Kazakhstan says 5,800 detained in week of protests

Kazakhstan says 5,800 detained in week of protests

MOSCOW: The office of Kazakhstan’s president said Sunday that about 5,800 people were detained by police during protests that developed into violence last week and prompted a Russia-led military alliance to send troops to the country. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s office said Sunday that order has stabilized in the country and that authorities have regained control of administrative buildings that were occupied by protesters, some of which were set on fire.
The Russian TV station Mir-24 said sporadic gunfire was heard in Almaty, the country’s largest city, on Sunday but it was unclear whether they were warning shots by law enforcement. Tokayev on Friday said he had authorized police and the military to shoot to kill to restore order. Almaty’s airport, which had been taken by protesters last week, remained closed but was expected to resume operating on Monday.
Protests over a sharp rise in prices of LPG fuel began in the country’s west on Jan. 2 and spread throughout the country, apparently reflecting discontent extending beyond the fuel prices. The same party has ruled Kazakhstan since independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. —PTI

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