Recently, Mass Media published an unexpected declaration made by Vlad Chelakh.  The famous inmate serving his life sentence in the Black Falcon Maximum-Security Prison for the murder of 15 fellow border patrol rangers, submitted an address to the President.  He declared that he was ready to tell the truth about what really happened in the Arkan-Kergen Border Post in 2012. 

“ Dear Mr. President, now, that so many years have passed, I am still ready to shed the light on the tragedy. All those guilty must be punished. I am not asking for too much. I just want to be heard and given a go. I just want and I am ready to testify before unbiased and unprejudiced investigators. The real picture of the tragedy has so far not been disclosed “ – Chelakh wrote to the President.

Why did Chelakh decide to talk now, that 10 years have passed? Will he report names of real persons who ordered the murder of rangers or is it his attempt to bargain with the new regime, so to shorten time in the most ominous prison for those on the death row? Probably, yes.

However, there is one “but” …

We remember another “death inmate” – Rustam Ibragimov, sentenced to life in prison for the assassination of a famous oppositionist Altynbek Sarsenbayev and his two assistants.  The individual, as well, submitted several loud addresses to President Nazarbayev, promising to disclose the names of persons who ordered the assassination.  Ibragimov manipulated with the topic in exchange to softer conditions of detention – he changed testimonies, and at each new interrogation round, he would report different names of various top-ranking officials.

Is it so, that Chelakh chose to resort to the same tactical behavior? Let us try to dig deeper.  Because, Mass Media have been discussing all sorts of versions about what could happen in Arkan-Kergen.

First Version — Hazing

In the course of a latest interview with the Caravan Newspaper, the correspondent asked Vlad a question, whether sexual harassment could be the factor that motivated Vlad to go so far, as to kill his fellow soldiers.  Vlad, then, said – “No, nobody harassed me.  I have said already that it was not the fault of mine.  That is what I said in the court and during investigation”.

“ – And what about those red female pants found during investigation?

– Now you listen…The case dossier discusses the situation with those pants.  Red female pants were on the corpse of the local forestry guard.  That is not my crime, I repeat.  And that is what I said in court.

– Who, do you think, could be involved in that murder?

– No idea! “

The corpse of the forestry guard was one big confusion.  First, there was information that the female pants were found on the body of one of the victims.  Of course, “one of the victims” was the forestry guard.  Investigation reports were contradictive – first it was said that the forestry guard’s body was found in his house, then – that it was located in the vicinity of the Border Post, then, again, — in his own house.  The bodies of border rangers were burnt to the condition of unrecognizability, which means those red female pants could not be found on one of them.  Later that information was confronted by other facts.  There was a supposition, however, that someone put those red pants on the corpse of Mr.Kim, the forestry guard.  For what?  Probably, to support the version that nobody later trusted. 

So, who may be involved in that crime?

Second Verson – VIP Hunters

Our sources from bodies of investigation reported to us, that parallel to the official version, they looked into another supposition – a more trustworthy one, and did so in the covert way.

They even went so far, as issued an executive order to take under arrest one of the relatives of the President, which relative, at the times of events, was a top-ranking officer in one of the force services of Kazakhstan.  That case, however, was brought down under carpet,

our source told us.

Journalists then put forward a supposition that those were VIP poachers, who “hunted down” the border rangers.  And those poachers were commanded by Kairat Satypaldy,  President’s nephew.  Kairat Satypaldy called that supposition absurdity.

A woman, who lives in the nearby Konir Village confirmed that supposition.  She reported to journalists that the vicinity of her village was a habitual location for the recreation for VIP hunters – “They always hang out here” – she said. 

Besides, the lady reported that in the beginning of June (immediately after the murder of rangers), the village folks had a visual on two or three persons, they did not know.  Those persons had military uniforms on and were armed with assault rifles.  They were seen in the village and mountains surrounding the village.  They all «had a very poor command of Russian”. Those reports fit well into the terrorist attack version that was put forward by Nursultan Nazarbayev himself.

The village folks reported their observations to some acquaintances in armed forces.  Next day, as the lady told, some 250 soldiers arrived at their village.  Their commander was General Nurzhan Myrzaliyev, the ex-Commander of Border Patrol Rangers.  Rangers invited all village folks to a conference in the school building, during which they informed locals that those armed aliens were bandits on run after the murder of the Arkan-Kergen soldiers.

And then came Vlad Chelakh and, those bandits got, somehow, forgotten.

Arkan-Kergen Rampage and Aksay Massacre – What Is in Common?

Three months after the murder of 15 rangers in Arkan-Kergen, the murder of the Zakharopulo Family happened in the Aksay Clove.  That incident was in favor of the version that Arkan-Kergen sustained a hostile attack. 

Let us be reminded that on 12 August 2012, six bodies were found in the territory of Outpost #4 of the Ile-Alatau National Park. 

In reviewing the crime-scene, investigators identified the victims – Panayot Zakharopulo, his spouse, two relatives and two hired technicians.  There were numerous stabs on the bodies.  Panayot’s Son – Igor, disappeared.

Now, attention to details.

The Arkan-Kergen investigation was based on supposition that Chelakh killed his fellow soldiers with a Kalashnikov Assault Rifle.  However, bullet wounds were identified only in the bodies of the Arkan-Kergen Post Commander and the local forestry guard.  Judging by all facts, other soldiers were stabbed to death.

The Zakharopulo Family were all stabbed to death, as well.

The Respublica Newspaper interviewed ex-PM Ualikhan Kaysarov, which individual put forward a supposition that the attack on the Post happened after the murder of the forestry guard Ruslan Kim, which individual dared to stand on the way of the General and his team on illegal hunt in that vicinity.

The same supposition was voiced in the course of the Zakharopulo murder investigation – Panayot, executing his duty of a forestry guard, caught aliens in his auspices and attempted to take some legal action in regards to them.

Then, the murder was attributed to religious fanatics. Oddly enough, all Zakharopulo murder suspects were eliminated in the course of a special operation in the Village of Baganashyl. That triggered more suspicion  — did they have to eliminate suspects, instead of taking them in custody for interrogation and reconstruction of crime?

Or was it an option, the former National Security Committee leadership resorted to, to protect the secrecy of the training camps in the foothills of the Alatau Mountain Range – the camps for the training of terrorists, which force later was involved in the riots of January 2022?

The above supposition was indirectly confirmed by Yermukhamet Yertisbayev, the former Advisor of President Nazarbayev.

“It turns out that there long existed training camps.  National Security Committee, would, once in while, neutralize some terrorist groups, but maintained silence about those camps in the mountains.  That is a major state felony” – Mr. Yertysbayev stated during an interview given to the Khabar-24 television agency. 

If, as the expert says, a terrorist base existed in the mountains nearby Almaty for many years, we have another logical question – what unites the Aksay Cove massacre and arson, Arkan-Kergen murder and the January 2022 riots in Almaty?

What are those loud names, that Chelakh may make publicly known?