Kazakh gov’t calls Russia for help amid massive protests

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has called for support from the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) as anti-government protests are expanding in the country. 

Russian-led troops are expected to be deployed to help the government ‘stabilize’ the situation in the country. 

The protests were first sparked by rising fuel prices but have enlarged to include political grievances.

Tokayev claims that foreign-trained “terrorist gangs” are behind the unrest.

A state of emergency has been declared throughout the oil-rich country.

Protesters have seized the airport in Kazakhstan’s biggest city. 

The demonstrations began after a cap on energy prices was removed, doubling the cost to Kazakhs of liquified petroleum gas, which many people use to power their cars, from 50 tenge (10p) a litre.

The government claimed that the change was made as the previous set price was unsustainable.