Wanted for murder: Suspect in Kazakh judge’s death now teaching at Russian university
Users of the 2GIS digital map service sharply lowered the rating of one of Russia’s leading universities, the Higher School of Economics, after reports claimed that the former husband of murdered Kazakh judge Aigul Sailybayeva works at the institution.
Read also: Murder of Kazakh judge in Germany: Case ‘goes cold’ as investigation stalls.
On Feb. 4, REN TV aired a report stating that a suspect in the murder case lives in Moscow and is employed at one of the capital’s prestigious universities. According to the broadcaster, he is currently on sick leave. After the report was published, users speculated that it referred to the Higher School of Economics.
Online backlash and public reaction
As a result, the university’s rating in the 2GIS app fell to 1.6. In user reviews, commenters expressed outrage and called on the university administration to issue an official statement.
The university’s website indicates that Alexander Dontsov — identified in materials from Kazakhstan’s Interior Ministry as a suspect in Sailybayeva’s killing — has worked at the institution since 2025. Publicly available information says he is affiliated with the Department of World Economy and World Politics, where he conducts research, publishes articles and lectures.
Dontsov has previously denied involvement in the crime.
Earlier, Kursiv.media reported that in late December authorities in Moscow detained the husband and mother-in-law of former Kazakh judge Aigul Sailybayeva.
