ASTANA, December 29 (Itar-Tass) —— The criminal case over the use of guns by police for the suppression of massive riots in the city of Zhanaozen in the Mangistau Region in western Kazakhstan on the day of the 20th anniversary of Kazakhstan’s independence on December 16, is being kept under special control of the Kazakh prosecutor general’s office, spokesman of the republican prosecutor general’s office Nurdaulet Suindikov said here on Thursday.

The criminal case was opened by the prosecutor general’s office “over the death as a result of the fire for effect by police under Article 308 Part 4 point b for the abuse of power with the use of weapons and special means,” Suindikov said.

“To make this investigation unbiased this criminal case is being investigated by a team of detectives under the supervision of the special prosecutor. Several necessary court expertises were scheduled,” he noted.

The investigative actions against the police were launched after a video of eyewitnesses was posted in the Internet, where the policemen are shooting at people running away.

Some 18 rioters were arrested for the participation in massive disorders in the city of Zhanaozen in the Mangistau Region in western Kazakhstan.

“The operative group in Zhanaozen detained 20 people, 18 of them were arrested on court sanctions,” Suindikov told a press briefing.

The massive riots on December 16 that involved the workers of oil producing enterprises earlier fired over the strikes in western Kazakhstan killed 16 people, including 15 rioters in Zhanaozen and another one at the railway station Shetpe, according to the latest official reports. The actions of the criminal group, which blocked the passenger and cargo train traffic and staged lootings in the city, resulted in the use of weapons by law enforcers. Some 46 buildings were looted and burnt down in the city. The Kazakh president introduced a state of emergency in the city on December 17. The curfew will be in effect in Zhanaozen until January 5, the traffic was restricted, the rallies were banned, photo and video recording was restricted and the use of Xerox machines was restricted.