Seven people are facing charges of organizing mass disorder in Kazakhstan’s Janaozen, spokesman of the Prosecutor General’s Office Nurdaulet Suindikov said, News Kazakhstan reports.
Seven organizers and 36 activists of the disorder are being identified and will go on trial. 29 of them are under arrest and 14 under recognizance not to leave state, Suindikov said on Wednesday. Heads and staff of the interior department of the Mangistau Region will be punished, as well as staff of oil companies.
The disorders caused deaths of 12 people at scene and 2 at hospital in Janaozen. One man died from fire injuries when looting the Sulpak Trade Center.
Janaozen experienced mass disorders on December 16, resulting in 16 people killed and over 100 injured. Dozens of buildings and cars were burnt. Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev imposed a state of emergency the next day. The state will last until January 31. The disorders were a result of a month-long strike of oil workers demanding higher wages. The court recognized their demands as unjust. With the disorders over, the government promised to employ the fired oil workers.
