ALMATY, Kazakhstan -- Two days before Kazakhstan holds a referendum on the construction of a nuclear power plant, authorities detained at least 26 activists, Almaty-based human rights activist Bakhytzhan Toreghozhina said on October 4.
The detentions come amid heightened tensions as authorities crack down on dissent leading up to the vote.
Some of the detained activists were handed jail terms ranging from 10 to 20 days on administrative charges, which they strongly reject.
Others were fined or instructed not to leave their towns and cities while investigations against them continue, particularly over allegations of planning mass unrest.
Five prominent activists -- Nurlan Zhaulybaev, Nurlan Temirghaliev, Zhanat Qazaqbay, Fazylzhan Sydyqov, and Aidar Mubarakov -- were placed in a pretrial detention center in Almaty and accused of attempting to organize mass riots.
This wave of arrests has drawn attention to the increasing restrictions on public dissent surrounding the controversial nuclear-power project.
Security measures in the country's largest city, Almaty, have been heightened to prevent what authorities describe as "illegal activities" during the referendum period.
In a related move, a court in western Kazakhstan fined the Uralskaya nedelya newspaper 110,760 tenges ($230) on October 3 for conducting a survey of residents of the city of Oral about the construction of the nuclear plant.
Deputy Prosecutor-General Zhandos Omiraliev said on October 4 that 24 cases of "illegal polls" related to the nuclear-power issue had been officially registered, with all individuals involved facing administrative punishment.
The referendum, scheduled for October 6, will determine whether Kazakhstan proceeds with the construction of a nuclear power plant in the village of Ulken in the Almaty region on the shores of Lake Balkhash.
Proponents of the project argue that the new facility would provide clean and affordable electricity, enabling the country to maintain low energy tariffs.
However, the project has faced significant opposition from environmental groups and concerned citizens, who argue that the plant poses risks to both the environment and national security.
Critics fear that the plant could be built by Russia's state-owned nuclear agency, Rosatom, making Kazakhstan more dependent on Russia and potentially turning it into a strategic target in the event of a future conflict.
Many Kazakhs are also wary of the involvement of Rosatom due to the legacy of the 1986 Chernobyl disaster and Russia's recent actions at the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant in Ukraine.
While Kazakh officials have refrained from commenting directly on which foreign company might lead the project, Rosatom, along with China's CNNC, South Korea's KHNP, and France's EDF, have been named as a potential partner.
Despite widespread opposition, many expect the referendum to pass, given Kazakhstan's tightly controlled political environment.