Murat Bektanov

Lieutenant General Murat Bektanov
Мұрат Бектанов
Bektanov in 2019
Minister of Defence
In office 31 August 2021 – 19 January 2022
President	Kassym-Jomart Tokayev
Prime Minister	Askar Mamin Älihan Smaiylov
Preceded by	Nurlan Yermekbayev
Succeeded by	Ruslan Jaqsylyqov
Chief of the General Staff
In office 5 April 2019 – 31 August 2021
President	Kassym-Jomart Tokayev
Preceded by	Murat Maikeyev
Succeeded by	Marat Khusainov
Commander-in-Chief of the Kazakh Ground Forces
In office 15 September 2016 – 5 April 2019
President	Nursultan Nazarbayev Kassym-Jomart Tokayev
Preceded by	Murat Maikeyev
Succeeded by	Marat Khusainov
Personal details
Born	(1965-09-18) 18 September 1965 (age 59) Sokolovka, Kazakh SSR, Soviet Union
Military service
Allegiance	Soviet Union  Kazakhstan
Branch/service	Soviet Army  Kazakh Ground Forces
Years of service	1982–present
Rank	Lieutenant General[1]

Murat Käribaiūly Bektanov (Kazakh: Мұрат Кәрібайұлы Бектанов, romanized: Mūrat Kärıbaiūly Bektanov) is a Kazakh military leader and was the Minister of Defence.^[2] He previously served as the Chief of the General Staff and Commander-in-Chief of the Kazakh Ground Forces.^[3][4]

Early life and career

Bektanov in a 2003 Lincoln Town Car during a military parade on Independence Square, May 2017.

Born in the village of Sokolovka in North Kazakhstan Region, Bektanov graduated from the Kiev Higher Combined Arms Command School in the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic. From 1989–1990, he commanded a motorized rifle platoon of the Soviet Army. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, he served as head of an intelligence unit of an airborne assault battalion. From 1993–1997, he was the commander of a platoon at the Alma-Ata Higher All-Arms Command School. From 1997–1998, he was an officer in a combat training department of the Ministry of Defense of Kazakhstan. Up until he studied at the Military Academy of the Armed Forces. From 2001–2005, he served as Head of the Operational Directorate and Training Department of the Republican Guard before studying at the Military Academy of the General Staff.

High posts

From 2013–2016, he was Commander of the Regional Command "East", and from 2016–2019, he was Commander-in-Chief of the Kazakh Ground Forces. In April 2019, he became Chief of the General Staff.^[5] During his work as the Chief of the General Staff, the Arys tragedy took place. Bektanov was considered as accountable to the incident by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and was given a formal strict reprimand in response.^[6]

Defence minister

On 31 August 2021, Bektanov became the Minister of Defence, succeeding Nurlan Ermekbaev following another tragic explosion in Jambyl Region.^[7] On 11 January 2022 he was reappointed as the Minister of Defense in the Smaiylov Cabinet.

Firing and arrest

On 19 January 2022, he was relieved of the post and was replaced by Ruslan Jaqsylyqov.^[8] President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev claimed Bektanov did not show good leadership during the 2022 Kazakh unrest. A month later, Bektanov was detained and placed under arrest on suspicion of official inaction during the state of emergency introduced in connection with mass protests.^[9]

On March 9, 2023, Bektanov was convicted by the verdict of the Specialized Interdistrict Military Court for Criminal Cases dated February 24, 2023 under part 3 of Article 451 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan (abuse of power), he was sentenced to imprisonment for a period of 12 years with serving his sentence in an institution of the maximum security penal system.^[10]

Awards

• Order of Glory, 2nd degree (2014)

See also

• Armed Forces of the Republic of Kazakhstan

References

1. "О присвоении высших воинских и специальных званий, классных чинов и квалификационных классов — Официальный сайт Президента Республики Казахстан". Akorda.kz.
2. "Kazakhstan president fires defence minister for lack of leadership during protests". Reuters. 2022-01-19. Retrieved 2022-01-19.
3. "Murat Bektanov appointed new commander of Kazakh ground forces". vestnikkavkaza.net.
4. "Назарбаев освободил от должностей двух руководителей регионального командования". Tengrinews.kz (in Russian). Retrieved 2017-11-05.
5. tengrinews.kz (2019-04-05). "Мурат Бектанов назначен первым заместителем министра обороны". Главные новости Казахстана - Tengrinews.kz (in Russian). Retrieved 2020-11-08.
6. informburo.kz (2019-08-07). "Токаев уволил экс-министра обороны Жасузакова из Вооружённых сил из-за ЧП в Арыси". Г informburo.kz (in Russian). Retrieved 2021-08-31.
7. informburo.kz (2021-08-31). "Министром обороны Казахстана стал Мурат Бектанов". rus.azattyq.org (in Russian). Retrieved 2021-08-31.
8. "Указом Главы государства Бектанов Мурат Карибаевич освобожден от должности Министра обороны Республики Казахстан — Официальный сайт Президента Республики Казахстан". Akorda.kz (in Russian). Retrieved 2022-03-18.
9. "Kazakhstan detains ex-defence minister for inaction during unrest". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2022-03-18.
10. "Экс-министр обороны Бектанов осужден на 12 лет по делу о январских событиях". kaztag.kz (in Russian). 2023-03-09.