Kazakhstan: Blogger Faces Administrative Case Over Posts About Locust-Affected Areas

Social activist and blogger Kirill Pavlov has announced that an administrative case has been opened against him for allegedly “disseminating false information on social networks,” Orda.kz reports.

The case reportedly stems from Pavlov’s online posts discussing the extent of locust-affected territories in Kazakhstan. He expressed surprise at the level of police attention focused on individuals posting about the issue.

I wish the police would catch real criminals the way they come to the authors of publications about locusts at midnight,
the blogger commented. 

According to Pavlov, the Ministry of Agriculture initiated the complaint, prompting the case against him. He said the Ministry must justify its official data and prove his posts were inaccurate. 

Pavlov insists that his analysis was based entirely on the Ministry’s published information.

The analysis I published is based on data from the Ministry of Agriculture. I think we have many exciting discoveries ahead!
wrote Pavlov on his Facebook page. 

His court hearing is scheduled for May 23.

Earlier, on May 6, Pavlov had written that locust outbreaks in Kazakhstan have long reflected the effectiveness of the agricultural system. He stated that the infestations are recurring and that the affected areas are often larger than what is officially reported. 

According to him, the system focuses on reacting to outbreaks rather than preventing them, and the amount of land treated for locusts increases yearly.

Original Author: Artyom Volkov