STATISTIC of violations of rights for freedom of expression in Kazakhstan. January-October, 2017

CONVICTED, ARRESTED AND IMPRISONED JOURNALISTS – 14

Threats to journalists – 2
Akmaral Shayakhmetova (“Uralskaya Nedelya”, Uralsk)

Attack on journalists – 6
Mirlan Amanzholov, Aliya Orazai (TC “Kazakhstan-Aktobe”, Aktobe oblast), NUR.KZ (Aktobe); Aray Temirkhanova and Ilya Rybin, (TC “31 Channel”, Astana); Ramazan Yesergepov (“Journalists in trouble”, Almaty).

Closure/suspenson of media
 Radiotochka.kz (Almaty, closed upon decision of the administrations of the Internet-portal)
“Sayasi Kalam. Tribuna”, Almaty (closed due to the closure of the newspaper’s owner enterprise)
KBS World, ATV ТВ, TV5, Bloomberg, RT Documentary, RT Documentary HD, Russia Today and «Belarus 24» (did not  register their representative offices in the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan as it is required by authoritites)

Unjustified blocking and restriction of access to network editions  –8
Avaaz.org; http://tribunakz.com/ (Almaty); pana-defenders.info; nethouse.ru; channel of activist A. Shaigumarov (Uralsk) in Youtube and channel of blogger Ainur Kurmanov (Almaty) in Youtube; Foreignpolicy.com (USA), problems with access to social networks WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube on September 2-3 (Internet users associated this with a conflict between employees of the security company and foreign workers, Indian citizens, occurred on the evening of September 2).

Impending legal journalistic activity - 28

CRIMINAL PROSECUTIONS AND CHARGES — 53 

Of them  in court – 39

From January to October the following guilty verdits were brought:

- public slander and insult - 4 (out of 18 charges)
- distribution of deliberately false information (Article 274 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan) - 2 (out of 2)
- Incitement of social, national, tribal, racial, class or religious discord - 11 (of 12)
- violation of the procedure for organizing and holding meetings, rallies, pickets, street processions and demonstrations (Article 400 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan) - 2 (out of 2)
- extortion - 1
- legalization of money or other property acquired illegally - 1
- failure to comply with a court decision - 1

CIVIL CLIAMS TO MEDIA AND JOURNALISTS–   67;

including

claims and lawsuits on protection of honor, dignity and business reputation - 66
Claimed amounts of compensation for moral damage - 194 million 960 thousand tenge.
Collected compensation for moral damage  - 54 mln. 20 th. tenge
Appelants of civil claims to media: civil servants - 16 , Legal entities - 23, citizens - 27
Judgments rendered – 52 (Incl. 19 - in the appeal, in the cassation - 1). Of those in favor of the media and the citizens - 27.

PERSECUTION BY ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER  – 5

denials and restrictions in providing socially important information – 149