Kazakhstan riot town, Zhanaozen, barred from poll

Residents of an oil town in Kazakhstan where deadly riots took place last month will not be allowed to vote in parliamentary elections on 15 January.

 

Kazakhstan’s Constitutional Council said it would be impossible to conduct the poll in Zhanaozen due to a state of emergency introduced during the unrest.

On Wednesday President Nursultan Nazarbayev extended the state of emergency until the end of January.

The violence resulted from Kazakhstan’s longest-running industrial dispute, between the state oil company, Kazmunaigas, and hundreds of its employees.

On 16 December clashes broke out as government forces tried to clear the town square which the striking workers were occupying.

Eyewitnesses said the police opened fire on unarmed protesters, although the security forces argued that they had been forced to defend themselves.

Dozens of protesters have since been arrested on suspicion of organising the riots.

Human rights workers say some of them have been tortured in detention.

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