Kazakhstan’s Foreign Ministry Denies Accreditation to Nine More Azattyq Journalists

Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has denied accreditation renewals for nine additional employees of Radio Azattyq, citing "systematic violations of legislation," according to an official letter, reports Orda.kz.

The Ministry referred specifically to point 4 of Article 30 of the country’s newly adopted Law on Mass Media.

Representatives of Radio Azattyq say the journalists were included in the outlet’s original accreditation list and that all documentation was submitted on time, two months before the previous accreditations expired, as required by law.

However, after a prolonged period of silence, the ministry extended its review process by another two months before ultimately issuing a refusal. 

The Legal Media Center is now assisting Radio Azattyq in challenging the Ministry’s decision in court. Although the lawsuit has been officially registered, a hearing date has not yet been set.

Diana Okremova, director of the center, explained the organization’s position:

Radio Azattyq has filed a lawsuit to challenge the refusal. A date for the hearing has not yet been scheduled. The Foreign Ministry’s next steps are unclear, and all further action will depend on the court’s decision. Our goal is to prove that the accreditation rules for foreign journalists contradict both existing laws and the Constitution.

Okremova added that the Foreign Ministry’s approach appears selective:

If this involved Sputnik or another Russian outlet, there wouldn’t have been a refusal. Azattyq regularly publishes material critical of state bodies, reports on human rights violations, and corruption. This makes the authorities uncomfortable. By denying accreditation, they are trying to pressure an undesirable media outlet. The absurdity lies in the fact that only official media need accreditation, while any blogger can film and publish critical content without asking anyone’s permission. 

Should the court dismiss the claim, the Legal Media Center plans to escalate the case to higher authorities, including Kazakhstan’s Constitutional Court.

This is not the first dispute between the Foreign Ministry and Radio Azattyq. In January 2024, the Ministry denied accreditation to 36 of the outlet’s staff at once. At the time, Azattyq took the Ministry to court, accusing it of deliberately delaying the process.

In April, the parties reached a mediated agreement that allowed the journalists to resume work.

RFE/RL President Stephen Capus praised the April agreement as a sign of mutual understanding and a commitment to dialogue on the role of journalism in Kazakhstan.

However, in May, Kazakhstan adopted a new Law on Mass Media, expanding the government’s powers to deny accreditation. The law drew criticism from human rights groups and international organizations.

Human Rights Watch noted that the legislation threatens press freedom and pointed out that the legal concept of “extremist propaganda,” which authorities may invoke, remains vague.

Original Author: Artyom Volkov