Kazakhstan: President confirmed the fact of torture of participants in the January events
President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Zhomart Tokayev addressed a message to the people of the republic, in which he spoke about the causes and consequences of the tragic January events. Among other things, the head of state confirmed that the policemen of the country used torture against the detained rioters.
“About two thousand people were detained for various offenses during the January events. Then I instructed the Prosecutor General’s Office to establish the degree of guilt of each detainee and, in the absence of aggravating circumstances, to mitigate the punishment for the detainees. As a result, many citizens were released. But those who have committed serious crimes will be fully accountable before the law. To act differently, to make concessions to screamers, provocateurs and populists, means betraying the memory of the innocent victims. Several hundred people have been prosecuted. We acknowledged the facts when law enforcement officers used prohibited methods of interrogation and even torture against detainees,” Tokayev said.
According to him, such barbaric manifestations of the Middle Ages are contrary to the principles of any progressive society, including for Kazakhstan.
“As soon as the first reports of such cases appeared, I gave instructions to thoroughly investigate them,” the President said. “From the first days, the Commissioner for Human Rights has been actively involved in this work. A group of human rights activists and members of the National Council of Public Trust freely visited detention centers, got acquainted with the conditions of detention of participants in the January events, and considered their complaints. The Ombudsman and independent public commissions headed by reputable lawyers worked closely with the Prosecutor’s Office and openly expressed and defended their positions. Such work showed the transparency and democracy of the investigative process and allowed each appeal and each complaint to be approached individually. As a result, it was possible to significantly reduce the risks of wrongful sentences. This practice of cooperation between civil society and state bodies should be firmly rooted in our country.”
As ACCA has already reported, in early January, rallies were held in all big cities of Kazakhstan against the increase in gas prices, which then turned into riots in some regions, including Almaty. Thus, according to the Prosecutor General’s Office, about 30,000 people took part in the riots in Almaty. According to the latest data, 230 people died during the riots. The Prosecutor General’s Office is handling 3,660 criminal cases against the participants in these events. 62 people have already been sentenced to various terms. On the facts of torture and abuse of power, the Prosecutor General’s Office is conducting 243 pre-trial investigations. In total, over 3,000 weapons were stolen during the riots. Law enforcement agencies managed to find only a third of the stolen weapons. The damage from the January pogroms throughout the country amounted to about $200 million.
