Former Kazakh president’s grandson found dead in London

By Karim El-Bar

LONDON (AA) – The grandson of former Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev was found dead in London over the weekend, with the cause of death suspected to be heart failure, local media reported Monday.

Aisultan Nazarbayev, 29, was known to have drug problems and had become increasingly outspoken against leading political figures in his home country. He claimed in February that he had evidence of major corruption between Kazakhstan and Russia.

He said on Facebook that same month that he was seeking political asylum in the UK, claiming he was being harassed by his mother, Dariga Nazarbayeva, Nursultan’s eldest daughter and a high-profile political figure in Kazakhstan in her own right.

His claims were dismissed by the government as the rantings of a drug addict. Aisultan admitted in 2017 that he was addicted to drugs.

Aisultan was his grandfather’s favorite grandchild and at one point was being groomed for high office. In 2009, he attended Sandhurst, the UK’s prestigious military college. He then held a post in the Defence Ministry when he was only in his early twenties.

Dariga confirmed his death in a statement yesterday.

“My family is devastated at the loss of our beloved Aisultan, and we ask for privacy at this very difficult time.”

According to the Daily Mail, Aisultan had been a member of Chelsea’s football youth academy, reportedly arranged by owner Roman Abramovich at Russian President Vladimir Putin’s request.

He also reportedly paid £2 million for musician Kanye West to perform at his 2013 wedding to Alima Boranbayeva, the daughter of a prominent Kazakh businessman.