NUR-SULTAN, February 7. /TASS/. Kazakhstan came under a hybrid attack in early January, with signs of political extremism being identified, Rizabek Ozharov of the prosecutor general’s office said on Monday.
"As a matter of fact, our country came under a hybrid attack. The organizers involved destructive criminal circles in their plans, armed them and coordinated their actions," he said, adding that prosecutors identified signs of political extremism during the riots.
In his words, 35 members of outlawed extremist movements were detained. "Members of the DVK/Koshe outlawed extremist organization incited mass disorders and took part in them," he said.
According to Ozharov, security officials in Almaty, the Almaty and Kygylorda regions demonstrated inaction. "We are looking at a theory that some chiefs of law enforcement bodies deliberately blocked the activities of special units deployed to protect law and order," he said.
He also said that several criminal cases on charges of high treason and an attempted coup are being investigated and several high-ranking security officials have been detained.
He stressed that law enforcers did not use lethal weapons even at the most critical moments and only fended off those who attacked them. "That is why most of those injured and wounded are law enforcers. As many as 3,393 law enforcers were taken to hospitals with various injuries," Ozharov added.
Protests erupted in several Kazakh cities on January 2, escalating into mass riots with government buildings ransacked in several cities, primarily in Almaty, a few days later. The ensuing violence left thousands of people injured, with fatalities also being reported. According to Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, it was an attempted state coup. The situation stabilized by January 7 and the emergencies regime was lifted in the entire country on January 19. According to Kazakh authorities, more than 4,500 people were hurt during the upheavals and 225 people were killed.