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The unanswered questions in Kazakhstan

The Take takes a closer look at why protests erupted in the Central Asian country and asks what is ahead?

Kazakh police officer detains a woman protester during a rally
Thousands have been detained at anti-government rallies in Kazakhstan fueled by public discontent over a perceived orchestrated handover of power [File: Vladimir Tretyakov/AP Photo]
Published On 14 Jan 2022

 

Russian-led forces are leaving Kazakhstan after days of unrest over the rise of fuel prices, corruption, and inequality. Almost 160 people have been killed and about 12,000 have been arrested, according to authorities. Many do not know the whereabouts of their loved ones.

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev claimed the unrest was an attempted coup d’etat performed by foreign-trained “bandits and terrorists”. This week, he named a new prime minister and promised to unveil a political reform package by September of this year, but will that be enough for protesters?

In this episode:

  • Torokul Doorov (@Torokul), Kazakh service director at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
  • Darkhan Umirbekov, digital editor at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s Kazakh service

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Source: Al Jazeera