Detained group ‘declaring independence’ in Kazakhstan

It has been reported that 3 members of the “People’s Council of Workers, which declared independence” in the northern Kazakhstan city of Petropavl, near the Russian border, were detained on charges of “separatism”.

In the statement of the North Kazakhstan State Prosecutor’s Office, it was noted that 3 people were detained in Petropavl as part of the investigation launched after images about the establishment of the “Workers’ People’s Council” were previously published on social media. . “During the investigation, it was determined that on March 19, 2023, a meeting of 20 members of the group of the “workers’ people’s council”, who positioned themselves as the heirs of the Soviet Union, was held in the building of the University of North Kazakhstan in Petropavl.,” the statement read.

At the meeting, it was claimed that the “council members” accepted a statement saying they did not recognize Kazakhstan’s legitimacy and rejected its independence, referring to the country’s constitutional order and territorial integrity, and the expression “Signs of separatism have detected after examinations.

It was indicated that a lawsuit was filed against 3 suspects arrested for separatism and propaganda that threatens the security of the State, and that a prison sentence of up to 10 years could be an indisputable punishment measure according to these articles. In the statement, it was indicated that the 3 detainees were placed in the detention center before the court, and it was reported that an objective and comprehensive legal evaluation will be carried out on the other participants in the meeting. (AA)