On Saturday, the National Security Committee of Kazakhstan (KNB) has stated that they have detained the former chief of the nation’s domestic intelligence agency. He has been detained on suspicion of the high treason. This week, he was fired from the post amid the violent protests across the Central Asian Country.
The Security Committee has detained the former official along with several other officers. The name and further details of the arrested personalities have not been provided. The arrest was made after the committee launched an investigation into the treason charges.
It said, “National Security Committee launched a pre-trial investigation into high treason. Ironically, former chief Masimov was detained on the same day. He, along with others, has been kept in a temporary detention centre.”
Karim Masimov was a close ally of the founding Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev. Meanwhile, on Saturday, Nazarbayev’s press secretary said that the former leader is Nur-Sultan and dismissed the rumours about him leaving the Central Asian Country.
President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev had fired Masimov earlier when the protest erupted because of the increase in the fuel prices, and authorities buildings were set ablaze by the furious protestors. Because of this demonstration, dozens of people lost their lives.
As a consequence of the protest, Almaty city was quiet and tense on Saturday, and Security forces were firing warning shots to aware residents not to approach the central square.
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While addressing the nation, the president said that around 20,000 ‘armed bandits’ attacked Almaty. The Russian-backed President Tokayev has claimed to put down a countrywide protest uprising, and he ordered his paratroops “to shoot to kill”.
The 56-year-old Masimov has served as Nazabayev’s Prime Minister twice and has been head of the National Security Committee (KNB) since 2016. He has also served as the head presidential head under Nazarbayev.