45 Sentenced in Kazakhstan’s 2022 January Unrest: Final Verdict Delivered
Almaty Court Sentences 45 Defendants Involved in January 2022 Unrest
The Almaty court has issued its final verdict in the case of the January 2022 unrest, sentencing 45 defendants involved in the violent protests, as reported by Kazinform. Among those sentenced were Arman Zhumageldiev, also known as “Wild” Arman, who received a 20-year prison term. Former Almaty maslikhat deputy Kairat Kudaibergen was sentenced to eight years, while Ruslan Iskakov, former head of the National Security Committee’s fifth department, received a 15.6-year sentence and a lifetime ban from holding civil service positions.
Former financial police agent Talgat Makhatov was sentenced to 15 years in prison, and journalist Berdakh Berdymuratov received a seven-year sentence. The remaining 40 individuals on trial faced charges ranging from abuse of power to participation in mass riots and received sentences ranging from one to 15 years.
The January events, also known as “Candy Qantar” (bloody January), began on Jan. 2, 2022, in the small town of Zhanaozen in the oil-rich Mangystau Region in western Kazakhstan. The initial protests stemmed from a sharp increase in the price of liquefied gas, which led people to take to the streets. The protests later spread to other cities, including Almaty, with Prosecutor General Berik Asylov stating that peaceful protests were “taken over by organized criminal groups” in what the country’s leadership described as an “attempted coup d’etat.” He noted that most of the participants were under 30 years of age.
The court’s verdict brings a conclusion to a significant chapter in Kazakhstan’s recent history, shedding light on the consequences of the unrest and the legal repercussions for those involved.
