As the riots continue in Kazakhstan, former intelligence chief Karim Massimov has been arrested on treason charges, according to the State Security Agency.
Kazakhstan, once the theater of the former Soviet republic, is reeling from the worst unrest in 30 years. In Kazakhstan, a Central Asian country located between Russia and China, the general public protested against the sudden rise in the price of liquid petrol (LPG) used in vehicles.
As the protests spread to several cities, including the country’s capital, Almaty, the cabinet, led by Prime Minister Oscar Mamin, resigned to appease them. Unscrupulous protesters stormed the Almaty mayor’s office and the Kazakh president’s house, setting it on fire. A state of emergency was then declared across the country, with the government ordering the firing of violent protesters. The violence left 26 protesters and 18 security forces dead, thousands injured and more than 4,400 arrested.
Following this, the President of Kazakhstan Qasim-Jomar Tokayev had a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin detailing the situation in the country. Putin accepted Tokyo’s proposal to convene a video conference conference of the leaders of the Joint Security Agreement (CSTO), following which Russia and the four former Soviet republics sent troops to Kazakhstan to help restore peace in the country.
Massimov, a former head of the intelligence agency currently under arrest, has twice served as prime minister. It is noteworthy that he worked closely with former President Narsultan Nazarbayev, who ruled the country for about 30 years.
Security forces reportedly regained control of Almaty, the capital of Kazakhstan, on Friday after several days of violence. As security forces patrolled the streets, some businesses and gas stations in the city of about 2 million people reopened on Saturday. The government said “operations are still underway to expel terrorists and bandits from the city and therefore the public is advised to stay at home.”
President Tokayev has announced that National Mourning Day will be observed on Monday to commemorate those killed in the ongoing violence in the country.
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