KAZAKHSTAN

Kazakhs Commemorate Relatives Killed In Crackdown On Protests

January 06, 2024 

By RFE/RL's Kazakh Service

Nurgul Tapaeva

Sanat Nurbekov

Small rallies took place in Kazakhstan on January 5 to mark the second anniversary of anti-government protests, some of which spiraled into riots and ended with many demonstrators being shot by security forces. At least 238 people were killed in the 2022 events known as Bloody January. In the country's biggest city, Almaty, activists and relatives of victims brought portraits of the dead, recited prayers, and demanded punishment for those who killed their loved ones. There were no official commemorations.