Violations of Freedom of Speech in Kazakhstan September 2026

The International Foundation for Protection of Freedom of Speech “Adil Soz” presents an overview of events reflecting the situation in Kazakhstan with freedom of expression, receipt, and dissemination of information in September 2026.

The Foundation’s monitoring in September recorded:

16 reports of incidents affecting the rights of media outlets, journalists, and bloggers, including:

• 2 reports of threats against journalists;
• 1 report of interference with the lawful professional activities of journalists and media outlets;
• 6 reports of misuse of the identities or branding of media outlets, journalists, and bloggers;
• 5 reports of attempts to discredit journalists, bloggers, and public figures;
• and other incidents.

22 reports of incidents related to access to information of public importance and the dissemination of information, including:

• 2 reports of the closure or suspension of media outlets and media resources;
• 9 reports of refusals, restrictions, or missed deadlines in the provision of information;
• 5 reports of the blocking of resources and accounts on identified grounds;
• 3 reports of violations of the principle of open court proceedings;
• and other incidents.

17 reports of judicial and pre-trial proceedings involving allegations or claims against media outlets, journalists, bloggers, and activists in connection with their publications, including:

• 8 reports of criminal trials and pre-trial investigations;
• 8 reports of court proceedings and claims concerning the protection of honour, dignity, and business reputation;
• 1 administrative court case concerning disobedience to a lawful order of a law enforcement officer.

Key Events in September 2026

Restrictions on Journalists’ Access to Deputies in the Kurultai

On 7 September, the Bureau of the Kurultai approved new accreditation rules and regulations governing events involving the media. Questions must follow the announced agenda, while a press service moderator determines their order and the number each journalist may ask. Audio, photo, and video recording is permitted in the press centre; recording elsewhere in the building requires agreement with the press service.

Officials said that communication with deputies and invited government members would take place in the press centre. Journalists were directed to the parliamentary or party press services with questions unrelated to the agenda.

On 1 September, Adil Soz, the Legal Media Centre, MediaNet, and the Kazakhstan International Bureau for Human Rights and Rule of Law issued an open appeal, calling for restrictions to have a clear legal basis and remain proportionate. On 7 September, the Committee to Protect Journalists also urged the Kurultai to reverse the restrictions.

Adil Soz stated that the restrictions affect both journalists’ professional rights and public access to information about parliament. Its lawyer, Sergei Utkin, questioned the compatibility of the recording restrictions with Article 26 of the Law on Mass Media.

Closure of Orda.kz and Suspension of Giperborei Programmes

On 1 September, Orda.kz ceased operations, together with its associated social media and YouTube accounts. The editorial team said the decision had been taken by Maksat Ganiyev, the founder and chief executive of Ordamedia.kz LLP. Editor-in-chief Anna Platonova attributed the closure to insufficient revenue to sustain the newsroom.

On 2 September, journalist Vadim Boreiko announced that new programmes on his Giperborei YouTube channel would be suspended indefinitely while he took an extended holiday. He cited accumulated fatigue and personal commitments. Subscriber videos in the Biz Birgemiz programme were also suspended, with exceptions for fundraising appeals to be shared on his other social media accounts.

On 4 September, Adil Soz expressed concern about the shrinking space for independent journalism. The Foundation stressed that the closure of Orda.kz, Boreiko’s extended break, and false reports about KazTAG’s closure had different causes, but together reflected the growing vulnerability of independent media.

Threats Against Journalists in Pavlodar and Kostanay

During the night of 1–2 September, four men slashed the tyres of Hronika.kz correspondent Olga Voronko’s car in Pavlodar and poured brilliant green antiseptic dye over it. The journalist believed the incident could be linked to her reporting. Hronika.kz also reported that unidentified individuals damaged the lock on another Pavlodar website editor’s apartment door that same night.

In Kostanay, Nasha Gazeta editor-in-chief Timur Gafurov and his family received threats from an anonymous Telegram user in July and August. The messages included personal details and his home address. His lawyer contacted police on 12 August and requested an update on 8 September. In a response received on 17 September, police said they had found no elements of a criminal or administrative offence and declined to take further action. Gafurov and his lawyer were considering an appeal.

Cloned Media Resources and Impersonation of Journalists

On 23 September, Exclusive.kz reported that it had discovered at least three websites copying its appearance and carrying a fabricated article about former Ak Zhol party chairman Azat Peruashev. Other links on the clones led to the genuine website. The newsroom also reported DDoS attacks beginning on 15 September, but said it had no evidence establishing a direct connection between the attacks, the clones, and particular individuals or companies.

Exclusive.kz also identified a cloned Vlast.kz website carrying a fabricated article about Peruashev. On 29 September, NEGE reported a fake Telegram channel copying its official Nege.Aqsha channel and publishing materials that the newsroom had never produced. Both Exclusive.kz and NEGE sought, or announced their intention to seek, action from the relevant authorities.

On 30 September, journalist Dinara Egeubayeva reported fake Telegram channels and other accounts using her name and photographs, including a page containing sexualised content. Journalists also reported calls from fake Telegram profiles using the names of Vadim Boreiko and Amir Kassenov. One caller requested a money transfer; Kassenov subsequently confirmed that he had not made the call.

The monitoring recorded six reports of misuse of media or journalists’ identities and branding, compared with 14 such cases throughout 2024. According to the September overview, fabricated material intended to discredit public figures or journalists was disseminated in 80% of the cases. Adil Soz had no information identifying those responsible.

Criminal Sentences and Bans on Journalistic and Public Activities

On 15 September, an Astana court convicted journalist Azamat Omarov, author of the Akhual Segodnya YouTube channel, of inciting social discord under Article 174(1) of the Criminal Code. He received three and a half years of restriction of liberty under probation supervision, together with a five-year ban on sociopolitical, socioeconomic, and journalistic commentary activities. His lawyer confirmed that Omarov was released in the courtroom after entering into a plea agreement.

On 22 September, the Almaty City Court upheld the conviction of former Orda.kz editor-in-chief Gulnara Bazhkenova under Articles 214, 274, and 189 of the Criminal Code, concerning unlawful entrepreneurship, dissemination of knowingly false information, and misappropriation or embezzlement. Her eight-year prison sentence was deferred for two years. She also received a five-year ban covering a broad range of media, public, and human rights activities. Bazhkenova denied the charges.

Also on 22 September, the Almaty City Court upheld blogger and lawyer Adiletkhan Moldakhan’s sentence of two and a half years in prison under Article 274(3), with a five-year ban on sociopolitical and journalistic commentary activities. Adil Soz argued that the judgment had not established that he knew the disputed information was false when he published it.

Adil Soz has asked the Supreme Court to reconsider the practice of imposing professional bans on journalists as an additional punishment, stressing that such restrictions affect both the right to work and freedom of expression.

Fine Against MSU.CITY Editor Upheld on Appeal

On 1 September, the Karaganda Regional Court upheld a fine of KZT 129,750 imposed on MSU.CITY editor-in-chief Murat Nurgalimov under Article 667(1) of the Administrative Offences Code for disobeying a lawful order of a law enforcement officer.

The case followed an incident on 17 July. Nurgalimov told the court that he had introduced himself to police officers near his home and asked one officer to identify himself and show his official identification. He said he had neither insulted the officers nor obstructed their work. He was taken for a medical examination, which found no alcohol or other substances. Adil Soz appealed to the Ministry of Culture and Information to protect his rights and called for an objective legal assessment of the incident.

Reports of Pressure Over Posts About Servicemen’s Deaths

In late September, social media users reported calls asking them to delete posts about the deaths of servicemen during exercises in the Mangystau Region. Dinara Egeubayeva published an audio recording of a call to Threads user Temirlan from a person identifying himself as an Almaty police officer. Temirlan later reported that police had visited his home and that he was deleting his posts under pressure.

On 30 September, Deputy Interior Minister Sanzhar Adilov denied that police officers had made calls asking users to delete such posts. The monitoring records both the users’ reports and the Ministry’s denial.

Civil Court Decisions Concerning Media Publications

In September, the Court of Cassation for Civil Cases upheld the dismissal of a claim against Press.kz over its use of the word “paedophile” to describe a person convicted of raping and murdering a minor. A forensic linguistic assessment supported the use of the term in the context of the publication.

On 29 September, the Zhambyl Regional Court upheld the dismissal of a claim against journalist Aizhan Auelbekova over a Facebook post about teenage suicides. The first-instance court had found that the disputed statements were value judgments rather than verifiable factual allegations. It also noted that criticism of public officials forms part of public debate and that the permissible scope of such criticism is broader than for private individuals.

The monitoring was prepared on the basis of reports from Adil Soz Foundation correspondents and information from open sources.

For enquiries about the monitoring: info@adilsoz.kz