"Bloody January" : A critical discourse study on RT’s role in the securitization of the Kazakhstani unrest in January 2022

Following a period of civil unrest that occurred in Kazakhstan in January 2022, the Collective Security Organization (CSTO) unprecedently activated its collective defense mechanism to intervene in Kazakhstan. This thesis examines the course of events that took place in Kazakhstan and critically poses questions related to the CSTO’s military intervention. In addition, the study reviews the way Russian media projection of the Kazakhstani unrest demonstrates messages related to securitization. By drawing on securitization theory to conduct a critical discourse analysis of the audiovisual and textual representations of the unrest on the Russian broadcaster RT’s English-language YouTube channel, this thesis demonstrates that RT amplified securitizing moves made by Kazakhstani President Tokayev and Russian President Putin, which framed the unrest as an existential threat to Kazakhstan and Russia respectively. The study illustrates that President Putin securitized the unrest out of a concern that it may develop into a “color revolution” with possible ripple effects on Russian domestic politics, while Tokayev did so to convince the leaders of the CSTO to intervene in Kazakhstan. This thesis thereby not only contributes to securitization research, but also sheds light on the under-researched and regionally significant event that the Kazakhstani unrest constitutes.