Kazakhstan: journalists complained to the President about the core ministry

The journalistic community of Kazakhstan sent an open appeal to the head of state, Kasym-Zhomart Tokayev, in which the Ministry of Information and Social Development was accused of secretly developing a draft of a new law on mass media.

 “We are concerned that the development of the draft law, which will regulate the activities of the media, is being carried out by the Ministry of Information and Social Development without the participation of civil society, almost secretly from the media and journalistic organizations,” the text of the appeal says.

 Concerned journalists said they learned that the new bill would seriously restrict freedom of expression and dissemination of information, and that certain norms and provisions of this secretly drafted legal act contradict the country’s international obligations and the interests of society. Among them there are the introduction of the right to oblivion, the registration of bloggers, restrictions on the use of social networks, Internet television, and so on.

 “The new law of the 21^st century should contain real mechanisms of the guarantee of freedom of speech prescribed in the Constitution of the country and comply with international pacts and agreements ratified by Kazakhstan, and not strengthen the controlling, prohibitive and punitive functions of the state,” was noted in the address to the President.

 At the same time, the journalistic community and non-governmental organizations of the country remind the head of state that they have extensive practical experience and a serious baggage of expert studies of legislation and law enforcement practice in the field of mass media.

 “We believe that state bodies should work closely with the non-governmental sector already at the initial stage of developing a draft law. And discussing, that is, improving the details of a document developed by officials, if its structure is deformed, is unproductive in all respects. We ask for your assistance so that the draft law “On mass communication”, which largely determines the social life of the country, is initially developed openly and collectively, with the involvement of representatives of civil society and journalists,” the authors of the letter summarize.

 The International Foundation for the Defense of Freedom of Expression “Adil Soz”, members of the Journalists’ Union of Kazakhstan, chief editors of print media and online media, as well as independent journalists have already left their signatures under the open appeal.