KZBlog

According to Freedom House’s Freedom of the Press 2008 survey, Kazakhstan’s press in 2007 was only slightly less free than in 2006. Out of a scale of 100, Kazakhstan recieved a 78, where 100 represents total government control over the media and 0 represents total freedom. In 2006, the country scored 76. Overall the report characterized Kazakhstan’s press as Not Free.

In terms of the legal environment, Kazakhstan scored 26 (out of 33) and the draft report cited problems with the law on media outlets which make it expensive to register a media outlet and establish a long list of grounds for denying registration. Journalists also continue to be subject to harassment by criminal or civil lawsuits according to the report.

Political influence on the press was rated as 30 out of 33. Freedom House says that a large percentage of the media is owned or controlled by the state and/or members of the President’s family. Newspapers that report on allegations of criminal behavior by government officials are routinely shut down or fined heavily. In 2007, a number of opposition websites were shut down when they played recordings of phone calls that appeared to implicate government officials and businessmen of violations of financial laws.

The extent to which economic pressure is brought to bear on the press was ranked 22 out of 33.

At the same time that this report was released, a 5 week block on RFE/RL’s Kazakh language website was lifted. The reasons for the block were unclear. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty is a US government funded news service.

The block may have been lifted after Miklos Haraszti, OSCE representative on media freedom, sent a formal letter to the Kazakh government:

I am convinced that the state Internet service providers were informed by your government that interference in providing service would violate Kazakhstan’s press freedom commitments.’ He adds that OSCE’s Permanent Council Decision No. 633, states that participating states must pledge ‘to take action to ensure that the Internet remains an open and public forum for freedom of opinion and expression.

Thanks to Central Asia for bringing all of this to my attention.