President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev believes that it’s necessary to show humanism and forgive the participants in the protests that took place in January 2022 in some large cities of the republic. The head of state stated this in his annual message to the people of the country.
According to Tokayev, the days of ‘Tragic January’ became a serious test for the law enforcement system in Kazakhstan.
As ACCA has already reported, during the riots and after them, over 10 thousand people were detained throughout the republic. Law enforcement officers were outrageous. According to human rights activists, torture was used on more than 70% of the detainees in those days. And President Tokayev himself didn’t think about humanism at that time. After all, it was he who gave the order to shoot at protesters without warning. Because of this order, as well as the actions of law enforcement and military structures, 238 people died during the January riots.
Now in all the cities where the protests took place, an interdepartmental investigative-operational group is working. According to the results of the investigation, 15 employees of special and law enforcement agencies are suspected of using unlawful methods of investigation. At the same time, nine of them are already in custody.
“Then, under the influence of provocateurs, the rallies turned into mass riots, which then acquired the character of an anti-state revolt. Many of the instigators got off with suspended or light sentences. However, the degree of their guilt is much higher, since these people deliberately escalated the situation and played a key role in the escalation of the situation, which ended in tragedy.
Human rights defenders and representatives of the legal community have repeatedly approached me with justifications for the need to toughen punishment for inciting mass riots. Their arguments are quite reasonable. So I instruct the authorized bodies to study this issue and take specific measures. We must respond harshly to any public provocations and illegal actions. People, who commit such destructive actions and call for breaking the law, will not be able to avoid severe punishment,” Tokayev said in his message.
At the same time, he emphasized that Kazakhstan respects ‘political pluralism’, but has a negative attitude towards extremism, banditry and hooliganism.
“Where targeted provocations begin, there can be no question of freedom of speech and pluralism of opinions. This is an encroachment on the stability and security of society, an attempt to shake the foundations of the state,” the President said.
Nevertheless, he noted that many of the participants in those tragic events have already realized their guilt and repented, therefore they deserve a second chance.
“Therefore, I decided to conduct a one-time amnesty for the participants in the January events. Of course, the amnesty will not affect the main defendants involved in organizing the riots, as well as those accused of high treason and an attempted violent change of power. Persons who have committed terrorist and extremist crimes, recidivists, and those who have used torture will not fall under the amnesty. Having shown humanism, we, as the nation, will learn the lessons from this tragedy and will not allow its recurrence,” Tokayev emphasized.
At the moment 15 criminal cases are being investigated on charges of high treason, abuse of authority and an attempt to seize power. Among the defendants are former Chairman of the National Security Committee Karim Massimov, his former deputy, head of the Special Purpose Service “A” Anuar Sadykulov and former deputy Chairman of the NSC Daulet Yergozhin.
It remains to be added that in the course of his message, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev promised to provide material support to the families of those who died during the January events, who are in a difficult financial situation.
