Sadykov's wife reveals details of assassination attempt on her husband and his current condition
Aidos Sadykov and his wife Natalya Sadykova (facebook.com/sadykovanatalya)
Kazakh opposition journalist Aidos Sadykov, who was shot in Kyiv on June 18, is in a serious condition in hospital. He underwent surgery yesterday, but doctors have not yet given any prognoses, as his wife Natalya Sadykova commented to RBC-Ukraine.
According to her, Aidos Sadykov was wounded in the head.
"Aidos is still alive. He survived the night, although the doctors told me yesterday that there was very little hope for him. He is in a very serious condition, he was wounded in the head and it is a serious injury. The doctors are not making any prognoses now, but they are trying to do everything possible,” said journalist Natalya Sadykova.
She added it was a brazen and cynical attempt in the center of Kyiv, which is always crowded.
"This is a very cynical attempted murder. We were driving into the yard, Aidos was driving, and I was sitting next to him. At that time, this man came out from behind a tree, I guess we didn't see him when we drove in, and he made this shot. He was very professional. I was next to Aidos and it all happened in front of my eyes, he immediately started bleeding,” Sadykov's wife recalls.
She also adds that, in her opinion, she was not the target, only her husband. The attacker, who “acted professionally,” made only one shot. She accused the President of Kazakhstan of attempted murder.
"He is the only one who needs to shut Aidos up. Aidos has been in opposition for over 20 years. The БӘСЕ channel is just one of the steps in this activity. And it has indeed gained a very large audience, 1.5 million people on social media. This is a very large audience for Kazakhstan... He helped organize protests in Kazakhstan... And that's why he was like a thorn in the side of Kassym-Jomart Tokayev (President of Kazakhstan - ed.). He is the main orderer of this murder, and I have no doubt about it,” Sadykova said.
What is known about the attempted assassination
On Tuesday, June 18, a shooting took place in the Shevchenkivskyi district of Ukraine's capital. An unknown shot a man who was in a car with his wife. The National Police was the first to report the incident. Later, RBC-Ukraine found out that the attack was on Kazakh opposition journalist Aidos Sadykov, who lives in Kyiv.
According to preliminary information, an unknown with a gun ran up to the car where the victim and his wife were and shot the man, after which he fled. The attack took place near the house where the couple lives (Aidos Sadykov and his wife have been living in Ukraine since 2014 and have refugee status).
Sadykov is known for criticizing the Kazakh authorities and oligarchs. Along with his wife, he runs a YouTube channel called БӘСЕ, the latest video is titled “The President of Kazakhstan has become a puppet of Russian agents of power".
He is also known for supporting protests in Kazakhstan. In October 2023, he was put on the wanted list in his homeland for “incitement to hatred”.
Read more about Aidos Sadykov and the attempted assassination in the RBC-Ukraine report.
