A Kazakh soldier who shot dead a shepherd during unprecedented anti-government protests in January that left at least 238 people dead has been sentenced to six years in prison.
The Almaty Garrison Court sentenced Mark Zlunyaev on November 16 after finding him guilty of abuse of power.
Shepherd Ernazar Qyryqbaev, 24, was shot dead along with his horse when he was looking for his livestock near a military unit in the southeastern city of Taldyqorghan on January 5.
Both sides expressed dissatisfaction with the court's decision. Zlunyaev's lawyers said their client was innocent as he was on high alert during the protests and carried out his military duty. Lawyers for Qyryqbaev's family, meanwhile, insisted that the defendant should have been charged with murder and faced stricter punishment.
Qyryqbaev's killing became one of the most questioned issues related to the January protests, which ended with violent dispersals of protesters across the country.
Many people in Kazakhstan, including relatives of those killed during the unrest, have demanded an explanation from President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev on his decision to invite Russian-led troops from the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) to disperse the protests, as well as his public "shoot to kill without warning" order.
The unrest occurred after a peaceful demonstration in the western region of Manghystau on January 2 over a fuel price hike tapped into deep-seated resentment of the country's leadership, leading to 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 provided evidence that peaceful demonstrators and people who had nothing to do with the protests were among those killed by law enforcement and military personnel.
Zlunyaev’s sentence was pronounced as the Central Asian nation prepared for an early presidential election scheduled for November 20.