ASTANA -- Kazakh President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev has signed a decree granting amnesty to hundreds of people charged and imprisoned in connection with violence amid anti-government protests in January that claimed at least 238 lives.
The November 2 mass amnesty affects more than 1,500 people who were arrested and charged over their involvement in the January 4-7 protests, as well as police and security forces who dispersed crowds and detained individuals.
Those who committed minor offenses will be released with all charges dropped, while those convicted of serious crimes will have their prison terms cut by half or three-quarters.
The decree does not apply to individuals found guilty of terrorism, extremism, high treason, corruption, or organizing mass disorder.
Toqaev announced the amnesty plan in early September as human rights groups and political activists in the Central Asian nation demanded a full investigation into the deadly dispersal of the protests.
Many people in Kazakhstan, including relatives of individuals who died during the unrest, have demanded an explanation from Toqaev on his decision to invite Russia-led troops from the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) to disperse the protests, as well as his public call for security forces to "shoot to kill without warning."
The unrest followed a peaceful demonstration in the western region of Manghystau on January 2 over a fuel-price hike that tapped into deep resentment against Kazakhstan's leadership, sparking widespread anti-government protests.
Thousands of people were detained by officials during and after the protests, which Toqaev said were caused by "20,000 terrorists" from abroad, a claim for which authorities have provided no evidence.
Human rights groups have shared evidence that peaceful demonstrators and people who had nothing to do with the protests were among those killed by law enforcement and military personnel.
Rights activists have said that the mass amnesty was initiated to allow law enforcement officers who opened fire at unarmed demonstrators to escape responsibility for their actions.