The government of Kazakhstan should rescind a new law that significantly restricts media freedoms, Human Rights Watch said on Tuesday. Human Rights Watch urged Kazakhstan”s international partners to press the government to repeal the law.
Kazakhstan is due to take over chairmanship of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), an organization grounded in human rights principles, in January 2010.
The law, a package of amendments to laws dealing with the media and the internet, was signed by President Nursultan Nazarbaev on July 10, 2009.
“Kazakhstan”s leaders promised to make reforms before they take on the leadership of the OSCE,” said Holly Cartner, Europe and Central Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “But here they are just a few months away, cracking down on free expression. They can still change their minds and get rid of this law – and they should.”
Under the new law, all forms of internet content – including websites worldwide, blogs, chat rooms, and the like – could potentially be considered “internet resources.” As such, they will be subject to existing restrictive laws on expression, such as criminal libel.
“Unlimited access to the internet is extremely important in Kazakhstan because most other media outlets remain under de facto government control through a variety of direct and indirect means,” said Cartner.
