In Kazakhstan, participants of peaceful protests fear prosecution and crackdown, while experts predict tightened censorship.
According to president of Kazakhstan Kasym-Zhomart Tokayev, 20 thousand bandits attacked Almaty and he has no doubt that unrest in his country were a terrorist attack.
“We had to deal with armed and well-prepared bandits, local as well as foreign. More precisely, terrorists. So we have to destroy them, this will be done soon,” Tokayev said in a televised address to the people of Kazakhstan.
Mass protests started on January 2 in the country amid a liquefied gas price hike. Protesters also had political demands, namely, they wanted to change the regime in the country and to get back to the 1993 Constitution.
Two days later, clashes between protesters and police and the military began in Almaty and some other cities. Later, they turned into unrest and looting. According to law-enforcement bodies, over 1,300 police officers and soldiers have been injured. 164 persons died, including three children.
On January 7, ex-banker Mukhtar Ablyazov, sentenced in absentia in Kazakhstan, said to Reuters that he was the organiser of protests in the country. However, few people believed the words of the runaway oligarch.
Following the request of Kasym-Zhomart Tokayev, the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) delivered the peacekeeping force to the republic in order to overcome the terroristic threat. On January 11, it became known that their mission in Kazakhstan was over and all military of friendly states were expected to leave the country within 10 days. Moreover, Kazakhstan is going to increase the number of special police services and National Guard forces in future.
Such international organisations as OSCE and UN urge Kazakhstan to respect human rights, avoid violence, and use peaceful means to settle the situation. However, in his address to the people, President of Kazakhstan made it clear that there would be no peace talks.
“Foreign countries urge the parties to hold talks to solve problems peacefully. This is nonsense! What kind of talks are possible with criminals, killers?” Tokayev said.
On January 8, ex-chief of the National Security Committee of Kazakhstan, Karim Masimov, and other officers of the agency were detained on a suspicion of high treason.
An interagency investigation and operational group was established with participation of officers of interior ministry, national security committee, and other law-enforcement bodies led by special prosecutor. The General Prosecutor’s office initiated 388 criminal cases of mass unrests.
According to journalist and human rights defender Sergei Duvanov, there are fears that the authorities would hold liable not only guilty ones, but also those who tried to turn protests into peaceful ones. Tokayev’s statement raises concern as he said that human rights defenders and journalists, who spoke positively about protesters, should be held liable for the events.
“Knowing our law-enforcement officers, there are concerns that they could take it as a direct instruction to bring pressure and launch a crackdown. Of course, it’s a handy excuse for the authorities to deal with the most implacable oppositionists from the democratic camp, and clamp down on human rights defenders and independent journalists,” Duvanov said.
Journalists and activists are being detained already in the country. In Kokshetau, journalist Kuanysh Ospan was detained for 15 days. On January 7, an editor of the website “Altay News”, Daryn Nursapar, was detained in Ust-Kamenogorsk for reporting the protests. On the same day, journalist Lukpan Akhmedyarov in Uralsk was sentenced to 10 days of administrative arrest. The reason was his speech using a megaphone during the protest. Also, lawyer Abzal Kuspan, who said he did nothing illegal, was detained for participating in the protests in Uralsk.
Marie Struthers, director of Amnesty International in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, urged the authorities of Kazakhstan to immediately release those who were detained arbitrarily.
“Protesters accused of internationally recognised crimes for violent actions should be provided with fair trials in accordance with international human rights law,” she said.
All those who participated in protests are now in fear of prosecution. Employees of state bodies who supported peaceful protests, even without participating in them, can be left jobless now.
“I work at the press service of a ministry. At the beginning of protests, all Kazakhstanis, celebrities, representatives of state TV channels, artists reposted and called for peaceful protest. No one could even think what would happen next. Now that they stopped shutting down internet and hold investigations, our chief said that all those who supported the protests could seek another job. Most probably, they will dismiss me for a reason,” Saule said (not her real name).
Political analyst Sayan Kalikber predicts that after all those events we can expect that the law on peaceful gatherings would cease to exist in Kazakhstan.
“The authorities understood that radicals and foreign forces can turn a peaceful protest into a revolution. They will toughen censorship. Maybe, Kazakhstan would face economic sanctions. The new government consisting of old players won’t create democracy,” he said.
On the other hand, the statements of the authorities demonstrate their willingness to hold a dialogue with activists. In his address on January 11, Tokayev said that the country would continue to pursue its course on political modernisation. He promised to offer a new package of political reforms in September, which would be prepared on the basis of wide and constructive dialogue with the civil society and experts.
According to January 11 data, the number of detained for participation in mass unrests and violence reached almost 9,900. There are foreign citizens among them, too. Reportedly, on January 11 366 persons were detained on the border, six of which were wounded because of their resistance. Arms, cars they used, religious literature and books on how to organize protests illegally were seized from them.
At the peak of mass riots, interior ministry unofficially said that well-trained militants from Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan were brought to the protests. In official messages, the authorities do not specify the countries, yet mention “foreign militants mainly from Central Asian countries, including Afghanistan.”
On January 9, the country’s state channels published video with the beaten citizen of Kyrgyzstan, who confessed that he agreed to participate in protests for 200 dollars. It was found later that the detained was not a terrorist, but a prominent jazz musician from Kyrgyzstan, Vikram Ruzakhunov, and he arrived at Kazakhstan to take part in the concert. Later on, he was released and he returned to Bishkek on January 10.
“It proves that many innocent people could suffer. All participants of riots in Kazakhstan may be sentenced to eight years or even for life. Each case should be investigated thoroughly,” Aset Utemisov, lawyer, member of the Bar Association of Almaty, said.
In addition to Ruzakhunov, four more Kyrgyzstanis were detained in Almaty. According to the consul general of the Kyrgyz Republic in Almaty, Nazarali Aripov, their identities were established and on January 11 they were released.
Moreover, 38 Kyrgyzstanis were reported to have been detained in Shymkent. All of them were released after verification. One more Kyrgyzstani, according to the Ombudsman Institute of the Kyrgyz Republic, was beaten by law-enforcement officers during questioning.