On January 16th, the Kazakh Public Prosecution announced the arrest of 446 people in the framework of the ongoing criminal investigations into the riots and the recent unrest in the country.
“To date, the investigation team is looking into 546 criminal cases, including 44 related to terrorist acts, 34 to widespread riots and 15 to murder, and 672 people have been detained,” TASS news agency quoted Serik Shalabyev as saying in a press briefing.
Shalabayev said that about a hundred people were released after their identities were confirmed, and no reason was found for their continued detention, while the required investigative measures are being taken.
On January 5th, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev declared a state of emergency after the outbreak of violence and riots that claimed the lives of dozens of civilians and Kazakh security personnel, in which criminals and foreign killers participated, and it was later lifted from many areas after the return of security and stability to them.
O. al-Mohammad