Culture Minister Aida Balayeva Comments on Situation Surrounding Orda and KazTag

Journalist Dinara Sadzhan published a video on her Telegram channel in which Minister of Culture and Information Aida Balayeva comments on the situation surrounding Orda's newsroom.

After security forces raided Orda’s offices — searches were conducted with SOBR present — it became known that editor-in-chief Gulnara Bazhenova had been placed under house arrest. Searches were also carried out at her home.

Orda’s lawyers have pointed to procedural violations during the searches. Murat Adam, for example, filed multiple motions with the police, as well as complaints with the Prosecutor General’s Office and the Almaty Prosecutor’s Office, regarding law enforcement's actions.

A similar situation surrounds KazTag's leadership. A criminal case was opened against the agency’s general director, Aset Matayev, and editor-in-chief, Amir Kassenov, who were designated as suspects following a complaint from Freedom Finance.

Here is what Balayeva said:

If a judicial process is underway or criminal cases are being considered, we cannot take direct part in them. However, our lawyers are carefully studying the situation. We are in contact with Aset Matayev (general director of KazTAG - Ed.). You already know about Bazhenova. Although she did not receive funding from our ministry, I have always supported Gulnara Bazhenova. She herself noted in one of her interviews: ‘Aida Balayeva supports the editor-in-chief of the outlet.’ In this situation, we must be guided solely by the law. Our lawyers are working on this issue...

KazTAG journalists also quoted Balayeva expressing support for their outlet. 

One notable passage reads:

Balayeva reported that lawyers from the Ministry of Culture and Information contacted the KazTAG news agency. In addition, she added that the ministry plans to submit amendments to parliament on the decriminalization of the article on knowingly false information.

Human rights advocates have long argued that decriminalizing “knowingly false information” is necessary to prevent pressure on the press.

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