National Security Committee
Encyclopedia
The National Security Committee of the Republic of Kazakhstan (NSC) is an intelligence agency in Kazakhstan
. It was founded on 13 July 1992.
, the old national security apparatus of the Soviet Union
. Initially, it retained most of the staff which the KGB had employed in Kazakhstan, as well as the powers the KGB had held; its first head, Bulat Baekenov, had worked for the KGB for over two decades. Its early years were marked by close cooperation with Russia on issues of border security and counter-intelligence against alleged foreign spies. In December 1995, a new presidential decree modified some of the NSC's powers.
In November 2008, journalist Ramazan Yesergepov
published an article entitled "Who Rules the Country: President or National Security Committee?" It contained private NSC correspondence which was later listed as classified, resulting in his 2009 arrest and conviction on security charges. The case led to domestic and international condemnation.
In January 2010, Kazakhstani president Nursultan Nazarbaev appointed his nephew Samat Abish as the NSC's head of human resources; opposition lawmaker Serikbolsyn Abdildin of the Communist Party of Kazakhstan
claimed this shows that Nazarbaev considers personal loyalty more important than skill in government posts.
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Ranked as the ninth largest country in the world, it is also the world's largest landlocked country; its territory of is greater than Western Europe...
. It was founded on 13 July 1992.
History
The NSC was created in accordance with a law passed by parliament in July 1992 which authorised the establishment of an agency to replace the KGBKGB
The KGB was the commonly used acronym for the . It was the national security agency of the Soviet Union from 1954 until 1991, and was the premier internal security, intelligence, and secret police organization during that time.The State Security Agency of the Republic of Belarus currently uses the...
, the old national security apparatus of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. Initially, it retained most of the staff which the KGB had employed in Kazakhstan, as well as the powers the KGB had held; its first head, Bulat Baekenov, had worked for the KGB for over two decades. Its early years were marked by close cooperation with Russia on issues of border security and counter-intelligence against alleged foreign spies. In December 1995, a new presidential decree modified some of the NSC's powers.
In November 2008, journalist Ramazan Yesergepov
Ramazan Yesergepov
Ramazan Yesergepov is a jailed Kazakhstani journalist, whose arrest led to international concerns about the freedom of the media in Kazakhstan. Prior to his arrest he was the editor of Alma-Ata Info.-Career:Yesergepov founded Alma-Ata Info in 2005...
published an article entitled "Who Rules the Country: President or National Security Committee?" It contained private NSC correspondence which was later listed as classified, resulting in his 2009 arrest and conviction on security charges. The case led to domestic and international condemnation.
In January 2010, Kazakhstani president Nursultan Nazarbaev appointed his nephew Samat Abish as the NSC's head of human resources; opposition lawmaker Serikbolsyn Abdildin of the Communist Party of Kazakhstan
Communist Party of Kazakhstan
The Communist Party of Kazakhstan is a political party in Kazakhstan. -Origin:The Communist Party of Kazakhstan was founded 1936 when Kazakhstan was granted a Union Republic status within the Soviet Union...
claimed this shows that Nazarbaev considers personal loyalty more important than skill in government posts.
List of chairmen
- Bulat Baekenov, October 1991 - December 1993
- Sat Tokpakbaev, December 1993 - November 1995; left his post to take up the chairmanship of the Special Security Division (Специализированное охранное подразделение) of the Ministry of Internal Affairs
- Dzhenisbek Dzhumanbekov, November 1995 - May 1997; his term was marked by scandal over illegal dealings with Iran, and his vice-chairman was sacked; Dzhumanbekov himself resigned from his position and left public life
- Alnur Musaev, May 1997 - September 1998 and August 1999 - May 2001; second term ended by dismissal from his post due to personal conflicts with the president and other elites
- Nurtai AbykayevNurtai AbykayevNurtai Abykayevich Abykayev is the current Chairman of the National Security Committee of Kazakhstan. Previously he was Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Kazakhstan to the Russian Federation and before this chairman of the Senate of Kazakhstan...
, September 1998 – August 1999 and August 2010 – present; dismissed from his post for his role in a scandal over the sale of old MiGMig-Industry:*MiG, now Mikoyan, a Russian aircraft corporation, formerly the Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau*Metal inert gas welding or MIG welding, a type of welding using an electric arc and a shielding gas-Business and finance:...
fighter planes to North KoreaNorth KoreaThe Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
by the Kazakhstan Ministry of Defense, and replaced by his predecessor. Reappointed in 2010 after the removal of Adil ShayakhmetovAdil ShayakhmetovAdil Shayakhmetuly Shayakhmetov was the head of Kazakhstan's National Security Committee from December 2009 to August 2010.-Personal life:...
. - Marat TazhinMarat TazhinMarat Muhanbetuly Tazhin is a Kazakh politician. He served as the Foreign Minister in the Government of Kazakhstan from 2007 to 2009. He previously served as Secretary of the National Security Committee...
, May 2001 - December 2001 - Nartai Dutbayev, December 2001 - 22 February 2006; resigned in scandal over murder of opposition politician Altynbek Sarsenbayev
- Amangeldy ShabdarbayevAmangeldy ShabdarbayevColonel General Amangeldy Shabdarbayev ; born on 1 August 1950 in Kaskelen district, Almaty Province, Kazakhstan) served as the Chairman of the National Security Committee from 2 March 2006 to 7 December 2009. He replaced Nartai Dutbayev, and was himself replaced by Adil Shayakhmetov...
, 2 March 2006 - 7 December 2009; removed from his post for unclear reasons - Adil ShayakhmetovAdil ShayakhmetovAdil Shayakhmetuly Shayakhmetov was the head of Kazakhstan's National Security Committee from December 2009 to August 2010.-Personal life:...
, 9 December 2009 – August 2010; removed from his post in the aftermath of the arrest of Prosecutor-General's Office official Murat Musabekov, who was fingered as allegedly plotting a coup in an anonymous letter allegedly circulated by NSC officers.