Murat Bektanov, who was dismissed from the post of Kazakh defence minister in January amid nationwide unrest, was detained in the case of the inaction of the authorities, the Prosecutor General’s Office said on Monday.
The office launched a pre-trial investigation against Bektanov over alleged inaction while on service.
“On February 20, 2022, M.K. Bektanov was detained and placed in a temporary detention facility on suspicion of committing this crime,” a statement read.
Bektanov was dismissed by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on January 19 over the lack of leadership qualities in the face of protests against the liquefied gas price surge that rocked the country in the first days of 2022.
The rallies began peacefully in western Kazakhstan and later spread to other cities, including the largest city of Almaty, where they turned into looting and violent clashes with security forces amid dissatisfaction with the government. In response to the unrest, Tokayev dismissed the government, declared a nationwide state of emergency, and invited the peacekeeping forces of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) to help bring the situation under control.
On January 13, the CSTO said that its mission was completed. (ANI/Sputnik)
