ASTANA (Sputnik) – Activists have been submitting applications to the authorities to hold protests on May 21 over a reform envisioning expansion of abilities of leasing agricultural land for foreigners. All applications were rejected, yet protests took place nevertheless.
According to witnesses, around 30 people were arrested in the capital city of Astana, including reporters.
Hundreds of people took part in the protests in Almaty, the largest city of Kazakhstan. Several dozens of people were detained there, according to the media outlet.
Local media outlets reported that protests took place in other cities of the countries, with detentions of activists and journalists taking place.
According to the country’s prosecutor’s office, 40 people were brought to administrative liability for organizing the unsanctioned protests.
