Nearly 8,000 detained in Kazakhstan over violent protests

By DASHA LITVINOVA
Associated Press

MOSCOW (AP) — Authorities in Kazakhstan say nearly 8,000 people were detained by police during protests that descended into violence last week and marked the worst unrest the former Soviet nation has faced since gaining independence 30 years ago. Kazakhstan’s Interior Ministry reported Monday that 7,939 people have been detained across the country. The National Security Committee, Kazakhstan’s anti-terrorism agency, said that the situation in the country has “stabilized.” The demonstrations began over a near-doubling of fuel prices and quickly spread across the country, reflecting wider discontent with Kazakhstan’s authoritarian rule. The Health Ministry says 164 people, including three children, were killed in the unrest.