Since the fall of the Soviet Union, hundreds of protesters and 12 police officers have died in the country's most dramatic political upheaval since the fall of the Soviet Union. Protests that were initially triggered by increased fuel prices have now become anti-government demonstrations and have prompted Russian intervention.
A Russia-led security bloc said it would send troops to support President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, while the Kazakh government resigned. Here is how the unrest unfolded in the Central Asian country.
On January 2, protests began a day after the Kazakh government lifted a cap on fuel prices, which led to the price of the country's most popular gas doubling. The demonstrations spread quickly across regions, including the capital city of Almaty, and have come to represent other political grievances.
The protests escalated to violent clashes between the police and demonstrators. A state of emergency was declared Jan. 5 after the president's Almaty residence was surrounded by thousands of protesters and engulfed in flames, according to a Russian news agency. Tokayev appealed for intervention from the Collective Security Treaty Organization CSTO, a Russia-led alliance of countries including Armenia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Russian troops are currently being deployed, according to reports.
The full scale of the bloodshed is still unclear, but Kazakh security forces confirmed that dozens of protestors and 12 police officers were killed.
The demonstrators are looking for widespread reform of a state that many see as marred by corruption, poverty, and inequality. Much of the anger is directed at the president and his mentor, Nursultan Nazarbayev, who previously ruled Kazakhstan from 1991 and 2019 and has remained a powerful figure in government.
Kazakhstan is often described as an authoritarian state after being ruled by the same party since the country s independence from the USSR in 1991. Tightly controlled press and social media shutdowns are common tactics used by the government to control dissent.
Mass protest is seen by many as the only tool to voice dissent because of the lack of effective political opposition. The demonstrations are largely uncoordinated and lack leadership.
Kazakhstan, which was once part of the Soviet bloc, has experienced relative stability compared to other Central Asian countries. The mainly Muslim state has a large Russian minority population, bordering Russia to the north and China to the east.
How has the state responded?
In order to calm the protests, Tokayev removed his unpopular predecessor from his position as head of Kazakhstan's security council and accepted the resignation of his entire government. A nationwide state of emergency was declared on January 5, which limits movement and mass gatherings. The fuel price cap was reinstated for six months the following day.
Despite these moves, protesters still came out in their thousands to display their opposition to the government, facing tear gas and stun grenades from the police. The bloody crackdown has resulted in around 1,000 deaths in Almaty and dozens of deaths. It is hard to gauge exact figures due to the government imposed nationwide internet blackout.
Almaty police spokeswoman Saltanat Azirbek said dozens of attackers were arrested after they tried to storm police buildings in the city. She echoed President Tokayev as she described the police operation against demonstrators as a counter-terrorist. Tokayev previously had responsibility for the protests on foreign-trained terrorist organizations. On January 5, Tokayev called for intervention from the CSTO, claiming that the terrorist threat was undermining the integrity of the state. Soon after, the alliance sent Russian paratroopers to the country.
Kazakhstan is a close ally of Russia, which keeps a close eye on political unrest in former Soviet states. Russia's intervention comes amid mounting tension in Ukraine, where increased Russian military presence at its borders is seen as the Kremlin's response to plans to include Ukraine in the NATO military alliance.
Despite the fuel cap reintroduction and other measures to subdue protesters, there is no sign of their anger abating and thousands continue to defy the government's state of emergency.
The unrest has resulted in a struggle to buy food as major supermarkets, restaurants, and shops close to closing. According to BBC a report, Kazakhs can't withdraw money or top up their phones because of the internet shutdown.
In a press conference on January 5, White House press secretary Jen Psaki dismissed crazy Russian claims that the U.S. played a role in the unrest.
Psaki said that we were monitoring reports of protests in Kazakhstan. We support calls for calm, for protesters to express themselves peacefully and for authorities to exercise restraint.