TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Authorities in Kazakhstan arrested a former interior minister on Tuesday, in connection with deadly police crackdown on unrest that gripped the country in 2022, Kazakh news media reported. The Prosecutor General’s Office announced on Monday that Erlan Turgumbayev was detained on charges of “abuse of power and official authority resulting in grave consequences” in the harsh crackdown of riots by the police. Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs is in charge of the nation’s police force. The unrest started in the city of Zhanaozen on Jan. 2, 2022, when residents protested a sharp increase in the cost of liquefied petroleum gas, commonly used as fuel for vehicles in Kazakhstan. Those protests evolved into criticisms of corruption, economic inequality against former leader Nursultan Nazarbayev, whose critics say have been profiting off the country’s vast energy wealth ever since assuming office in 1991. |
China sees nearly 119 mln domestic tourist trips during Qingming holidayBoeing pushes back on whistleblower's allegations and details how airframes are put togetherJudge awards $23.5 million to undercover St. Louis officer beaten by colleagues during protestChina's Han River sees first flood of 2024Caitlin Clark selected with No. 1 in the WNBA draft by the Indiana FeverNASA seeks faster, cheaper way to bring Mars samples to EarthIdaho can enforce ban on genderFormer New Mexico football player convicted of robbing a postal carrierNASA confirms mystery object that crashed through roof of Florida home came from space stationMaine is the latest to join an interstate compact to elect the president by popular vote