Kazakhstan protests

Does Kazakhstan owe Russia a “debt” for Moscow’s help in January? And what should we make of Kazakhstan’s neutral position on the unfolding conflict in Ukraine?

Though smaller in scale, ongoing protests highlight the economic inequality that lies at the center of Kazakh discontent.

Officially, 227 people were killed in “Bloody January” and nearly 1,000 remain in detention. But what really happened?

“They fight among themselves for power, and ordinary people suffer.”

A blue line was crossed; the international community must respond.

The statement from the First President came just after evidence of elite conflict began surfacing in earnest, with suggestions of a purge of Nazarbayev elites.

Tashkent reiterated its anti-CSTO sentiments and says it can independently control domestic issues if needed. 

In a statement, several U.N. special rapporteurs condemned Kazakhstan’s broad use of the term “terrorism.”

There was no radical change in the composition of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s team.

The bizarre story illustrates a wider set of concerns as the Kazakh government claims to have arrested nearly 8,000 people in the wake of a week of chaos in Kazakhstan. 

Seeking control, the Kazakh government shut down the internet. But the long-term effects may only necessitate continued crackdowns.