Kazakh opposition journalist Aidos Sadikov, who was assassinated in Kyiv on June 18, died in hospital. Doctors fought for his life in the intensive care unit for 13 days.
This was reported by his wife Natalia Sadikova.
"My beloved husband, the father of our three children, a great son of the Kazakh people. Aidos gave his life for Kazakhstan, accepted a martyrʼs death at the hands of killers. Aidos fought for his life in intensive care for 13 days, but no miracle happened. His death is on Tokayevʼs conscience," Natalia Sadikova said.
Sadikov was shot at close range with a firearm. The journalist was in serious condition — the bullet hit his temple and hit his brain.
The Prosecutor Generalʼs Office announced that due to Sadikovʼs death, the suspicion of the suspect will be changed from attempted murder to premeditated murder on the order of a prior conspiracy (paragraphs 11, 12, part 2 of Article 115 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).
Attempt on Sadikov
On June 18, 2024, two people attempted to assassinate Kazakh journalist Aydos Sadikov in Kyiv. At the time of the attack, he was in the car with his wife Natalia. Sadikov was hospitalized, his wife was not injured.
According to law enforcement officers, both suspects are citizens of Kazakhstan. They left the territory of Ukraine on the day of the attack. However, Ukrainian law enforcement officers informed Altai Zhakanbaev and Meyram Karataev of suspicion of attempted murder. Zhakanbaev later turned himself in to the prosecutorʼs office of Kazakhstan.
Kazakhstan has already announced that it will not extradite the suspect in the assassination attempt on Sadikov to Ukraine. This was explained by "the principle according to which Kazakhstan does not extradite its citizens to other states", but the investigation is ongoing.
Who is Aydos Sadikov?
Until 2010, Aidos Sadikov was the head of the Aktobe department of the opposition party "Azat". For more than 20 years, he has been criticizing the current president of Kazakhstan Tokayev and his predecessor Nursultan Nazarbayev. During this time, criminal cases were initiated against him, his car and property were burned, and he was persecuted.
In 2010, Sadikov was sentenced to two years in prison on charges of "hooliganism", and was released in 2012. Sadikov and his supporters called the criminal case fabricated. Sadikov was engaged in active social activities, organized protest actions.
In 2014, Sadikov and his wife moved to Kyiv and received political asylum after a criminal case was opened against Natalia in Kazakhstan.