Former anti-terror chief arrested over Kazakhstan protests

Following violent protests blamed on foreign-backed terrorists, Kazakhstan's former counterintelligence and anti-terror chief was arrested on charges of attempting to destabilise the government.

The former head of Kazakhstan's counterintelligence and anti-terror agency has been arrested on charges of attempted government overthrow in the wake of violent protests that the president has blamed on foreign-backed terrorists.

The arrest of Karim Masimov was announced Saturday by the National Security Committee, which Masimov headed until he was removed this week by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.