January unrest in Almaty, 2022. Photo courtesy of tengrinews.kz
A military officer is on trial in Almaty for the shooting of civilians during the January 2022 unrest, reports Ulysmedia.kz. The defendant, 42-year-old former deputy commander of military unit 5571, Aytchan Aubakirov, faces charges of abuse of power resulting in grave consequences.
According to the indictment, on January 6, 2022, between 7:30 and 8:00 p.m., officers of the National Security Committee's «A» special forces detained two individuals, Zhagiparov and Kapsalanov, at Republic Square. These detainees were later placed under the watch of the 1st Operational Battalion of Unit 5571. Soldiers handcuffed them and inflicted numerous blows to various parts of their bodies, including strikes with their weapons, causing «moral and physical suffering."
Hours later, the defendant’s superior officer ordered the detainees’ release. Aubakirov instructed a subordinate to carry out this directive. However, when the handcuffs were being removed, Zhagiparov pushed the soldier and, along with Kapsalanov, fled westward on Satpayev Street.
Believing the escape was a security breach, Lieutenant Colonel Aubakirov opened fire on the two men, resulting in their deaths on the spot.
During the court proceedings, Aubakirov apologized to the families of the deceased and expressed regret but denied culpability. He claimed he was following instructions and that law enforcement had been authorized to use lethal force during the curfew. He also testified that he had not previously seen the detainees and, at the time of the shooting, mistook them for attackers due to the fog, poor visibility, and ongoing protests near the barricades. Aubakirov fired approximately 20 rounds, some into the air and 10 toward the fleeing figures.
After the shooting, neither Aubakirov nor other soldiers inspected the scene, remaining behind the barricades.
A witness, Askar Uvaliev, a friend of victim Yerlan Zhagiparov, testified on December 18. He recounted that Zhagiparov was at his home in the lower part of the city until 7:00 p.m. on January 6 before heading home to the Samal neighborhood. About 40 minutes later, Zhagiparov called Uvaliev to inform him he had been detained by the National Guard. By midnight, his phone went unanswered.
Yerlan Zhagiparov, an archaeologist and renowned «petroglyph hunter,» was reported missing on social media by family and friends in early January 2022. On January 12, his family was informed his body was in the morgue. According to his brother Nurlan, Zhagiparov’s body was found handcuffed, severely beaten, and fatally shot in the heart. He was 49 years old.
