A 22-year-old Israeli was shot and killed on Friday night during violent protests in Almaty, Kazakhstan.
The Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Saturday that Levan Kogeashvili had lived in the Central Asian country for several years.
The ministry expressed condolences and said it was in contact with Kogeashvili’s parents, who are in Kazakhstan, and said they were working to move the young man’s body to Israel for burial.
The statement also reiterated that a travel warning for Kazakhstan had been in place since Thursday. Israelis have been told to avoid non-essential travel to the country and to avoid potential hot spots there.
According to the Walla news site, Kogeashvili’s family said he was driving to work when he was shot, adding that the young man was not involved in the protests.
“Suddenly there were gunshots and he was hit by two bullets,” said Rostislav Edelstein, a family friend who lives in Ashdod. “They took him to the hospital and tried to save him but had no choice but to declare his death. Two other people with him were slightly injured.
A police car on fire as riot police prepare to arrest protesters in central Almaty, Kazakhstan on January 5, 2022. (AP Photo / Vladimir Tretyakov)
The Central Asian nation has seen its worst street protests this week since gaining independence from the Soviet Union three decades ago, and dozens of people have been killed in the uproar.
The protests began over a near doubling in the prices of one type of vehicle fuel and quickly spread across the country, reflecting wider discontent with the authoritarian regime.
The Kazakh president on Friday authorized security forces to shoot to kill those involved in the unrest, opening the door to a dramatic escalation in the crackdown on anti-government protests that have turned violent.
In a televised address to the nation, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev used harsh rhetoric, calling those involved in the unrest “terrorists”, “bandits” and “militants” – although it is not known clearly what drove the peaceful protests to gain momentum. then sink into violence. No protest leader has emerged so far.
“I ordered the security forces and the army to shoot to kill without warning,” Tokayev said. “Those who do not surrender will be eliminated.”
In this still from a video released by the Presidential Press Service of Kazakhstan, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev speaks during his televised statement to the nation in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan on January 5, 2022 (Service of presidential press of Kazakhstan via AP)
In recent days, concerns have grown over the possibility of an even wider crackdown, as internet and mobile phone services were severely disrupted and sometimes completely blocked, and several airports were closed, making it difficult to know what was going on inside the country and to get pictures of the unrest. reach the outside world.
Added to these fears was Tokayev’s request for help from a Russian-led military alliance, the Collective Security Treaty Organization, whose troops began arriving on Thursday.
Kazakhstan’s interior ministry said on Friday that security forces had killed 26 protesters during the unrest, which escalated sharply on Wednesday. 26 others were injured and more than 3,800 people were arrested. A total of 18 law enforcement officers were killed and more than 700 injured.
The figures could not be independently verified, and it was not clear whether more people could have died in the melee as the protests turned extremely violent, with people storming government buildings and settlements. burning.
Further skirmishes in Almaty were reported on Friday morning. Russian state news agency Tass reported that the building occupied by the Kazakh branch of broadcaster Mir, funded by several former Soviet states, was on fire.
Protesters take part in a rally against rising energy prices in Almaty, Kazakhstan, January 5, 2022 (Abduaziz MADYAROV / AFP)
In other parts of the country, the unrest appeared to be subsiding. As of Friday morning, reports indicated that the internet had been partially restored in the capital, Nur-Sultan, but it was not known for how long. The authorities have also announced the resumption of previously interrupted rail services.
Almaty airport – stormed and seized earlier by protesters – was again under the control of Kazakh law enforcement and CTSO forces, Russian Defense Ministry spokesperson said , Major General Igor Konashenkov. But the facility will remain closed at least until Sunday, Kazakh TV channel Khabar 24 reported, citing airport spokespersons.
Curfews remained in place in towns, and Tokayev tweeted Friday evening that “the counterterrorism operation continues in our country”, with the police, National Guard and armed forces carrying out “large-scale works and well coordinated “to restore” law and order. “
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