* Former intelligence chief Karim Massimov suspected of treason
* Strong police and military presence in the streets
* The United States doubts Russia’s intentions
* Non-essential US consular staff allowed to leave the country
by Olzhas Asezov and Tamara Vaal
ALMATY, Jan.8 (Reuters) – Kazakh authorities on Saturday announced the arrest of Karim Massimov, former head of Kazakhstan’s national security committee, on suspicion of treason, as the former Soviet republic rocked by its biggest crisis in 30 years, continues to repress the demonstrators.
Karim Massimov, sacked Wednesday from his post of intelligence chief, was arrested with several other officials, according to the committee, which did not specify the identity of the other detainees.
Reuters could not immediately contact Karim Massimov. The latter was also Prime Minister of Kazakhstan twice and worked with Nursultan Nazarbayev, the man who ruled the country with an iron fist until 2019 before relinquishing the presidency to Kassim-Jomart Tokaev.
The protests in Kazakhstan, which killed a dozen people, were set off against a backdrop of inflation and rising energy prices. The Kazakh president announced that a national day of mourning would be held on Monday in memory of the victims.
After several days of violence, security forces appeared to have regained control of the streets of Kazakhstan’s main city, Almaty.
In a long telephone interview with Vladimir Poutine, Kassim-Jomart Tokaev told his Russian counterpart that the situation in Kazakhstan was being stabilized, according to the Kremlin.
“Hotbeds of terrorist attacks persist. Consequently, the fight against terrorism will continue with total determination,” however added the services of Kassim-Jomart Tokaev, citing the Kazakh president.
Kassim-Jomart Tokaev also noted that Vladimir Poutine supported the idea of organizing a meeting by videoconference of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (OTSC), which links Russia to several former Soviet republics. The timing and location of such a meeting is not yet known.
SPORADIC SHOTS
The President of Kazakhstan announced on Friday that he had authorized the police to open fire without warning to put an end to the disorders generated by the “terrorists”, the day after the arrival of Russian troops he had requested to participate in the repression of demonstrations.
According to the Kazakh Minister of the Interior, more than 4,400 people have been arrested since the start of the packs.
In Almaty, a city of about two million people, businesses and gas stations began to reopen on Saturday as security forces patrolled the streets.
Sporadic gunshots were heard around the town’s main square, however.
According to the Russian news agency RIA, quoting the deputy mayor of the city, operations to purge the city of “terrorists and bandit groups” are still underway and the population is invited to stay at home.
Noursoultan, the capital, images taken by Reuters show police arresting motorists at a checkpoint where there is a strong presence of armed soldiers nearby.
Access to the internet, largely cut off across the country for several days, was still severely disrupted on Saturday.
EAST-WEST TENSIONS
Russia-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CTSC) decision to dispatch around 2,500 troops to Kazakhstan comes amid East-West tensions as Moscow and Washington prepare for talks next week on the Ukrainian crisis.
Russia, which has also massed tens of thousands of soldiers near the borders of Ukraine in recent months, demands security guarantees from the West, in particular the end of all military collaboration between NATO and the United States. Ukraine and Georgia and any expansion of the Alliance to Eastern Europe.
The United States has criticized the deployment of Russian troops in Kazakhstan and wonders if this decision presented by the CSTO as a mission of a few days or weeks will not turn into a much longer presence.
“One lesson from recent history is that when the Russians are in your house, it is sometimes very difficult to get them to leave,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Friday.
Washington has also allowed non-essential employees of its Almaty consulate to leave the country. (Report Olzhas Asezov and Mariya Gordeyeva Almaty and Tamara Vaal Noursoultan, with the contribution of Gabrielle Ttrault-Farber Moscow, edited by Mark Trevelyan; French version Claude Chendjou)