RT.com
14 Jan 2022, 03:43 GMT+10
Kazakhstan's president ordered troops to 'shoot to kill without warning? as violence raged through country
The UN Human Rights Office has demanded an impartial investigation into the deaths of protesters during demonstrations last week in Kazakhstan, after initially peaceful rallies turned violent in the Central Asian country.
In a statement published on Tuesday, the UN said that it wants an investigation to determine whether the strong use of force by the country's security forces against the protesters was justified.
Demonstrations began early last week in Kazakhstan when large groups of protesters took to the streets to express their opposition to the removal of price controls on liquified petroleum gas, a fuel that many use to power their cars. Over the next few days, the demonstrations became more violent, allegedly being taken over by criminals who took to the streets with weapons and attacked law enforcement officers.
On Monday, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev dubbed the demonstrations an "attempted coup d'etat."
According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), almost 10,000 people were put behind bars during the march.
"We understand that the Ministry of Interior has announced that some 9,900 people are in detention as of the 11th of January. Now, this is clearly a huge number," said spokesperson Liz Throssell, on Tuesday.
"Under international law, people have the right to protest peacefully and the right to express their opinions. And they shouldn't be detained simply for expressing their opinions," she continued. "All those arrested and detained solely for exercising these rights should be released immediately."
The death toll, which now stands at 164, means that a "prompt, independent, impartial investigation" must be undertaken as to whether "unnecessary and disproportionate use of force was made by security forces," the OHCHR said.
Last Friday, as the protests deteriorated into violence and looting, Kazakhstan's president announced that he had ordered his troops to "shoot to kill without warning." Following the statement, UN human rights experts called on the Kazakhstan authorities to "halt their unrestrained use of force, including lethal force, against protesters."
(RT.com)
Get a daily dose of Afghanistan Sun news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Afghanistan Sun.
More InformationNEW YORK, New York - UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has voiced profound concern over the escalating human toll in Gaza, as...
LONDON, U.K.: Daniel Kretinsky's path to owning Royal Mail is nearly complete, as his firm EP Group announced this week that all regulatory...
NEW YORK CITY, New York: Major League Baseball (MLB) players now earn an average of over US$5 million per year for the first time,...
HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania: The owners of Pennsylvania's largest former coal power plant plan to turn it into a US$10 billion natural...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: Many government workers who help run Head Start, a federally funded preschool program, have been put on leave. The...
LONDON/DETROIT: As U.S. automakers brace for the financial impact of new 25 percent tariffs, car dealers with inventory built before...
Tashkent [Uzbekistan], April 6 (ANI): Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla is leading the Indian Parliamentary Delegation (IPD) for the 150th...
An aerial drone photo taken on April 5, 2025 shows a view of the Ya'er Lake Grottoes in the city of Turpan, northwest China's Xinjiang...
Quetta [Pakistan], April 6 (ANI): The Balochistan High Court (BHC) has disposed of a petition challenging the deportation of Afghan...
Abu Dhabi [UAE], April 6 (ANI/WAM): The UAE, represented by the Ministry of Interior, has been elected to the United Nations Commission...
(250405) -- BAKU, April 5, 2025 (Xinhua) -- Bulgarian Minister of Energy Zhecho Stankov, Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister...
Dubai [UAE], April 5 (ANI): The Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium played host to an electrifying night of bare-knuckle action on April...