NUR-SULTAN -- A cousin of the former head of Kazakhstan's Committee of National Security (KNB), who was arrested after deadly anti-government protests in January, has been added to the country's wanted list.
The Anti-Corruption Agency said on April 22 that Nurlan Masimov, 48, who before the January protests served as police chief of the northern Pavlodar region, was wanted on suspicion of bribe-taking.
Nurlan Masimov's cousin, Karim Masimov, known as a close ally of former President Nursultan Nazarbaev, was arrested after the January unrest along with three of his KNB deputy chiefs on charges of high treason.
Protests in the southwestern town of Zhanaozen in early January over a sudden fuel-price hike spread across Kazakhstan and led to violent clashes in Almaty and elsewhere.
The protesters' economic discontent was quickly followed by broader popular calls against corruption, political stagnation, and widespread injustice.
Much of their anger appeared directed at Nazarbaev, who ruled the Central Asia state from 1989 until March 2019, when he handed power to Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev. However, Nazarbaev was widely believed to remain in control behind the scenes.
Since the protests, Toqaev has swept out many seen as loyal to Nazarbaev, as well as those who were seen as failing to contain the violence.
Separately, the Almaty city prosecutor's office said on April 22 that municipal lawmaker Qairat Qudaibergen had been arrested and charged with the organization of mass disorder during the January protests.
Kazakh officials said at least 230 people, including 19 law enforcement officers, were killed during the unrest across the country.
Human rights groups insist that the number may be much higher, as scores of people remain missing, and presenting evidence that many peaceful demonstrators and persons who had nothing to do with the protests were killed by police and military personnel following Toqaev's "shoot-to-kill-without-warning" order.
