On January 5, 2022, Muratkhan Bazarbayev, who worked for Almaty TV as a driver, died when the station’s vehicle was shot at during clashes in the city of Almaty on Wednesday. A camera operator for the station was hospitalized in the same attack, according to the news outlet and media rights groups.

The news crew was covering nationwide protests in response to a fuel price hike and evolved into mass unrest and violence in the capital and other cities.