Trials in the case of participants in the January trials have ended in the East Kazakhstan region. 11 residents of Ust-Kamenogorsk got off with suspended sentences for participating in mass riots and illegal possession of drugs. 4 of them received three years of probation, 7 more received 4 years of probation. But the 12th defendant was less fortunate; he got 3.5 years in prison, because he already had a criminal record.
It should be recalled that the President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, just recently promised a second chance to the participants in the January events:
“I have 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 repetition,” Tokayev promised in his annual message to the people of the country.
Earlier, 3 more residents of Ust-Kamenogorsk received suspended sentences on charges of participating in mass riots and using violence against a government official during the January events.
As ACCA has already reported, during the riots and after them, over 10 thousand people were detained throughout the republic. According to official figures, 238 people died. Investigating authorities investigated 3,702 crimes committed during the January riots.
