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The metropolis of Almaty is located in the southeast of Kazakhstan
Photo: ABDUAZIZ MADYAROV / AFP
After it last looked as if the situation in Kazakhstan would ease, almost 1,700 more people were arrested in the city of Almaty, which was particularly hard hit by the unrest.
They are looters and other criminals, the Kazakh media reported on Wednesday, citing the city administration in the metropolis in the south-east of the Central Asian country.
The number of arrests was last given nationwide at around 10,000.
The police and the army take brutal action against the protests.
Human rights activists warned that the authoritarian-led ex-Soviet republic must guarantee fair trials.
President Tokayev speaks of a "coup d'état" from abroad
In the oil and gas-rich country on the border with Russia, displeasure about the rise in fuel prices turned into protests against the government about a week ago.
After peaceful demonstrations, violent riots broke out for days.
President Kassym-Shomart Tokayev spoke of an attempted "coup d'état" that had also been directed from abroad.
He set up a new government.
According to media reports, at least 164 people had been killed in the violent clashes between demonstrators and security forces by the end of last week.
In the economic metropolis of Almaty alone, 103 people died, several media reported, citing the Ministry of Health.
Tokayev ordered the police and army on Friday to shoot "without warning" at demonstrators whom he described as "terrorists" and "bandits".
Experts believe that the president also used the crisis to overthrow his predecessor, the influential ex-long-term president Nursultan Nazarbayev.
It is still unclear who the armed rioters were who stormed administration buildings and police stations, especially in Almaty.
The Kazakh government had asked Russia for help last week - only to send the peacekeepers back a few days later.
muk / dpa