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Closing statements 

Mr President, Honourable Members of the European Parliament,

We have all been shocked by the unprecedented violence that erupted in Kazakhstan earlier this month, in particular in Almaty.

It is important that a clear distinction is made between the early peaceful protests which began on 2 January, and the ensuing violence that erupted nation-wide, resulting in the President imposing a state of emergency and calling for the Collective Security Treaty Organization’s (CSTO) assistance,  in countering what he referred to as “terrorist attacks”.

The picture emerging is that well-armed and trained violent groups hijacked what began as peaceful protests. However, their exact identity and motivations remain unclear. It is possible that those groups were associated to some security/para-military forces, which would indicate that their formation and existence was covered up by some security structures.

There could also be a link to a power struggle related to the succession and access to resources between the circles related to former president [Nursultan Nazarbayev] and President [Kassym-Jomart] Tokayev. At this stage, we cannot rule out that external forces have also been involved in the events. 

According to official sources, initially almost 10,000 people were detained but many have been freed in the meantime.  225 people have been killed in the events, including 19 security officers, and almost 5,000 people have been injured. 

Approximately 2,030 troops were deployed for the first time in the CSTO’s history, with Russia sending by far the largest number. The withdrawal of CSTO troops, which began in January 13, has been completed today according to latest news. 

An official investigation into the events has begun. At this point, the complexity of the crisis merits a cautious interpretation and reaction. It is probably too early to draw conclusions about the European Union’s future policy to towards the country. There are still many open questions, including about the origin, identity and motivation of the attackers. 

In our exchanges with the authorities, we called for a full, transparent and independent investigation into the events, including on human rights violations. Peaceful protesters should not be treated like criminals. In this regard, we note the statement by President Tokayev that participants in peaceful demonstrations should not be prosecuted. 

We expect the results of the investigation into these dramatic events to be shared with us in a transparent manner. President Tokayev has committed to important social-economic reforms. However, we call on Kazakhstan to continue with political reforms and democratisation, and we continue to support these reforms as an integral part of our Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement.

Link to the video: EC AV PORTAL (europa.eu) (from 1:07:45)