The largest former Soviet republic in Central Asia, Kazakhstan, has never witnessed scenes like these: on 2 January, massive protests erupted in the west of the country in response to an increase in the price of liquid petroleum gas. Within a matter of days, a wave of protests had engulfed the entire country. According to official figures, there have been nearly 10,000 arrests and 225 deaths over the course of the unrest. The situation in the country has since abated, but what happens next? Albert Scharenberg spoke with Marlies Linke, director of the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation’s office in Almaty, about the background to the protests and the future of the country.
Author: Marlies Linke