicide risk.

Aliyev maintained his innocence, claiming that the charges against him were politically motivated. His trial was scheduled to commence in the first half of two thousand fifteen, drawing significant attention from Austrian legal circles due to the high-profile nature of the case involving a former diplomat facing murder allegations.