Prison Riot In Kazakhstan Quashed

Inmates in a penal colony in Kazakhstan's northwestern city of Aqtobe have reportedly rioted to protest harsh conditions.

The regional prosecutor's office said the riot was sparked by 10 inmates who had blocked a barracks, preventing the inmates inside from participating in a daily roll call on July 2.

The rioting inmates demanded free movement on the grounds of the penal colony and a right not to work.

The prosecutor’s office called the inmates' demands illegal and said the riot was quashed. It said "the most notorious violators of internal regulations" had been placed in solitary confinement.

It is not clear how prison authorities stopped the rioting or how many inmates were sent to solitary confinement.

For years, prisoners in Kazakh penitentiaries have rioted to protest jail conditions, often maiming themselves to draw attention to their plight.

Based on reporting by zakon.kz and Kazinform