A state of emergency has been introduced throughout Kazakhstan, Izvestia reports.

In the early days of 2022, residents of the cities of Zhanaozen and Aktau in Mangistau Oblast, an oil-producing region in western Kazakhstan, protested against a two-fold increase in LPG prices.

A formed government commission said it was ready to lower these prices, but the protests spread to other cities. So, in Alma-Ata on January 4 and 5, clashes with security forces occurred, the police used gas and flash-noise grenades. Throughout Kazakhstan, the Internet was turned off, and the broadcasting of a number of TV channels was temporarily stopped.

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev introduced a state of emergency in Mangistau and Almaty regions, as well as in Almaty, until January 19. It provides, in particular, a curfew from 7.00 to 23.00, a ban on mass events and strikes, a ban on the sale of weapons, ammunition and alcohol, and increased security for especially important facilities.

On the morning of January 5, Tokayev dismissed the government, accusing it of allowing a protest situation, and also headed the Security Council of Kazakhstan, removing from this post the first head of state, Nursultan Nazarbayev. In addition, Tokayev stressed that the authorities will act as tough as possible in relation to offenders, and promised to "come out with a new package of proposals" in the near future.