Organized criminal groups stood behind the riots in Zhanaozen, “tails” came from abroad, Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev said at a meeting with the leadership of the Presidential Administration, the government and the Nur Otan party.
“Events in the Mangistau region became a serious test for the whole of Kazakhstan. In the anniversary year, we were challenged. The goal was to sow discord in our society - social, interethnic, interreligious and so on. Now there is an investigation to identify not only the reasons, but also the organizers of these events, ”Nazarbayev quoted the press service of the head of state.
The president noted that “previously we know that organized criminal groups that shared the money were behind it, they had to hide their“ tails ”, and therefore, arsons were arranged.”
“We know about the“ tails ”coming from abroad, we know what subversive work was carried out domestically. On all these facts, the Prosecutor General’s Office together with the relevant authorities should conduct a very detailed investigation, ”he said.
Nazarbayev believes that the main reason for what happened was that "government officials, the leadership of Samruk-Kazyna, and everyone who had to directly resolve these labor conflicts, they showed irresponsibility, in fact, were misleading."
Nazarbayev once again drew the attention of the Prosecutor General "to the need to ensure a transparent, honest review of the criminal case and to prosecute to the fullest extent of the law all the organizers and provocateurs of these riots."
The President entrusted the Presidential Administration and the Secretary of State with responsibility for conducting outreach on these events.
On December 16, riots broke out in the city of Zhanaozen, killing 16 people and injuring dozens. Dozens of buildings were burned in the city, property of individuals and legal entities was also destroyed, cars were burned. The President of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev, introduced a state of emergency the next day. Until January 5, a curfew is in effect in the city, traffic is limited, rallies are prohibited, photo and video shooting and the use of photocopying equipment are limited. The riots were preceded by a months-long strike by workers in oil companies who were dissatisfied with their wages. The court found this strike illegal, its participants fired.
Last week, President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev paid a working visit to Mangistau Oblast and instructed the Prosecutor General's Office and the Ministry of Internal Affairs to take all necessary measures to investigate criminal cases of riots in Zhanaozen.
In addition, during a trip to the region, the head of state replaced the akim of the Mangystau region Krymbek Kusherbayev. The region was headed by Baurzhan Mukhamedzhanov, who until 2009 held the post of Minister of Internal Affairs of Kazakhstan. In addition, the head of the KazMunayGas oil and gas company was replaced, the company was headed by Lyazzat Kiinov, who until then had held the post of vice minister of oil and gas, and previously headed the Mangistau region. On Monday, Timur Kulibaev, the head of the Samruk-Kazyna fund, was also dismissed from his post, the fund was headed by Umirzak Shukeyev, who until then had held the post of first deputy prime minister.