AKIPRESS.COM - Police in Kazakhstan has detained dozens of protesters who were calling for the release of political prisoners in line with a resolution passed by the European Parliament, US media report.

Government opponents on Sunday were attempting their first protest since the resolution called for the European Union to prioritise rights in its relations with Kazakhstan, saying there had been a “worrying deterioration” in the country.

Roughly 50 protesters were detained in the largest city Almaty before they could gather near a city park, where the internet appeared to have been shut down.

Several of the protesters shouted “freedom to political prisoners” as they were manhandled into waiting vans.

“Nazarbayev, go away,” chanted some more protesters, referring to Kazakhstan’s influential ex-President Nursultan Nazarbayev, who has retained sweeping powers since he resigned almost two years ago and helped to ensure the election of a hand-picked successor, Al Jazeera reports.