Tamara Vaal, Olzhas Ayezov

ALMATY, Reuters – Kazakhstan officials have taken the ex-head of its national security committee into custody on suspicion that he is treasonous. The arrest came as Kazakhstan’s former Soviet republic was experiencing the worst turmoil in over 30 years.

Karim Masimov, who had been fired by the intelligence organization this week amid protests across the country, was taken into custody along with other officials according to the committee. The committee did not identify them nor provide any further details.

Reuters couldn’t immediately get in touch with Massimov. Massimov is a two-time former Prime Minister who was closely associated with President Nursultan Nazabayev. Massimov served as the country’s leader for over three decades before he transferred the presidency to Kassym Jomart Tokayev.

Dozens of people have died and public buildings across Kazakhstan have been ransacked and torched over the past week in the worst violence experienced in the Central Asian nation, a major oil and uranium producer, since it became independent in the early 1990s as the Soviet Union collapsed.

These demonstrations were started in response to an increase in fuel prices. They grew to include a wide movement against Tokayev’s Russian-backed government, and the 81-year-old Nazarbayev. His family is believed to still have influence over Nur-Sultan – his purpose-built capital.

Security forces appear to have taken back control of Almaty’s streets on Friday after several days of violence. Tokayev claimed that he ordered his troops’ to fire to kill in order to end a nationwide uprising.

The interior ministry stated that over 4,400 individuals had been taken into custody since the beginning of the unrest.

At Tokayev’s request, a Russia-led alliance military was deployed to Kazakhstan. This comes at a moment of tension in East-West relations and as Russia prepares for talks on next week’s Ukraine crisis.

Moscow deployed large numbers troops close to its Ukrainian border, but denies any American suggestion that it intends to invade Ukraine. Instead, it says it seeks assurances that NATO will stop its eastward expansion.

Tokayev, at a meeting of senior officials on Saturday said that the Russian-led military bloc (CSTO), in Nur-Sultan allowed Kazakh law enforcement agencies the opportunity to redeploy to assist in Almaty.

The spokesperson for Nazarbayev stated that the ex-president was currently in Nur-Sultan and was in touch with Tokayev. He also said that they had made phone calls to heads of friendly nations to Kazakhstan.