Kazakhstan

The new law imposes onerous registration requirements on online publications and gives the government power to interfere with the work of foreign journalists if their materials contain “propaganda of extremism.”

For the first time, three countries from Central Asia will be members of the UN HRC. Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan – each of which has serious human rights concerns – will join the other 44 members at this year’s opening session on 27 February.

‘While we welcome the swift efforts made by police to identify those suspected of carrying out this arson attack, authorities must identify those ultimately behind what appears to be an effort to intimidate and silence Dinara Yegeubayeva” – IPI

“Kazakh authorities are responsible for bringing to justice those responsible for the deaths and serious injuries of protesters, and crimes of torture in connection with the January events, but a year on, it’s clear that has not been their focus.”

The authorities in several Central Asian states have warned news outlets to tone down their coverage of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, or ignore it entirely.

Kazakh authorities should immediately end all arbitrary arrests, including by releasing those still in custody, put a stop to all beatings and mistreatment of detainees, and halt the arbitrary prosecutions of peaceful protestors and activists for the exercise of their civil and political rights.

On 19 January, police detained five people, including two men who allegedly were hired to execute the killing, two coordinators of the attack, and the alleged mastermind – a local education department chief, implicated by Batyrbekov in a corruption scandal.

“There is an urgent need for the international community to react. This is why we have decided to refer this dangerous deterioration in press freedom to the UN and OSCE.”

IFEX member Adil Soz has compiled a non-exhaustive, chronological list of journalists who found themselves targeted by both rioters and police during the general unrest that has spread across the country.

“Journalists across Kazakhstan are currently working in extremely challenging conditions while documenting the unrest. It is vital that the safety of all journalists and media workers is guaranteed and that the freedom of the press is fully respected in the wake of the unrest” – IPI

“We call on President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to immediately restore access to the Internet and to blocked websites, and to allow journalists to operate freely, without fear of the police, so that they can cover a protest movement that is already historic in its scope” – RSF

Hundreds of people have been detained and dozens injured in protests that have swept Kazakhstan since 2 January. Access to the internet has been blocked for periods during the protests and at least two journalists were briefly detained.

“We urge the UK government to consider measures, including legal measures, that would protect journalists and other public watchdogs from abusive legal actions that are aimed at silencing them. Our democracy relies on their ability to hold power to account.”

On the eve of Batyrbekov’s 5 November appellate hearing, rights groups worldwide are calling for his release from custody in Kazakhstan and reconsideration of the criminal defamation law under which he is being tried.