Kazakhstan: 8,000 people arrested, president evokes “coup attempt” – archyworldys

A week after the start of the riots that rocked the country, Kazakhstan continues to take stock. Nearly 8,000 people have been arrested in the context of law enforcement operations, the interior ministry announced on Monday (January 10th).

According to President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, who took part in a videoconference meeting Monday with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, and other Allied heads of state, sixteen members of the security forces were killed in clashes with the demonstrators. According to him, the number of civilians killed in the violence is currently being verified. On Sunday evening, the Information Ministry withdrew a report published earlier today on an official Telegram channel – and which could not be independently verified – according to which more than 164 people had been killed in the country during the violence.

“Terrorist” forces at work according to Tokayev

Mr. Tokayev considered the riots to be a “Coup attempt” led by “Armed combatants”. He certified that his forces would not shoot ” never “ on “Peaceful demonstrators”.

According to the Kazakh president, forces “Terrorists” organized, including many “Islamists” than “Criminals”, from “Breakers” and “Small keystrokes”, took advantage of a protest movement caused by the rise in the price of fuel to try to overthrow power. “We have managed to regain control of the situation”, he added, specifying that the search for “Terrorists” continued.

Mr. Tokayev assured that Kazakhstan would soon provide the international community with evidence of what happened.

On Sunday, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev sacked two national security officials who were deputies to Karim Massimov, the former head of Kazakhstan’s national security committee, who was arrested on Saturday on suspicion of treason.

Moscow will not tolerate “color revolutions”

Vladimir Putin, for his part, said during the videoconference meeting that the Russian and allied forces sent to Kazakhstan to support the authorities would leave the country after the end of their mission.

Led by Russia, some 2,030 personnel from the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) have been deployed to Kazakhstan at the request of President Tokayev.

The Russian leader felt that his neighbor and ally had been the victim of“An aggression of international terrorism”, stating that these “Bands of armed men”, arranging “Clearly from combat experience”, had been trained in “Centers abroad”.

He then warned that Moscow would not tolerate “color revolutions” in the former USSR, a phrase to describe revolts orchestrated, according to the Kremlin, by the West in the former Soviet republics since the 2000s.

“We understand that this is neither the first nor the last attempt to interfere in the affairs of our countries. We will not allow disturbances at home, and we will not allow scenarios of “color revolutions”, as they are called, unfold. “