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News
JANUARY 2022
An Interview with Kazakh Human Rights Activist Daniyar Khassenov How a dispute over fuel prices set off the largest protests in Kazakhstan since 1989, and what they mean for the future of this central Asian superpower.
Article by Saoirse Aherne, staff reporter It is from there that he joined me over zoom to provide insight into the recent unrest in Kazakhstan — a nation long heralded as the most stable in the region. Khassenov did not leave Kazakhstan by choice, but rather was driven out due to his attempts to bring attention to it’s repressive regime. In 2019, the Khazakh government began to target Khassenov. In May of that year, a criminal case was launched against him for supposed participation in the activities of the Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan (DCK) opposition movement. Then 23 years old, Khassenov was a student of medicine and a volunteer with the Italian Federation for Human Rights. Almaty police claimed that Khassenov actively participated in DCK rallies, though Khassenov was not present at any of the events in question. Khassenov was detained numerous times throughout 2019. One day before his criminal case was launched, he was banned from leaving Kazakhstan by Almaty Police. In June of 2019, police imposed restrictions on his and his family’s bank accounts. These restrictions were lifted due to pressures from non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the international community. Rather than face continual persecution, and fearing future threats to his safety, Khassenov fled the
country. Now 26 years of age, Khassenov is based in Ukraine and continues to work with Human Rights organizations across the world. He is unable to return to Kazakhstan, where, according to the activist, there is “No openness for criticizing the government:” Indeed, the mere act of protesting is illegal. Khassenov’s experience as a young Kazakh activist, while tragic, is not uncommon. Yet the political repression endured in Kazakhstan over the past 30 years has rarely resulted in significant protests. That is until January of this year, when a series of demonstrations erupted across the nation. This unexpected turn of events is clearly of great in-
terest to Khassenov, and it quickly becomes the focus of our discussion. On the second of January, the Kazakh government removed a fuel cap on liquified petroleum gas (LPG), causing prices to spike. Many people in Kazakhstan use LPG to power their vehicles and, according to Khassenov, the financial implications of rising fuel prices inspired the initial protests. Demonstrations were first carried out in the oil-producing city of Zhanaozen, however they spread across the nation and quickly reached Almaty, the former capital of Kazakhstan. It was there that protests escalated into violent clashes, leading Kazakh
President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to declare a state of emergency and shut down internet services nationwide on January 5. This decision came after President Tokayev’s Almaty home was surrounded by thousands of angry protesters and set aflame, as reported by Time magazine. On the 5 of January, President Tokayev also dismissed his cabinet and removed former President Nursultan Nazarbayev from his post as head of the security council. Tokayev appealed to the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) to send military forces to help deal with the protests. The CSTO is an intergovernmental military alliance between Russia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan,
A map of Kazakhstan demonstrating the distance between Zhanaozen, where protests began, and Almaty. Made using Visme by Saorise Aherne
