Kazakhstan on Tuesday sentenced three policemen to prison terms for torture in January 2022 mass protests that shook the authoritarian Central Asian country.

The deadly winter unrest two years ago rocked Kazakhstan, leaving more than 200 dead and leading to President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev calling on Moscow to help put down riots.

The events of winter 2022 remain a sensitive issue for Kazakhstan after authorities brutally suppressed protests.

A court in Almaty, the largest city in Kazakhstan, said it had established that three employees used torture at a police station on three people.

It sentenced them to three years in prison.

The ruling came a day after a court in the city of Taldykorgan -- in the southwestern Jetisu region -- sentenced four other policemen for torture in January 2022.

They were given prison terms ranging from four to six years, according to Kazakh media.

It said seven people received varying degrees of bodily harm when they were tortured by the police officers.

The riots erupted after anger spread over a hike in fuel prices.

During the riots, Tokayev ordered security forces to "shoot to kill" demonstrators and asked Russia to send troops to help stamp out the unrest.