The 2022 Kazakh unrest, also known as January Events, Bloody January, or the January Tragedy, was a series of mass protests and civil unrest that began in Kazakhstan on 2 January 2022 after a sudden sharp increase in liquefied petroleum gas prices following the lifting of a government-enforced price cap on 1 January. The protests began peacefully in the oil-producing city of Zhanaozen and quickly spread to other cities in the country, especially the nation's largest city, Almaty, which saw its demonstrations turn into violent riots, fueled by rising dissatisfaction with the government and widespread poverty. During the week-long violent unrest and crackdowns, 227 people were killed and over 9,900 were arrested, according to Kazakh officials.
Growing discontent with the government and former president Nursultan Nazarbayev, who remained the chairman of the Security Council of Kazakhstan, also influenced larger demonstrations. According to the government's version of events, organised criminal groups hijacked peaceful protests as an attempt at a coup d’état. Kazakhstan's Prosecutor General Berik Asylov stated in January 2023 that suspected organisers of the disturbances included high-ranking officials and members of organised crime groups. As there were no unified opposition groups against the Kazakh government, the unrest appeared to be assembled directly by citizens. In response, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev declared a state of emergency in Mangystau Region and Almaty, effective from 5 January 2022. The Prime Minister Asqar Mamin resigned the same day, and Nazarbayev himself was also removed from his position of chairman of the Security Council. The state of emergency was shortly extended to the whole country. In response to Tokayev's request, the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) – a military alliance of Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Kazakhstan – agreed to deploy troops in Kazakhstan. The aim was declared to be peacekeeping while some commentators described it as helping the Kazakh government in quelling the unrest. Russian President Vladimir Putin described the intervention as a concerted effort to protect regional allies from what he described as colour revolutions "instigated by foreign interference in allies' internal affairs". CSTO troops were initially deployed to government buildings in the capital city, Astana, and then guarded key infrastructure in Almaty. The CSTO said they did not fire a single shot while in Kazakh territory and were removed upon the first request of the Kazakh government.
As a concession, Tokayev announced that vehicle gas price caps of 50 tenge per litre would be restored for six months. On 7 January, he said in a statement that constitutional order had "largely been restored in all regions of the country." He also announced that he had ordered troops to use lethal force against armed groups, authorizing instructions to "shoot to kill" without warning, calling the protesters "bandits and terrorists" and saying that the use of force would continue to "destroy the protests." Commenting on the use of lethal force against protesters, Kazakh Prosecutor General Berik Asylov said that the fire was opened before the president's statement. "In fact, law enforcement officers do not need a special command to shoot at criminals. There are explicit norms in the laws on law enforcement, the National Guard, and counter-terrorism, which allow the fire to repel an attack when there is a threat to life and health. This is exactly the situation that occurred on Jan. 5," Asylov said.
On 10 January 2022, the government declared a national day of mourning for those who died during the unrest. On 11 January, Tokayev said that order had been restored in Kazakhstan in what he described as an attempted coup d'état. He also announced that CSTO troops would begin withdrawing from the country on 13 January, and they were fully withdrawn by 20 January. In an 11 January speech to the Parliament, Tokayev promised reform and acknowledged public discontent over income inequality and criticized Nazarbayev and his associates over their wealth. The same day, international flights were resumed to and from the country's capital, Astana. He also nominated a new prime minister that day, Älihan Smaiylov, and later fired the defence minister Murat Bektanov on 18 January. On 16 March 2022, Tokayev delivered a State of the Nation Address to both chambers of Parliament in which he outlined a New Kazakhstan program of economic and political reforms.
On 5 June, Kazakh citizens voted in a national referendum on a package of reforms intended to transform the country from a super-presidential system to a "presidential system with a strong parliament". The Central Election Commission said that 77.18% of Sunday's votes were in favour of the amendments, which decentralise decision-making in the oil-rich country and strip former strongman Nursultan Nazarbayev of his "national leader" status. Turnout was 68.06%.
Background
Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, wealthy individuals who had links to the former government of the Soviet Union received preferential treatment, gaining wealth from privatization and their land ownership of areas with valuable resources. Nursultan Nazarbayev became Kazakhstan's first president after the dissolution, ruling the country from 1990 to 2019. During this time, international observers did not recognize any of the elections in Kazakhstan as being free or fair, with Nazarbayev ruling the nation through authoritarianism, nepotism and detaining opponents, according to The Daily Telegraph and many other sources.
Through this period, Kazakhstan experienced one of the strongest performing economies in Central Asia, with oil production representing a large percentage of its economic growth until oil prices decreased in the mid-2010s. The country also held about 40% of the world's uranium resources within its territory. Despite such growth, none of the economic benefits were shared throughout the population, with the minimum wage in Kazakhstan for the common individual being less than US$100 per month and economic inequality being pervasive. In 2012, the World Economic Forum listed corruption as the biggest problem in doing business in the country, while in 2005 the World Bank listed Kazakhstan as a corruption hotspot, on par with Angola, Bolivia, Kenya, and Libya at that time. In 2013, Aftenposten quoted the human-rights activist and lawyer Denis Jivaga as saying that there is an "oil fund in Kazakhstan, but nobody knows how the income is spent". Following various international banking scandals, wealthy Kazakhs emigrated to foreign countries, especially the United Kingdom. In 2018, Crédit Suisse ranked Kazakhstan 169th out of 174 countries in wealth distribution. By 2022, approximately 162 wealthy Kazakhs held 55% of the nation's wealth.
Zhanaozen strike
Zhanaozen, an oil-producing city in Mangystau Region, has had a history of labour strikes and demonstrations. In 2011, a riot broke out in the city amidst the 20th anniversary of Independence Day that led to 16 deaths and 100 injuries according to official numbers. Kazakh security forces opened fire on protestors who demanded better working conditions. During that time, the price for a litre of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), a mix of butane and propane that is a common vehicle fuel in Zhanaozen, was around 30–35 tenge and has repeatedly risen since then.
Following further protests in 2018 and Nazarbayev's crackdown on the demonstrations, he was made the Chairman of the Security Council of Kazakhstan for life.
Since January 2019, the Kazakh government phased transition policy to electronic market trading of LPG to gradually end state gas subsidies and allow for the market instead to determine prices, resulting with increased LPG prices according to Eurasianet.
In January 2020, a protest was held in Zhanaozen where city residents demanded a reduction in the price of gas that had risen from 55 to 65 tenge. As the COVID-19 pandemic affected the economy, austerity measures and an inadequate amount of economic stimulus from the government resulted with inflation and stagnant wages.
Since 1 January 2022, according to Zhanaozen protesters, the price of LPG almost doubled, to 120 tenge per litre (€0.24 per litre; US$1.06 per gallon), causing outrage amongst citizens. Further discontent with the former leader Nursultan Nazarbayev, the nation's oligarchy, corruption and economic inequality would then spark more widespread protests.
Aims
Aims of the protests reported after the protests had started included calls for major political changes. According to Darkhan Sharipov of the Oyan, Qazaqstan activist group, protestors wanted "real political reforms" and "fair elections", and were angry about "corruption and nepotism". According to The New York Times, protestors wanted heads of local governments (akims) to be directly elected rather than appointed by the president. According to Kazakh Prosecutor General Berik Asylov, under controlled chaos, the operation to remove the country's top leadership was carefully planned. "In fact, it was a coup attempt," he said.
Protests
2 January
On the morning of 2 January, residents in the city of Zhanaozen in Mangystau Region blocked roads in protest against an increase in gas prices. The demonstrators called on the akim of the region, Nurlan Nogaev, and Zhanaozen akim Maksat Ibagarov to take measures in stabilising prices and preventing fuel shortages. The residents were met with acting Zhanaozen akim Galym Baijanov who advised the crowd to write a complaint letter to the city administration in which the protestors recalled that their complaints were supposedly ignored by the city officials.
3 January
Hundreds of Zhanaozen residents gathered and camped in the city square overnight. As other residents joined the crowd by the afternoon, an estimated 1,000 people were at the square, chanting and demanding direct elections of local leaders. The police officers, while standing at the perimeter of the square during the demonstration, did not intervene. Mangystau akim Nurlan Nogaev and Zhanaozen akim Maksat Ibagarov as well as Kazakh Gas Processing Plant director Nakbergen Tulepov arrived at the square and pledged for the gas prices to be reduced down to 85–90 tenge, which failed to please the demonstrators. Nogaev and his subordinates were forced to flee the square by the angry crowd.
President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev had instructed the government to consider the situation in Mangystau Region by "taking into account economic feasibility in the legal field". He also called on demonstrators to not disturb public order, reminding that Kazakh citizens have the right to publicly express their voice to local and central government in "accordance with the law". A government commission headed by Deputy Prime Minister Eraly Togjanov was formed to consider the socio-economic situation in Mangystau.
Reports of arrests were received from the cities of Astana, Aktobe and Almaty where the Republic Square and Astana Square were closed off and security officers deployed. Other cities witnessed an increased police presence in public areas.
In Aktau, a group of protestors showed up at the Yntymaq Square in front of the city administration building, setting up tents and yurts for the encampment. By evening, an estimated 6,000 demonstrators were at the square, demanding reductions in the cost of gas as well as the resignation of the government. They were joined by other groups of supporters reportedly from neighbouring regions and cities across Kazakhstan. Mangystau akim Nurlan Nogaev visited the rally, reminding the crowd that the Kazakh government had reduced the price of gas and that the Agency for the Protection and Development of Competition had launched an antitrust probe into gas suppliers for a suspected price collusion; he urged the protestors to maintain public order and suggested that they hold a constructive dialogue with the authorities.
4 January
On the night of 4 January, around 1,000 marched to the Republic Square in Almaty which was cordoned off by the police. From there, clashes broke out between both parties with the security forces using stun grenades and tear gas to disperse the protesters who in-turn vandalized police cars and setting some of them ablaze. Armoured military vehicles were spotted throughout the streets of Almaty during the night of unrest which, videos on social media later showed chasing protesters.
President Tokayev signed decrees to introduce a state of emergency in Mangystau District and Almaty from 5 January 01:30 local time to 19 January 00:00 local time. According to Tokayev, all legitimate demands of protesters will be considered. A special commission, after meeting with protesters, agreed to lower the LPG price to 50 tenges ($0.11) per litre. Internet watchdog organization NetBlocks documented significant internet disruptions with "high impact to mobile services" that were likely to limit the public's ability to express political discontent. People also started protesting in Taldıqorğan.
5 January
At 04:00, Almaty akim Bakhytzhan Sagintayev made a video address to the residents, asserting that the situation in the city had been brought under control. From there, he accused of "provocateurs from within and outside" being behind in destabilization and extremist actions and urged people not to succumb to "provocations and lawlessness". In spite of Sagintayev's remarks, explosions of stun grenades were continued to be heard throughout Almaty in early morning with protesters setting up barricades and clashing with the National Guard in central streets.
President Tokayev accepted the government's resignation. On the same day, a Reuters correspondent reported thousands of protesters pressing ahead towards Almaty city centre after security forces failed to disperse them with tear gas and stun grenades. Later on the same day, Tokayev announced that former president Nursultan Nazarbayev has resigned as the Chairman of the Security Council of Kazakhstan, and Tokayev has assumed this position himself. Digital rights monitor NetBlocks reported that internet disruptions had intensified by 5:00 p.m. local time, leaving Kazakhstan in the "midst of a nation-scale internet blackout" after a day of mobile internet disruptions and partial restrictions.
In Almaty, as the protesters had reached the Republic Square again, the offices of the city mayor were stormed and set aflame. Locations that stored firearms were captured by protesters including the National Security Committee building and were shown to be distributed to others throughout the city. Protests at the Almaty International Airport resulted in cancelled and rerouted flights. The government reported protesters seizing five planes. Two Kazakh army soldiers were reported killed attempting to retake the Almaty airport. Russian state-run media reported that protesters also attacked President Tokayev's home with rifles and grenades, leaving it partially destroyed. In addition, the offices of the ruling Nur Otan party were also set on fire. Atameken, Kazakhstan's business lobby group, reported attacks on banks, stores and restaurants.
The interior ministry reported government buildings were also attacked in the southern cities of Shymkent and Taraz. In Taldıqorğan, a statue of former leader Nazarbayev was pulled down and destroyed by demonstrators chanting "Old man, leave!".
In the late afternoon, President Tokayev announced a nationwide state of emergency until 19 January. This would include a curfew from 23:00 to 07:00, temporary restrictions on movement, and a ban on mass gatherings. During a televised address, Tokayev threatened to crackdown on protesters, stating "I plan to act as toughly as possible", and said that he had no intentions of fleeing the country.
By around late evening, chaos had broken out in Almaty as large numbers of riot police began to arrive as automatic gunshots were being heard throughout the city with armed demonstrators and security forces exchanging fire while residents were urged to stay away from the streets by loudspeakers. Various state-media agency buildings stationed in Almaty were burnt down and looting had taken place in which grocery stores, banks, ATMs, and shopping centers were targeted.
6 January
Oil production at Kazakhstan's highest-producing oil field Tengiz was reduced. US oil producer Chevron Corporation holds a 50% stake in Tengizchevroil (TCO) which operates the Tengiz oil field.
Kazakhstan's Interior Ministry issued a statement saying: "Employees of the Almaty police department have launched a mop-up operation in the streets of Karasay-batyr and Masanchi. Measures are being taken to detain the violators. In total, some 2,000 people have been taken to police stations."