Arkankergen mass murder

Location	Arqanqergen, Kazakhstan
Date	May 28, 2012 5:00 a.m. (UTC+06:00)
Target	Border guards
Attack type	Mass shooting, arson
Weapons	AK-74 Makarov pistol
Deaths	15
Non-fatal injuries	0
Perpetrator	Vladislav Chelah

The Arqanqergen mass murder occurred in the Almaty Region of Kazakhstan on the border with China. Arqanqergen is a military post on the border with China, near the village of Usharal. Fifteen people were killed. A border guard, Vladislav Chelakh, initially confessed to the deed, but later rescinded his confession.

Mass murder

Arqanqergen (Kazakh: Арқанкерген) is a border post between Kazakhstan and China. At 5 a.m. on 28 May 2012, communication with the border post was lost. When police from a nearby post came to investigate, they discovered the charred quarters and 14 corpses, also burned; a body of a local gamekeeper was found later at a nearby house. The bodies were subsequently identified as fourteen soldiers and one huntsman.^[1]

Initially investigators considered a variety of causes, including a fight among the soldiers, an attack by religious extremists, and an assault by smugglers. The main version, however, was bullying. The sole survivor, Vladislav Chelakh, was the only ethnic Russian stationed at the post and investigators eventually surmised that the 19-year-old soldier, had been subjected to hazing.^[2] Chelah confessed to the crime a few days later. He later rescinded his confession, claiming it had been obtained under pressure.^[1]

Vladislav Chelakh, 19 years old at the time of the murders, was eventually tried and convicted. His appeals have been subsequently denied.

Chelakh was eventually charged with murder, theft, illegally obtaining and distributing of state secrets; embezzlement or extortion of weapons, ammo, explosive devices; illegal acquisition, transfer, sale, storage, transfer or carrying of weapons and explosive devices; intentional destruction or damaging of military equipment; desertion, violation of the housing's inviolability. He was convicted and sentenced to life in prison at a penal colony, although his appeals are on-going.^[3] Chelah's mother maintains that lawyers have refused to defend her son and those who agree charge $2,000 a month, so she is planning an appeal to International Court in Belgium.^[4]

President Nursultan Abishuly Nazarbayev, declared a day of national mourning, has also ordered a special investigation of the incident. The head of the regional border patrol, Alexey Fomin, was also arrested a month after the event for failing to report the border post communication failure. Furthermore, local newsmen have resigned, claiming there is a large scale cover up.^[5]

List of victims

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Vladislav Chelah.