Legal Media Center to Sue Kazakh Foreign Ministry Over Journalist Accreditation Refusal
The Legal Media Center, a media-focused human rights organization, has announced plans to file a lawsuit against Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) over its refusal to accredit seven journalists from Radio Azattyq, the Kazakh service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL).
According to Gulmira Birzhanova, head of the center’s legal department, the new regulations on foreign media introduced in 2024 have created a restrictive legal framework that infringes on journalists’ constitutional rights.
“By delaying their response and failing to provide concrete grounds for the MFA’s refusal to extend accreditation, the Ministry created conditions that violate journalists’ constitutional rights and legal protections. We remind the authorities that our journalists work for a media outlet already accredited in Kazakhstan,” Birzhanova said in a statement posted to Facebook.
The updated rules prohibit foreign media outlets from operating in Kazakhstan without official MFA accreditation. The Legal Media Center argues that these provisions constitute a de facto professional ban and conflict with both Kazakhstan’s Constitution and international press freedom standards.
The organization also claims that the restrictions appear to be selectively enforced, with Radio Azattyq being specifically targeted.
In January 2024, the MFA denied accreditation to several RFE/RL journalists, some of whom had not had their credentials renewed since late 2022. Radio Azattyq subsequently filed a lawsuit, which resulted in a mediation agreement in April.
At the time, RFE/RL President Stephen Capus welcomed the outcome.
“All we have ever asked for is that our journalists be allowed to do their jobs safely and without pressure. We remain committed to providing the Kazakh audience with independent and reliable information,” he said.
The Times of Central Asia previously interviewed Kazakh journalist Asem Tokayeva, a long-time contributor to RFE/RL. In that interview, she described internal challenges and disagreements within the media organization, raising broader concerns about the future of independent journalism in Central Asia.