National security agency interrogates 18 people concerning separatism in Kazakhstan

According to Zhandos Umiraliyev, deputy prosecutor general, the North Kazakhstan Department of the National Security Committee or KNB has opened an investigation of alleged separatism in the town of Petropavlovsk.

«The case under Article 180, Part 2 of the Criminal Code of Kazakhstan (Propaganda of separatism by a group of people with the help of media) has been opened by the KNB immediately after it learned about the incident. The law enforcement agency has also searched places where suspects work and live,» Umiraliyev said.

Under the aforementioned article of the criminal code, perpetrators can be punished with five to ten years in prison.

So far, the Ministry of Justice is carefully reviewing all videos it seized under the criminal case. Once the review is over, the agency will file charges against 18 people who have been detained for alleged calls for separatism. However, from a legal point of view, they aren’t yet subjects of investigation, according to Umiraliyev.

At the end of March, law enforcement officials found a video with several residents of Petropavlovsk announcing their independence from Kazakhstan. They declared the so-called People’s Council of Workers and said that they are going to declare sovereignty. In response, Kazakhstani law enforcement officials have opened an investigation of separatism.

Later, those people on the video said that they meant independence from «oligarchs and corrupted officials.»

The incident caused a public outcry within Kazakhstan and some members of the parliament even suggested renaming Petropavlovsk to Kyzylzhar, the ancient Kazakh name for the area where the fortress and then the town of Petropavlovsk was first built. However, they noted that this matter should be approved by the people in a referendum.