The events in January in Kazakhstan, previously known as an island of stability in an otherwise turbulent region, have received little follow-up attention, largely as a result of Russian president Vladimir Putin's February invasion of Ukraine.
Civic protests swept Kazakhstan at the turn of the year, resulting in president Kassym-Jomart Tokayev issuing a "shoot to kill without warning" order.
Hundreds of innocent lives were lost, and thousands more were subjected to torture and a...
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David A. Merkel is an associate fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), former deputy assistant secretary of state in the US, and former director of South and Central Asian Affairs for the US National Security Council. He is also a founding pro bono trustee of Nazarbayev University in Kazakhstan.