National Security Committee of the Republic of Kazakhstan
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Kazakh: Қазақстан Республикасы Ұлттық Қауіпсіздік Комитеті Russian: Комитет Национальной Безопасности Республики Казахстан |
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The emblem of The National Security Committee of the Republic of Kazakhstan
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| Agency overview | |
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| Formed | 13 July 1992 |
| Preceding agency | |
| Agency executive |
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| Website | knb.kz |
| Footnotes | |
| Also referred to by the abbreviations KNB or NSC, or unofficially as the Kazakh National Security Service | |
The National Security Committee of the Republic of Kazakhstan (NSC) is an intelligence agency in Kazakhstan. It was founded on 13 July 1992.
The NSC was created in accordance with a law passed by parliament in July 1992 which authorised the establishment of an agency to replace the KGB, the old national security apparatus of the Soviet Union. Initially, it retained most of the staff which the KGB had employed in Kazakhstan, as well as the powers the KGB had held; its first head, Bulat Baekenov, had worked for the KGB for over two decades. Its early years were marked by close cooperation with Russia on issues of border security and counter-intelligence against alleged foreign spies. In December 1995, a new presidential decree modified some of the NSC's powers.
In November 2008, journalist Ramazan Yesergepov published an article entitled "Who Rules the Country: President or National Security Committee?" It contained private NSC correspondence which was later listed as classified, resulting in his 2009 arrest and conviction on security charges. The case led to domestic and international condemnation.
In January 2010, Kazakhstani president Nursultan Nazarbaev appointed his nephew Samat Abish as the NSC's head of human resources; opposition lawmaker Serikbolsyn Abdildin of the Communist Party of Kazakhstan claimed this shows that Nazarbaev considers personal loyalty more important than skill in government posts.
The NSC includes the Arystan ('Lions') commando unit.
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