Eight Georgians appealed to Georgian consulate for aid following mass unrest in Kazakhstan

A total of eight Georgian citizens have applied for consular assistance at the Embassy of Georgia in Kazakhstan following the declaration of a state of emergency brought on by anti-government protests in the country, the Foreign Ministry of Georgian (FMA) reports. 

Four of the eight Georgian citizens are members of the choreographic ensemble Ilori, three other citizens were stuck at the Aktau international airport, while one remaining citizen has been transferred to the city of Atyrau. 

The ministry says that all Georgian citizens remaining in Kazakhstan have been transferred to a safe place, adding that ‘their lives and health are not in danger.’

The Georgian FMA also reports that the consulate is in contact with all Georgian citizens in Kazakhstan, noting that ‘negotiations are underway with the airline to return Georgian citizens to their homeland in the near future.’ 

The ongoing mass unrest in Kazakhstan began on January 2 over a doubling in price of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) in the country. 

The government of Kazakhstan resigned on January 4, but the protests continued. 

A state of emergency and curfew has been declared in Kazakhstan from January 5 to 19.

The Georgian FMA states that based on the commandant's office of the city of Almaty, a special operation is currently underway in Kazakhstan.