The Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan Mukhtar Tleuberdi explained the order of the President of Kazakhstan Kasim-Zhomart Tokayeva to open fire on defeat without warning on anyone who refuses to fold the weapon during protests. He stated this after meeting with Austrian colleague Alexander Sallenberg, RIA Novosti reports.
According to Tleuberdi, the words of the president “open fire without warning” were pulled out of speech.
“He definitely did not mean in demonstrators. It was a strong signal to armed militants, which if they do not stop, then our armed forces and law enforcement staff will fight with them by martial weapons,” he clarified.
According to him, an order was given to open fire “only against armed militants.”
Earlier, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken criticized the Tokaeva order to open the fire on defeat. Before this, the official representative of the White House Karin Jean-Pierre said that this order worries the world community.
On January 2, mass protests began in Kazakhstan due to the sharp rise in gas prices for cars. Soon the economic demands were replaced by political, and the rallies turned into riots. In several cities, building buildings were set fire. For the suppression of the riots threw the army. The President of Kazakhstan Kasim-Zhomart Tokayev called protesters to terrorists and turned to the organization of collective security treaty. Peacekeepers have been protected by large infrastructure objects.