Country Reports on Terrorism 2012

government infrastructure or armed policemen. In several cases, explosions with no reported
civilian casualties were attributed to accidental detonations of explosive devices by terrorist
groups. Security forces periodically released reports of shootouts with people they described as
terrorists. It was unclear, however, how security forces distinguished between terrorist or violent
extremist groups and criminal groups. Analysts believe that violent extremist networks in
Kazakhstan likely did not physically interact with their counterparts in other regions, but
received online training and instructions. Significant incidents included:
On July 11, a blast in a village outside Almaty killed eight people. Security forces stated
that the explosion occurred in a safe-house where a violent extremist group was
attempting to build a bomb. In an August 17 follow-up operation, Kazakhstani security
forces killed nine suspected violent extremists who reportedly refused to surrender.
On September 12, a week after suspected violent extremists set off an accidental
explosion that killed one of their own, Kazakhstani security forces killed at least two
more during a raid on an apartment building in Kulsary in western Kazakhstan.
Legislation, Law Enforcement, and Border Security: In December, Kazakhstan's parliament
approved new legislation intended to clearly delineate and regulate the authorities and
responsibilities of government agencies in matters of counterterrorism, and to establish regional
counterterrorism commissions.
In April, representatives of border control agencies from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia,
Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan announced plans to establish an automated system of information
exchange in order to more effectively implement counterterrorism measures across their borders.
Throughout the year, Kazakhstani security forces, prosecutors, and courts actively arrested, tried,
and convicted dozens of people on charges of terrorism or extremism, including convictions for
providing material support to terrorist groups and for dissemination of so-called “extremist
materials.”
In April, five people were convicted of organizing a November 2011 terrorist attack in Taraz,
although the incident involved only a lone gunman. Their sentences ranged from five years to
life in prison. In two separate trials in April, 47 defendants were found guilty of organizing
bombing attacks on government buildings in Atyrau on October 31, 2011, and sentenced to
prison terms ranging from five to 15 years. The violent extremist group Jund al-Khilafah
(Soldiers of the Caliphate) claimed responsibility for that attack.
Government and law enforcement officials in Kazakhstan were motivated to act against
perceived terrorist and violent extremist threats in the country. There were concerns, however,
regarding Kazakhstan’s sometimes heavy-handed response to perceived threats, which critics
claimed could exacerbate the spread of extremism. For example, several opposition media outlets
were convicted of extremism and ordered to stop operations in 2012 without compelling
evidence of involvement in terrorism.
In September, Kazakhstani parliamentarians criticized law enforcement bodies for their tendency
to kill all suspected terrorists in shootouts, rather than capture them alive for questioning.
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