KZBlog

According to the Austrian Times, two Austrian policemen have been arrested on charges of spying for Kazakhstan. The article refers only to “the secret service” of Kazakhstan, which I assume refers to the KNB, the main intelligence agency of Kazakhstan. One officer apparently had worked in the internal affairs office of Austria. Most interestingly, these arrests follow a conviction last month of another Austrian officer on charges of spying for Kazakhstan.

Most people familiar with Central Asian politics will recognize that Rakhat Aliyev, one time son-in-law of the President lives in Vienna and sought asylum there after arrest warrants for him were issued in Kazakhstan. He was convicted last year in absentia of plotting to overthrow the government, kidnapping and financial crimes. A seperate military tribunal found him guilty of treason. Aliyev and his crony/accomplice have claimed that attempts to kidnap them have been made to capture them. These arrests appear to support the conclusion that Kazakhstan is willing to do anything to bring Aliyev back to Kazakhstan. It will be interesting to see what happens in Austrian and Kazakhstan relations if the KNB persists in these tactics.