NUR-SULTAN, January 17. /TASS/. Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has issued a decree to sack Samat Abish, the nephew of Kazakhstan’s first president Nursultan Nazarbayev, from the post of first deputy head of the republic’s National Security Committee on Monday, the presidential press service reported.

"By the decree of the head of state, Abish Samat Satybaldyuly was relieved from the position of first deputy chairman of the National Security Committee of the Republic of Kazakhstan," the document said.

On January 8, Kazakhstan’s special services detained the former chair of the republic’s National Security Committee Karim Massimov suspected of high treason. He is also being investigated based on violent seizure of power accusations. On January 13, ex-Deputy Chairman of the National Security Committee, head of the Special Task Service "A" Anuar Sadykulov and former Deputy Chairman of the National Security Committee Daulet Yergozhin were also detained.

On January 17, Timur Kulibayev, Nazarbayev’s son-in-law, stepped down as the head of the presidium of Atameken, the Kazakh National Chamber of Entrepreneurs. Kulibayev is married to Dinara Kulibayeva, the middle daughter of Kazakhstan’s first president.

On January 15, Kazakhstan’s Samruk-Kazyna National Welfare Fund announced the early termination of Dimash Donasov, KazTransOil’s general director. He is married to Aliya Nazarbayeva, the Kazakh first president’s youngest daughter. On the same day, Chairman of the QazaqGaz National Company JSC Kairat Sharipbayev was handed a pink slip cutting short his tenure. According to a number of Kazakh media outlets, he may be the common-law husband of Dariga Nazarbayeva, the oldest daughter of Kazakhstan’s former leader.