Early on January 2, 2022, residents of the oil city of Zhanaozen peacefully gathered to protest a significant rise in the selling price of gas for cars, which are heavily used in the region, which was caused by manipulations on electronic trading platforms. The requests were straightforward to bring the cost of fuel back to reasonable levels. Local authorities decided to get away with general excuses about the new economic course and market pricing. The people did not appreciate it…
Nurzhan Altaev was given a 10-year sentence earlier this month, and another opposition leader, Marat Zhylanbaev, is expected to see a similar sentence soon.
Democratic Experiment? Even In Local Elections, Kazakhstan's Old System Is The Winner globalsecurity.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from globalsecurity.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Residents of Aqtoghai, a settlement of 6,000 people in northeastern Kazakhstan, thought they had voted for a new and independent leader in one of many local elections taking place this fall. What happened next says much about the government's "democratic experiment" in the provinces.