Crossroads Asia

Kazakhstan: Accused Coup Makers, Attacks, and Silence at the Top

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Crossroads Asia

Kazakhstan: Accused Coup Makers, Attacks, and Silence at the Top

“The head of the state is maintaining this issue under his control.”

Kazakhstan: Accused Coup Makers, Attacks, and Silence at the Top
Credit: yakub88 / Shutterstock.com

In the last two months, Kazakhstan has faced a wave of protests, followed by violent attacks that have left at least 19 people dead. While these  events–the Land Code protests and the Aktobe attacks–are not related (at least they do not appear to be related at this juncture), together they nonetheless feed a fearful mood. With the authorities claiming the protests were a coup attempt and the Aktobe attacks were the work of extremists, it’s surprising Kazakh President Nursulan Nazarbayev hasn’t said a word.

In late January, Kazakh police detained a prominent, pro-Russian businessman in Shymkent, a city in southern Kazakhstan. The authorities said firearms and narcotics were found in his home but there was little information at the time made public about the charges against him.

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