Update by Law Enforcement on Investigation into Kazakhstan’s Tragic January: Events are Becoming Clearer
Nur-Sultan, 11 April 2022 – Yeldos Kilymzhanov, Deputy Head of the 1st Service of the General Prosecutor’s Office of Kazakhstan, and Sanzhar Adilov, the head of the investigative department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Kazakhstan, provided today another update on the investigation into the tragic events in early January in Kazakhstan.
Yeldos Kilymzhanov informed that special prosecutors found that 12 organized crime groups were involved in the riots, adding that all necessary measures are being taken to identify and bring to justice the organizers and participants in these crimes. The speaker further stated that 547 persons are considered suspects of organizing and participating in mass riots, of which 269 are under arrest.
Adilov notified that as of today, 1,090 criminal cases are under investigation by the investigators of the internal affairs bodies. 315 arrested persons have been released from custody, including those who committed crimes for the first time and admitted their guilt. He further informed that the investigation of criminal cases related to 377 suspects has been completed and they have been brought to trial. The speaker also noted that 168 persons have already been convicted by the courts. He added that the guilt of convicted persons is proven mainly through video evidence from the crime scenes, testimonies of eyewitnesses, as well as seized material evidence.
Representatives of the law enforcement also announced that work continues to investigate the desertion of the buildings of the Departments of the National Security Committee (KNB) and the police of Almaty city, Zhambyl and Kyzylorda regions, and the Almaty airport. The heads of these bodies are considered suspects, according to the speakers. In this regard, the head of the linear police department of the Almaty airport has been detained, as he did not fulfil his official duties, left the airport unguarded, which led to its capture by the criminals.
Furthermore, Mr. Adilov informed that stolen property estimated at 340 million tenge ($766,599 USD) has been seized, adding that providing compensation for the damages will continue and remains a top priority. The speaker also stated that 1,430 weapons have been confiscated from criminals, while more than 122 weapons have been voluntarily handed over by citizens.