Kazakh ex-security chief Karim Massimov charged with treason

Commenting on the case of Kazahkstan's former chairman of the National Security Committee and former Prime Minister Karim Massimov, General Prosecutor Berik Assylov said on Thursday the suspect was charged with high treason, local sources reported.

Prosecutor General Assylov said the events that happened in January 2022, during which a series of riots took place, led to the conclusion that the former Prime Minister was indeed attempting to orchestrate a coup aimed at overthrowing Tokayev.

Assylov added that details regarding the case were highly classified and that both Massimov and his former deputy Sadykulov were charged with treason. His second former deputy Daulet Yergozhin was also charged with attempting to seize power through violent means.

While the Prosecutor General said he couldn't disclose further details, he did say that investigators found the training grounds of those responsible for the attempted coup, their recruitment activities, and purchases of weapons, walkie-talkies, and vehicles.

The conclusion of the investigation was that key political and military figures had orchestrated an operation to overthrow Tokayev's leadership.

A report prepared by the Prosecutor General was delivered to the lower chamber of the Kazakh Parliament detailing the tragic events that took place in January 2022.

In January 2022, Kazakhstan witnessed a period of civil unrest known as 'bloody January' in which several riots took place nationwide after a sudden increase in fuel prices.

The protests initially began in the town of Janaozen but soon spread to other towns and turned into massive riots during the night of January 4 to 5, leading Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to declare a state of emergency.

Massimov was dismissed as the internal chief of security on January 5, 2022, during the protests, and was publicly arrested on January 8.

A total of 164 people were killed in the protests and 9,900 were reportedly arrested.