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Barlyq Mendyghaziev, an outspoken critic of the US-based Kazakh government, said local authorities arrested his brother on charges of embezzlement and tax evasion in an attempt to crack down on his activities.
Mendyghaziev told RFE / RL on June 7 that his brother was arrested in the western town of Oral last week and remanded in custody in the town of Atyrau for two months.
“I see my brother’s arrest as a way to put pressure on me,” Mendyghaziev told RFE / RL by telephone, adding that all the charges against his brother, Bekizhan Mendyghaziev, were politically motivated.
Bekizhan Mendyghaziev’s lawyer Ivan Vranchayev confirmed to RFE / RL that the court ordered this weekend that his client be remanded in custody.
Court officials declined to provide details of the case, telling RFE / RL that an investigation was underway.
Atyrau’s economic investigation department also declined to comment on the case, citing investigative privilege.
Mendyghaziev, 52, is known for his harsh criticism of the Kazakh government.
He moved to the United States last year after an investigation was launched against him and his company Karachaganak Support Service. Three of his associates have been convicted of tax evasion in recent weeks, which Mendyghaziev sees as retaliation for his political activities.
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