Secret service no longer protects Nazarbayev in Kazakhstan

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan has approved amendments to the edict on the state security service (SSS). The agency is no longer in charge of protecting Ex-President Nursultan Nazarbayev.

What happened? The SSS is no longer responsible for the protection of Nazarbayev.

The previous version of the document required the agency to protect the president of the country, the first president – the Leader of the Nation – and other high-ranked officials.

The updated edict, which was recently signed by Tokayev, says that the secret service must «protect the president of the Republic of Kazakhstan and other high-ranked officials.» The reference to Nazarbayev was removed.

What other privileges has Nazarbayev lost?

On June 29, 2023, members of the Senate (the upper house of the country’s parliament) approved a law on professional qualifications, state decorations, social security and education that removes Nazarbayev’s privilege to be called the chairman of governing councils in the Nazarbayev Intellectual Schools, Nazarbayev University and Nazarbayev Fund.

In January 2023, the Senate removed the status of Honorary Senator from the ex-president. In February, Nazarbayev lost his prominent status as the Leader of the Nation and all the privileges this status gave to him personally and to members of his family.

In June, the minister of finance said that Nazarbayev’s administrative office would be closed in a month or a month and a half. However, this hasn’t happened yet.

Nursultan Nazarbayev ruled Kazakhstan for over 30 years. In 2019, he voluntarily quit office. Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, who at the time was a speaker of the Senate, became the new president. Since then, the parliament has approved a set of laws that removed special statuses and privileges from Nazarbayev and his family.