Kazakh Diplomat Accused of Espionage in Poland Released in Prisoner Swap

Kazakh assistant military attaché Anuar Bakibay, who had been accused by Poland of spying for Russia, was released as part of a prisoner exchange between Poland and Belarus, Orda.kz reports.

The exchange took place on April 28 at the Polish-Belarusian border in a five-for-five format. Several countries took part in the deal, and negotiations reportedly lasted almost a year. Among those released by Belarus were journalist Andrzej Poczobut and Catholic priest Grzegorz Havel. Poland, for its part, handed over, among others, Alexander Balan, who had been convicted of treason in Moldova, and Russian archaeologist Alexander Butyagin.

Officially, Bakibay was listed as an assistant to the military attaché at Kazakhstan’s embassy in Ukraine. He could be detained only in Poland, since his diplomatic immunity applied only in Ukraine. Because there were no direct flights to Kyiv, embassy staff traveled through Poland.

Earlier, an Orda.kz source said the detainee was about 30 to 35 years old and had two children, one of whom was born in Kyiv. He reportedly graduated from a military educational institution in Russia. According to the outlet, Kazakhstan’s military attaché in Ukraine, Bakytzhan Kisentaev, is his uncle.

The arrest caused an international scandal. Representatives of Kazakh civil society appealed to the European Parliament and the Council of Europe, calling the Bakibay case evidence of Kazakhstan’s security services being dependent on the Kremlin.

This detention has become direct evidence of what we have been saying for many years. Kazakhstan’s security services maintain a systemic dependence on the Kremlin and often act in the interests of Russian structures.the Kazakhstan International Bureau for Human Rights said in a letter.

Kazakhstan’s Defense Ministry confirmed that Bakibay serves in the armed forces, but did not disclose further details. The Foreign Ministry said the embassy in Warsaw was in constant contact with the relevant Polish authorities. The National Security Committee said it had no information on the case.

Journalists from BASE claimed that before such officers are sent abroad, the National Security Committee removes online information about them. According to their reporting, Bakibay had lived the life of “golden youth” abroad.

Original author: Ruslan Loginov

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