Kazakhstan authorities declare amnesty to the January events participants

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan has declared a one-time amnesty for participants of the January events. He made this statement during his national address.

«I have decided to declare a one-time amnesty for participants of the January events. Of course, the amnesty won’t be applied to main figures of the events, those who were behind the riots or those who have been convicted of treason and attempt to seize power in the state,» said Tokayev.

Also, the amnesty isn’t going to cover actions considered as extremism and terrorism. Those police officers who have been involved in torture will not be given amnesty either.

«As a nation, we are going to display humanity, to learn this lesson to avoid the same situation in the future,» the president added.

The government says that families that lost their fathers during the January events will receive financial support. The Qazaqstan Halqyna Fund is going to contribute to this endeavor, President Tokayev highlighted.

In early January, residents of the town of Zhanaozen took to the street. They demanded reforms in the social and economic spheres. Later, much bigger protests started in Almaty and some other cities all over the country. As a result, the law enforcement authorities opened 4,642 criminal cases.