Former Kazakh Defense Minister detained
2 Min Read
The former Defense Minister was dismissed in January after he failed to demonstrate leadership and initiative amid nationwide riots.
-
Murat Bektanov (The Astana Times)
The former Defense Minister of Kazakhstan Murat Bektanov, who was dismissed in January amid widespread protests, has been imprisoned as a result of the authorities' inaction, according to the Prosecutor General's Office.
The office opened a pre-trial inquiry against Bektanov for alleged inactivity while on active duty.
According to a statement, "On February 20, 2022, M.K. Bektanov was detained and placed in a temporary detention facility on suspicion of committing this crime."
Bektanov was dismissed by Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on January 19 due to a lack of leadership skills in the face of demonstrations over the liquefied gas price increase that shook the country in the early days of 2022.
Riots started in Kazakhstan in early January, when thousands of demonstrators took to the street to protest against the surging gas prices in the Central Asian nation. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev then declared a state of emergency in the west of the country and Almaty. In an effort to thwart protests following a hike in oil prices, the Kazakh President dismissed the country's cabinet.
The protests shortly took a violent turn, with armed groups carrying out brutal attacks and operations that killed officers and wounded officers. President Tokayev appealed to the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) for help in quelling protests across the country, which he said were led by "terrorist gangs".
The wave of riot-turned demonstrations has led to the death of 225 people and the injury of thousands of others, according to the head of the Kazakh criminal prosecution service at the Prosecutor General's office.
Hundreds are being held under terrorism and turmoil charges and the President has expressed that his country survived an attempted coup.
