Kazakhstan confirms ‘dozens’ of protesters killed and more than 2,000 detained in protests

Authorities of the Kazakhstan confirmed this Thursday, 6, that dozens of protesters died after clashes with police during protests against the increase in gas prices, which have been taking place since Sunday, 2, and reached the apex on Wednesday, 5, when public buildings were invaded and set on fire in several cities across the country. “Dozens of attackers were liquidated,” police spokeswoman Saltanat Azirbek said in an official statement. According to local media, the term “liquidated” is commonly used in the country to refer to the killing of extremist people such as terrorists. In addition to the dozens of protesters killed, at least 12 police were murdered and more than 300 were injured. The country has been in a state of emergency since Thursday and internet and telephone services are unstable, which has been criticized by protesters.

In addition to the lack of connectivity, all financial institutions in the country were suspended, a curfew was announced and President Kasim-Yomart Tokayev accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Askar Mamin, naming a new name for the post. The price of uranium, one of the most exported products by the Central Asian country, has risen as a result of social upheaval and Tokayev issued public statements claiming that the demonstrations were led by terrorist gangs trained abroad. The prices of national companies plummeted on the London Stock Exchange. After the international repercussions, the reaction of the United States and the United Nations and the sending of Russian troops to the region to deal with the protests, the country announced that it will impose a cap on fuel sales prices for six months in search of “stabilization of the socioeconomic situation” of the region.