Regent directs safety measures for Jordanians assaulted in Kazakhstan

AMMAN — HRH Crown Prince Hussein, the Regent, is closely following the developments of Saturday’s assault on a group of Jordanian engineers who work at a contracting company in Kazakhstan, a Royal Court statement said.

The Regent has directed the prime minister and the minister of foreign affairs and expatriates to take all required measures to ensure the Jordanian engineers’ security and safety.

Five Jordanian engineers working in a mega Middle Eastern construction company in Kazakhstan sustained minor injuries on Thursday after they, along with other Arab nationals, were attacked by local employees due to what was reported to be a “personal dispute”, the Foreign Ministry said on Saturday.

Circulated videos purpotedly showed employees being beaten up at a Consolidated Contractors Company (CCC) site in Tengiz, 2,200km from the capital Astana, which employs 107 Jordanian nationals, but the ministry reported that all Jordanians were transported to safety and are in good condition. 

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Sufian Qudah said that the Jordanian ambassador in Astana officially requested that the Kazakhstani authorities take immediate security measures to ensure the safety of Jordanian employees.

Kazakhstani authorities transported all Jordanians from the site to Atyrau city following the request, according to Qudah.

The spokesperson affirmed that the nationals involved in the incident received the proper medical treatment, adding that currently “there are no Jordanians in hospitals”.

A statement from the company, posted on the Kazakhstani embassy’s Facebook page, said that some 30 employees received medical treatment due to injuries resulting from the assault, which stemmed from a “personal dispute” between two employees, noting that “none are in a life-threatening condition”.

The company said that work at the site has been temporarily suspended, and that local security forces are present on location.

In a Tweet later in the day, Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi noted that the Jordanian ambassador was scheduled to fly to Atyrau Sunday morning to check on the Jordanian employees.