Kazakhstan declares nationwide state of emergency

AMMAN — Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on Wednesday declared a state of emergency across the entire territory of the country as protests against rise in fuel prices escalated into violence, according to a Kazakh foreign ministry statement.

Initially, the demonstrations began in the Mangystau region, whose residents demanded reduction in the retail prices for liquefied gas. In response to this, on behalf of the head of state, the government promptly took measures to reduce the prices and introduced a moratorium on price increases for socially significant food products, fuel, and utilities, the statement sent by the Kazakh embassy in Amman said.

All those detained in the first days of the protest were released. 

However, demonstrations in other major cities escalated into riots and attacks against government buildings, the statement said.

“Moreover, the events in the city of Almaty – attacks on the administrative offices and military sites, capture of the airport and taking hostage of foreign passenger and cargo airplanes – point to the high level of preparedness and coordination of the perpetrators. The analysis shows that Kazakhstan is facing an armed aggression from terrorist groups trained outside the country,” the statement said.

In view of the sharp aggravation of the situation, President Tokayev has assumed the office of the Chairman of the Security Council of the Republic of Kazakhstan and decided to request the member states of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation to provide military assistance in the conduct of the counter-terrorist operation, the statement said.

The state of emergency includes a set of measures aimed at maintaining public safety and the rule of law. Law enforcement agencies and armed forces are authorised to stop any illegal actions.

At the same time, “the state will continue to ensure the rights and interests of all representatives of our multi-ethnic and multi-confessional people, as well as the safety of foreign citizens in the country, including representatives of the diplomatic corps and journalists. Foreign investments and businesses of foreign companies will be protected”, read the statement.

“The Republic of Kazakhstan is committed to complying with international obligations in the field of human rights and to the continuation of the course of reforms within the framework of the ‘Listening State’ concept, being implemented by President Tokayev,” according to the statement.

The Kazakh foreign ministry is in constant contact with international partners on all current issues of bilateral and multilateral cooperation, concluded the statement.