Kyrgyzstan's Former Influential Figure, Matraimov, Expelled from Azerbaijan
In a shocking turn of events, the former customs official Rayimbek Matraimov, once a powerful figure, was dragged off a plane in Azerbaijan and whisked away to Kyrgyzstan for arrest.
Photos circulating in local media showed Matraimov being handcuffed by masked agents from the State Committee for National Security (GKNB).
The sudden and abrupt deportation occurred just a few days after rumors linked Matraimov, who was reportedly residing in Azerbaijan, to a plot to assassinate Kyrgyzstan's top leaders. On the day these claims were announced, the GKNB revealed it had nabbed five suspects, members of an international criminal network, accused of plotting this scandalous act.
The group arrested in Bishkek consisted primarily of Azerbaijani citizens, according to the GKNB's statement.
The security services stated in a separate announcement that they had asked Azerbaijan's authorities to detain and extradite Matraimov. The authorities complied swiftly with the request.
Kyrgyzstan's authorities dubbed the plot, allegedly masterminded by Matraimov, an attempt to sabotage the government's ongoing crackdown on criminal organizations.
There was some uncertainty surrounding whether anyone else was arrested with Matraimov. Kaktus, a news website, reported that the security forces had also apprehended his three brothers: a former legislator, Iskender; a former energy executive, Tilek; and a former head of the internal investigations department in the financial police, Islam.
However, Iskender Matraimov's son asserted on social media that his father had not been apprehended and was on his way back to Kyrgyzstan after hearing about the situation.
Matraimov held the position of deputy chairman of the state customs service from 2015 to 2017. In 2019, a coalition of news outlets, including the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, Kloop, and Azattyk, released a series of investigations accusing Matraimov of funneling at least $700 million out of the country as part of intricate smuggling operations during his tenure.
The government at the time was seemingly unfazed by these allegations. Critics maintained that Matraimov utilized his illicit fortune to exert significant influence over Kyrgyzstan's political sphere.
Matraimov has seen a dramatic decline in his fortune since the beginning of this year.
When President Sadyr Japarov was freed from prison, where he was serving a sentence for hostage-taking charges amid the chaos of street protests in October 2020, he delivered an emotional speech to a crowd of supporters, pledging to imprison Matraimov.
"Rayim-Million will be arrested. I have not yet fully assumed control of the state. But as soon as I do, he will be arrested," Japarov declared, employing Matraimov's commonly used nickname.
At first, Matraimov was handled delicately, but that changed dramatically in January when Tashiyev announced that the government was preparing to seize the former customs official's extensive assets and properties. Matraimov was also wanted on charges that included forcible deprivation of a person's freedom at that time, and it was believed he had fled the country.
This weekend's claims about an assassination plot intensified the situation. The GKNB has yet to provide evidence supporting its claims of an assassination plot. Matraimov's team, on the other hand, has yet to respond to these allegations.
[1] Extradition from Azerbaijan to Kyrgyzstan: https://www.vz.ru/2021/12/31/1185909.html (Translated from Russian)
- The news of Matraimov's arrest in Kyrgyzstan, following his deportation from Azerbaijan, has generated significant political conversation, as the former customs official has been often linked with general-news stories and crime-and-justice reports.
- The political implications of Matraimov's arrest, suspected of being involved in an assassination plot against Kyrgyzstan's leaders, extend beyond the borders of Kyrgyzstan and Azerbaijan, as the plot touches upon aspects of international politics and crime-and-justice issues.
