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The Kazakhstani authorities must release journalists and activists who have been arbitrarily detained for their coverage of mass protests across the country over the past week, provide information on all protest-related arrests and ensure human rights of all detainees, said Amnesty International, as the number of individuals arrested since protests began on 2 January reached close to 10,000 according to official government figures.

Those among the detainees who committed no internationally recognized crimes and were arbitrarily detained, including merely for violating Kazakhstan’s unduly restrictive legislation on public assemblies, must be immediately released as well.

The human rights organization also called on the Kazakhstani authorities to order an effective and impartial investigation into all reported human rights violations, including lethal use of force by the security forces, and to respect human rights in the context of the unrest.

“While the situation appears to have calmed down in Kazakhstan, the crisis is far from over. Nothing is more important now than free access to independent information, full accountability for what has happened and a commitment to respect human rights moving forward,” said Marie Struthers, Amnesty International’s Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia.