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Kazakhstan’s Attempts to Address Disinformation and Media Freedom

On June 19, President Tokayev signed amendments to the law governing Kazakhstan's mass media. Meanwhile, public debate on foreign and domestic media that allegedly receive financing from abroad continues. While human rights activists focus on the principle of freedom of speech, political analysts are concerned about a string of disinformation campaigns attempting to destabilizing the country. The respective changes to legislative acts affect a wide range of issues. In particular, a new and broader concept of mass media has been introduced which includes internet resources. It is envisaged that a Unified Media Platform will be created to implement the state’s information policy, including grants for non-state media and accreditation of journalists to state bodies and organizations through a simplified accreditation procedure. In addition, the statute of limitations for claims brought against the media to refute information that does not correspond to facts and defames honor, dignity, and business reputation has been reduced to one year. Under the new law, Kazakhstan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has the right to deny accreditation to foreign journalists "in case of a threat to the national security of the Republic of Kazakhstan." A few months ago, the Ministry did not issue accreditation to 36 correspondents from Azattyk. The publication subsequently filed a lawsuit, and in April, the media outlet and the Ministry reached a mediation agreement. While the new law focuses mainly on foreign funded domestic media, experts cite recent examples of pressures on Kazakhstan’s society and authorities through disinformation campaigns that mostly originated from abroad. For instance, a week ago in Kyiv, Ukrainian authorities claimed an assassination attempt was made on Kazakhstani national Aidos Sadykov, the creator of a YouTube channel called Bәse. Sadykov and his wife Natalya were placed on the wanted list in Kazakhstan in October 2023 for “inciting social, national, clan, racial, class, or religious discord.” Their inclusion on the list is linked to the January 2022 coup attempt and riots, as well as their ties to controversial fugitive billionaire Mukhtar Ablyazov, who currently has judgements against him in U.S. and UK courts exceeding $5 billion. Ablyazov faced murder charges in Kazakhstan following the death of the CEO of a local bank that he later took over and reportedly defrauded. According to government authorities, Sadykov repeated Ablyazov's calls for violence surrounding the January 2022 coup attempt as well as the Majilis elections in March 2023, where the channel openly called for organizing riots. Furthermore, on the one-year anniversary of the January 2022 events, his Bәse channel gave instructions to overthrow the government in Kazakhstan, following the example of events in Ukraine. The four-minute video includes information on how to create coordination committees for regime change. Natalya Sadykova has also worked for the Respublika newspaper, allegedly funded by Ablyazov. Aidos Sadykov had previously served two years in Kazakhstan for hooliganism and fled to Kyiv in 2014. The alleged perpetrators of the attack on Sadykov, Meiram Karataev and Altai Zhakanbaev, are Kazakhstani citizens. Shortly after the purported assassination attempt, Natalya Sadykova accused Kazakhstan’s...

Opposition Security Judiciary Ukraine Crime

Controversial Kazakh Opposition Figure Aidos Sadykov Shot in Kyiv

An unknown man in Kyiv fired several shots at Kazakh activist and oppositionist Aidos Sadykov, who has been granted official refugee status in Ukraine. It is reported that the incident occurred in the Shevchenkivskiy district of the Ukrainian capital when Sadykov was approaching his car with his wife, Natalia, who previously worked for Mukhtar Ablyazov’s opposition paper, Respublika. The gunman used a silencer on the firearm. Sadykov's condition is currently assessed as serious; his wife was not injured. As this is a case involving a high-profile individual, the head of the regional police, Andriy Nebytov, was called to the crime scene. Sadykov is the author of the Telegram channel 'Base', which has 59,000 subscribers, and has been permanently residing in Kyiv since 2014. Over the years, he has criticized the current Kazakh authorities, including the current president, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. In 2020 Base, together with the initiative to create the opposition Democratic Party, became the co-organizers of a rally in Almaty demanding a boycott of the upcoming parliamentary election. The Democratic Party of Kazakhstan, an unregistered political party, was founded and led by Zhanbolat Mamai, a former journalist who was convicted for receiving funds from Ablyazov in 2017. Sadykov and Mamai both actively supported the protests in January 2022 in Kazakhstan, widely seen as an attempted coup. He is wanted in Kazakhstan under the articles on the incitement of discord.

Human rights Judiciary Security Freedom of Speech

Residents of Turkmenistan Urged Not to Disseminate What’s Happening in the Country

In the city of Turkmenbashi, local authorities, including the khakimlik (mayor's office), the National Security Ministry (NSM), the court, the police, and elders, are holding meetings with youth and cultural workers. At these meetings, they are warned not to disseminate information about events in the country, such as natural disasters and traffic accidents, on the internet or to journalists. The meetings are hosted mainly by elders who reprimand the youth. “They demanded not to share pictures and videos of someone asking for money for a sick child and not to write comments under posts about problems,” a cultural worker said during an anonymous conversation. Meeting participants claim that the elders said, “There are no countries without faults, and faults need to be hidden.” They also emphasized that freedom on the internet should not lead to the spread of negative information. Authorities stated that citizens who distributed videos about the Ashgabat floods have already been identified, and most were cultural workers. "Cultural workers are lighthearted, and all the videos and information leaking online are mostly what you're doing. All problems come either from singers or actors, and the people following them,” a cultural worker was quoted as saying by an NSM official. The elders and representatives of the khakimlik also urged parents to monitor how their children use the internet and what sites they visit and read. Participants in the meeting were required to use VPN programs approved by the authorities and only share positive photos, videos, and messages about the country online.

Finance Transport Security Export/import Economy Judiciary Legislation Social

Traders Rally in Kyrgyzstan

As reported 24.kg, entrepreneurs of the auto parts company, Dordoi Motors have rallied against the introduction of electronic invoices (EI) and electronic bills of lading (EBL). The rally was attended by 380 Dordoi Motors entrepreneurs and according to a spokesperson, market traders from Osh Bazaar and Aziz market plan to join their campaign. “We are not against working, but unnecessary red tape with EBL hinders trade,” said one of the rally participants. Addressing the throng, market director Erkin Salymbekov , suggested that the protesters continue working or suspend trading until the issue is resolved. It should be noted that last year, Salymbekov, vice president of the Dordoi association stated that the introduction of EBL would play an important role in developing the country's economy and called for entrepreneurs' support of the government's policy. From 1 January this year, all markets in the country were to switch from the patent system to the EBL and electronic invoice. However, as a result of the rally held by traders associated with Kyrgyzstan's largest market , Dordoi, the president has postponed the transition to electronic bills until July 1st, 2024.

Judiciary Oligarchs Kulibayev Nazarbayev Legislation Rule of law Security Oil & Gas

Nazarbayev In-Law, Askar Kulibayev’s Oil Terminal Seized

Representatives of the General Prosecutor's Office of Kazakhstan have reported that an oil terminal in the port of Aktau belonging to Askar Kulibayev has been returned to the state. The 134-hectare property is valued at $66 million. “It was established that in 2011, the oil terminal was alienated into the ownership of Kulibayev's company. On February 26th, 2024, by the decision of the Specialized Inter-district Economic Court of Mangistau region, the claim of the Almaty city prosecutor was satisfied, and the oil terminal was returned to the state's ownership," said the supervisory body. The Almaty prosecutor's office stated that the claim was filed to compensate for the damage caused by the unlawful seizure of a foreign investor's property. However, the official message does not name the affected company. Now 87-years-old, Askar Kulibayev served as First Secretary of the Guryev (now Atyrau) Regional Committee of the Communist Party of Kazakhstan and as the Minister of Construction in independent Kazakhstan. He is the matchmaker of former President Nursultan Nazarbayev's daughter, and the father of Kazakhstan's richest man, Timur Kulibayev. In 2024, Timur Kulibayev and his wife Dinara Kulibayeva, still sit atop the list of the richest Kazakhs. The combined fortune of the Nazarbayev family is estimated at almost $10 billion.

Security Social Judiciary

Uzbekistan Park Managers Arrested for Mass Distribution of Toys

The director, deputy, and head of marketing of the Ashgabat Park in Tashkent have been arrested and detained for 15 days for violating the rules of mass events. According to Gazeta.uz reports, the arrests were made after some 40,000 people had gathered in the park in the hope of receiving free toys. The throng had responded to an advertisement circulated on social media announcing the free distribution of 20,000 soft toys and ice cream at noon on 1 June. However, according to the Department of Internal Affairs, the park's management had been pre- warned and then instructed to cancel the event because of the risks posed by a mass gathering within the park's territory and the event's non-compliance with traffic and citizen safety guidelines. By failing to comply, the park's administration created a danger to citizens and traffic jams at the park's entrance and exit, on some internal routes, and roads leading to the park. The Yashnabad District Department of Internal Affairs drew up an administrative protocol against the park director, deputy director, and head of the advertising department, followed by a sentence of 15 days of administrative arrest imposed by the District Court. The Department of Internal Affairs also published a reminder that according to the requirements of the Cabinet of Ministers resolution of July 29, 2014 (#205), permission to hold mass events must be submitted one month in advance.