A year after Kazakhstan’s deadly riots, questions persist

By JOANNA KOZLOWSKA
Associated Press

A year after deadly rioting in Kazakhstan that was the worst unrest in the Central Asian country’s three decades of independence, human rights activists say many government promises of accountability and democratization remain unfulfilled. Human rights activists allege that Kazakh security forces used excessive force, arbitrary detentions and torture on detained protesters. They criticized government lists of the 238 people killed for not clarifying the circumstances of their deaths. Although President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has pushed through some reforms, a snap election has ensured his hold on power until 2029. With a parliamentary election set for March, there are reports that opposition or independent candidates are having difficulty in launching their campaigns.