High-ranking officials among participants in coup attempt in Kazakhstan: Tokayev

• 

High-ranking officials, including the commanders of the country's military and special forces, were among those who attempted a coup in Kazakhstan in January and committed treason, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev stated on Wednesday.

"There were famous personalities among those who tried to carry out the coup. High-ranking officials committed treason to their homeland, among the traitors, were the heads of military and special agencies," Tokayev said in his address to the nation.

These individuals hampered law enforcement agencies' efforts and provided untrustworthy information about the situation in cities to the country's leadership, according to the president.

Tokayev proposes to legislate a ban on the Kazakh President's participation in activities of political parties. 

Tokayev proposes to legislate ban on Kazakh president's partaking in parties' activities

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev proposed on Wednesday to legislate a ban on the participation of Kazakhstan's leader in the activities of political parties.

"I propose to legislate the obligation of the president to terminate membership in the party for the period of his term in office. This norm will increase political competition, provide equal conditions for the development of all parties," Tokayev said in his address to the nation.

The President also deems it necessary to introduce a ban on the holding of political positions by next of kin of the head of state.

Over 5,000 arrested across Kazakhstan

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.

The protests shortly took a violent turn, and 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".

At the beginning of the current year, Kazakhstan's Ministry of Interior announced that more than 5,100 people were arrested during the recent riots in the country.

The Kazakh Interior Ministry later announced in a statement that "5,135 people have been arrested throughout Kazakhstan."

The Interior Minister, Yerlan Turgumbayev, stated that about 300 people were arrested while trying to cross the country's borders, adding that they were found in possession of firearms, stolen items, and large sums of money in local and foreign currencies.

This came after the President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, ordered the army to shoot militants without warning, adding that "we are dealing with foreign bandits, and 20,000 terrorists participated in the attack."

US did not ask Kazakhstan to send S-300 systems to Ukraine: Defense Minister

In another context, according to Defense Minister Ruslan Zhaksylykov, the US did not request S-300 missile systems from Kazakhstan for possible supply to Ukraine.

"There has not been such a request and there cannot be one... I guarantee you that we have not received such a request and we are unlikely to receive it," Zhaksylykov said on Wednesday in Parliament, answering a relevant question from Sputnik.

According to CNN, which cited sources, the US State Department is seeking to discover which countries have Soviet-made S-300 air defense systems and is researching how they could be supplied to Ukraine.