Yerzhan Babakumarov, who was 56 years old, got into a conflict with a 36-year-old man. Police reported that "the exchange escalated into a fight, resulting in the former advisor sustaining fatal injuries and dying. A criminal case has been initiated on the grounds of murder."
The suspect has been detained and is being held in custody.
Yerzhan Babakumarov was born on March 2, 1969, in the Taldykorgan region (currently part of the Almaty region). In 1991, he graduated from Al-Farabi Kazakh National University with a degree in political history teaching.
Since 1996, Babakumarov began his career in government structures, initially working in the Almaty akimat, then in the presidential administration under Nursultan Nazarbayev, as well as in the Ministry of Culture and the Prime Minister's office. After Kassym-Jomart Tokayev became president in March 2019, Babakumarov was appointed his advisor in April, but he left this position in July. Subsequently, until February 2022, he served as the deputy akim of Almaty and resigned after the unrest that swept the city in January. According to Orda.kz, he has not appeared in public since then.
Yerzhan Babakumarov is survived by his wife, son, and daughter.
