Kazakhstan: Former security chief arrested for treason

"On January 6 of this year, the Committee for National Security launched a preliminary investigation for high treason. On the same day, the former director of the KNB KK Masimov, suspected of having committed this criminal offense, was arrested and placed in pre-trial detention with other persons."

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Karim Masimov, Photo: Reuters
Karim Masimov, Photo: Reuters
Disclaimer: The translations are mostly done through AI translator and might not be 100% accurate.

The former head of Kazakhstan's national security agency has been arrested for treason after he was sacked following riots in the country, the Committee for National Security (KNB) announced today.

The statement stated that the former chairman of the Committee for National Security, Karim Masimov, was detained on Thursday after the initiation of an investigation into high treason.

"On January 6 of this year, the Committee for National Security launched a preliminary investigation for high treason. On the same day, the former director of the KNB KK Masimov, suspected of having committed this criminal offense, was arrested and placed in pre-trial detention with other persons," it was stated in announcement.

A close ally of the former president of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev, Karim Kajimkanuli Masimov, a former prime minister, was sacked this Sunday as the head of the Central Bank of Kazakhstan following riots at protests over gas price hikes.

Kazakh President Kasim-Zhomart Tokayev on Friday authorized security forces to shoot people participating in riots, opening the door to further escalation of tensions in the country.

Tokaev assessed the calls of some countries for the government to start talks with the protesters as nonsense.

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