Dozens of protesters and at least 12 police officers have died in ongoing violence in Kazakhstan, authorities have claimed, as “peacekeepers” from a Russian-led military alliance arrived in the country at the request of the embattled president, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
Witnesses in Almaty, Kazakhstan’s largest city, described scenes of chaos on Thursday, with government buildings being stormed or set on fire and widespread looting. Many of those demonstrating said the protests had begun peacefully earlier in the week, and turned violent after a heavy-handed government response.
The interior ministry said 2,298 people had been arrested during the unrest, while the police spokesperson Saltanat Azirbek told the state news channel Khabar-24 that “dozens of attackers were liquidated”. There were also reports of about 400 people in hospital.
City officials in Almaty said 748 officers from police and the national guard had been injured and 18 killed, one of whom they claimed had been found beheaded. » | Shaun Walker | Thursday, January 6, 2022
Émeutes au Kazakhstan : des «dizaines» de morts, des troupes russes sur place : EN IMAGES - Le pays d'Asie centrale est ébranlé par un mouvement de colère qui a éclaté dimanche après une hausse des prix du gaz. Washington a mis en garde les soldats russes. »
Die Versäumnisse der Herrschenden: Kasachstan stand im regionalen Vergleich gut da. Dass das nun in Gefahr ist, ist die Schuld des Regimes. Und mit dem Einsatz russischer Truppen verändert sich auch die internationale Lage. »
Kazakhstan: «Domino post-soviétique» : L’éditorial du ‘Figaro’, par Patrick Saint-Paul. »
