Four activists who were allegedly planning to protest outside the Russian consulate in Almaty during Russian President Vladimir Putin's upcoming visit have been detained.
A reporter for RFE/RL's Kazakh Service reported on October 12 that police took the four into custody as they approached the Russian consulate with a poster and a bouquet of blue and yellow flowers representing Ukraine's national colors.
Police have yet to comment.
Putin is scheduled to visit the Kazakh capital, Astana, from October 12 to October 14 for a regional summit. He is expected to hold meetings with several officials during his trip, including with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to discuss the situation in Ukraine.
The October 12 meeting comes a day after Turkey called for a cease-fire in fighting between Russia and Ukraine,
NATO member Turkey, which has stayed neutral throughout the conflict in Ukraine, has good ties with Kyiv as well as with Moscow.
