An official representative of Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Aibek Smadiyarov, said the country’s authorities maintained a register of foreign nationals who speak negatively about the country, Meduza reported on October 2 citing Kazakh media reports.
“Naturally, we keep this list. But this is a working list, and we will not disclose it. I cannot tell the number,” Smadiyarov stated at a briefing for the press.
He added that people on the list will be denied entry into the country.
As Radio Liberty’s Kazakhstan Service, known as Radio Azattyk, clarifies, Smadiyarov spoke about the list when answering a question from journalists about statements made by Russian blogger Ilya Mageri, who stated that “because of people rocking the boat we [Russia] will actually enter a war [against Kazakhstan].”
