DISINFO: Thousands of jihadists have participated in illegal events in Kazakhstan
SUMMARY
Kazakhstan has been infested by radicals with an anti-human ideology. Thousands of jihadists have participated in illegal events in Kazakhstan, trying to undermine the constitutional order of the country. All of this is happening after the American withdrawal from Afghanistan and the rapid development of extremist ideas and tendencies in the region.
RESPONSE
This claim advances an emerging pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative alleging that the January 2022 anti-government protests in Kazakhstan are part of a foreign-inspired and directed plot. The message includes an unfounded claim that the US withdrawal from Afghanistan has a connection with the protests in Kazakhstan.
The trigger and immediate cause of the protests in Kazakhstan was the government's lifting of price controls on liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) that took place in early January in the Western region of Manghystau and unrest soon spread to the capital.
As the Guardian reports, the official story from the Kremlin began with explanations that the protests were a military coup organised by foreign terrorists. Later the notion of a "colour revolution" is added. However, the narrative is not based on facts and contains many gaps and inconsistencies.
There are however more deep-rooted causes for the protests in a country that suffers from a lack of democracy, corruption and economic difficulties despite being rich in economic resources. For example, Kazakhstan ranks 128 out of 167 countries in the 2020 Democracy Index and also ranks 94 out of 180 countries in the 2020 Transparency International's Corruption Perception Index (CPI).
See also the statement by the EU High Representative here.
See related cases about events in Kazakhstan: Kazakhstan faced a process of armed aggression by terrorists who received training abroad; A coup in Kazakhstan was meant to divert Russia’s attention before negotiations; Outside powers prepared the colour revolution in Kazakhstan.