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 A border guard, Vladislav Chelakh, initially confessed to the deed, but later rescinded his confession.

(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.

Initially investigators considered a variety of causes, including a fight among the soldiers, an attack by religious extremists, an assault by smugglers, and an extra-terrestrial attack. 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. Chelah confessed to the crime a few days later. He later rescinded his confession, claiming it had been obtained under pressure.

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. 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.

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.