Kazakhstan

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. 

Resolving discontent with Almaty’s local government will be an important step in Kazakhstan’s broader political reform efforts.

Authorities have refused to allow relatives or lawyers to see the 12,000 people reportedly in custody, giving little information about them.

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.

Protests over gas prices have quickly spiraled into nationwide unrest, resulting in the first-ever intervention by the CSTO in one of its member states.

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.

A day after being dismissed as head of the KNB, Massimov was arrested. The news sheds additional light on the complex web of politics and violence at play.

In supporting the CSTO intervention today in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov is perhaps hoping to secure similar CSTO support for himself in the future.