Update by Law Enforcement on Investigation into Kazakhstan’s Tragic January: prosecutors investigating heads of law enforcement agencies, protection of constitutional rights of citizens is a key priority
Nur-Sultan, 4 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.
Mr. Kilymzhanov informed that the investigative and operational groups led by special prosecutors are examining 262 criminal cases, including 44 on acts of terrorism, and 47 on riots. To date, 547 people are considered as suspects of organizing and participating in mass riots, of which 269 are under arrest. He further stated that the investigating authorities are investigating 3,702 criminal cases across Kazakhstan. Most of them are related to thefts, robberies, possession of weapons and other minor crimes. The speaker noted that the courts have already convicted 152 persons for these crimes.
The second speaker, Mr. Adilov, said that investigators of the internal affairs bodies are examining 2,961 criminal cases, noting that 176 suspects, who committed grave and especially grave crimes during the state of emergency, are in custody. He added that 245 arrested persons have been released from custody taking into account the severity of the committed act and the character of the accused.
Representatives of the law enforcement also announced that investigations are being conducted by special prosecutors into the role of heads of law enforcement agencies. In this regard, the heads of two police departments and three departments of the National Security Committee (KNB) in the city of Almaty, and Almaty, Zhambyl and Kyzylorda regions are considered suspects. 9 criminal cases have been initiated in relation to them.
On the issue of ensuring the rights of the detainees, Kilymzhanov emphasized that violence against detained persons is not allowed. He informed that pre-trial investigation is carried out on all cases of the use of unlawful methods of investigation. In this regard, special prosecutors are investigating the 10 most high-profile cases. As part of these cases, 9 officials have been detained, including 8 KNB officers and 1 police officer. The speaker also noted that persons in custody are provided with proper detention conditions, as well as the right to legal defense. He emphasized that protection of the constitutional rights of citizens in criminal proceedings is one of the unconditional priorities in the work of the prosecutor’s office, adding that prosecutors check pre-trial detention centers and other premises on a daily basis to exclude the use of any pressure on suspects.
Meanwhile, Mr. Adilov informed that stolen property estimated at 338 million tenge ($723,000 USD) has been seized, adding that providing compensation for the damages will continue and remains a top priority. The speaker also notified that 1,386 weapons have been confiscated from criminals, while more than 120 weapons have been voluntarily handed over by citizens.