Kazakhstan: Court Upholds MFA’s Refusal to Accredit Azattyq Journalists

The Specialized Inter-District Court for Administrative Cases of Astana has rejected the lawsuit filed by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL-Kazakhstan), which includes Azattyq, against the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan over the refusal to accredit its journalists, Orda.kz reports.

Judge Kairat Smagulov announced the ruling:

Earlier in 2025, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs refused to extend accreditation first for seven Azattyq journalists, and later for nine more.

During the hearings, Azattyq’s lawyers argued that the editorial office had submitted all required documents in advance, but the ministry delayed the review and then refused accreditation without explanation.

Nevertheless, the court sided with the Foreign Ministry, which claimed that Azattyq staff had been “illegally engaged in journalistic activities without receiving accreditation.” Officials referred to the new 2024 law on mass media, which bans foreign media and foreign journalists from working in Kazakhstan without accreditation.

Although all Azattyq employees are Kazakh citizens, they are still treated as foreign journalists and must apply for accreditation through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The court’s ruling effectively endorsed this practice.

Ahead of the trial, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) urged Kazakh authorities to restore accreditation to the 16 Azattyq journalists.

Original Author: Anastasia Prilepskaya