Protesters scuffle with riot police in Kazakhstan

ALMATY, April 26 (Reuters) - Kazakh protesters, shouting "murderers" and "beasts", on Wednesday clashed with riot police who had been sent to stop them holding a rally in memory of an assassinated opposition leader.

Kazakhstan's opposition believe the February killing of Altynbek Sarsenbaiuly, a leading opponent of President Nursultan Nazarbayev, was politically motivated and says the official probe is biased.

Police in black riot gear emerged shortly after a few dozen activists gathered for a silent rally on the main square of the commercial capital Almaty. Police ringed them, drew their batons and dragged away up to 30 activists and journalists.

"What are you doing? Dictators! Murderers!" shouted Irina Khalilova, in her 50s, who, like the others, had come to protest against the official investigation into Sarsenbaiuly's death.

The murder has undermined Kazakhstan's image as a stable oil producer in an otherwise volatile region but it has also buoyed the Central Asian state's so far fragmented opposition movement.

Officials say Sarsenbaiuly was killed on the orders of a senior civil servant who bore a personal grudge against him.

Nazarbayev, who has ruled the former Soviet country since 1989 with a firm grip, has backed the official account.

The arrested protesters, including Sarsenbaiuly's brother, were whisked into a bus and driven away. An Almaty police spokesman declined to comment.

One police officer at the scene said as he pushed protesters and journalists from the square: "Go away where there is freedom of speech. Here, there is no freedom of speech."

Protesters waved white ribbons and tried to resist.

"We've only come here to express disagreement with the investigation, to express solidarity with Altynbek without harming anyone," said Valentina Maksimova, another protester.

"Nothing's changed in Kazakhstan since the Soviet collapse."