Kazakhstan Accuses Jailed Beer Magnate of Coup Plot

Kazakhstan's security service accused a jailed pro-Russian beer magnate Monday of orchestrating recent anti-government protests to allow him to violently seize power in the Central Asian nation.

Police arrested dozens at small rallies held across the ex-Soviet country on May 21 to protest controversial changes to land ownership laws proposed by the government.

"We have obtained evidence that the so-called land reform protests... were inspired and financed by (Tokhtar) Tuleshov back in December 2015," said National Security Committee (KNB) spokesman Ruslan Karasev.

He added that several of the businessman's allies in government had also been arrested.

The oligarch is already being held by authorities after he was arrested in an operation in January this year, reportedly on drugs and organized crime allegations.

He previously headed the Kazakh office of a Russian think-tank, the Center for the Analysis of Terrorist Threats (CATT) as well leading Shymkent Beer, one of Kazakhstan's largest breweries.

Tuleshov has in the past acted as an advisor to the Russian parliament and worked to strengthen ties between the two countries.

Kazakhstan remains one of Russia's closest allies although relations soured in the aftermath of Russia's annexation of Crimea and its continued support for separatists in eastern Ukraine.

The controversial land reforms, which would have allowed foreigners to lease land in the country, have been shelved until at least next year at the request of President Nursultan Nazarbayev.

Social unrest in resource rich Kazakhstan has grown as falling oil prices have hammered government revenues and economic chaos in Russia has taken its toll on Moscow's neighbors.

Analysts predict that Kazakhstan's once fast-growing economy will shrink in 2016.