Adil Soz wins court case defending Ulysmedia: What media outlets and bloggers should know

On 17 August, the Astana Interdistrict Civil Court dismissed a lawsuit against the editorial team of Ulysmedia, whose interests were represented by the International Foundation for Protection of Freedom of Speech “Adil Soz.” Judge Arailym Kaliyeva applied the one-year limitation period established for claims relating to media publications.

Lawyer Sergei Utkin, who took part in the proceedings, stresses that this rule applies only to registered media outlets. If the disputed material was published by a blogger, influencer, or another form of mass media that is not registered with the Ministry of Culture and Information as a media outlet, claims for the protection of honour, dignity, and business reputation — including claims for compensation for moral damage — are not subject to any limitation period.

According to the lawyer, this follows from Subparagraph 1 of Article 187 of the Civil Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan. As a result, such a lawsuit may be filed even ten or more years after the publication.

“In this case, we were able to win because the court applied the limitation period, which is one year from the date of publication — but only for registered media outlets. All other forms of mass media, including various bloggers and influencers, should remember that there is no limitation period for claims arising from their publications. Therefore, following the adoption of the Law ‘On Mass Media,’ it has become more advantageous to register as a media outlet,” Sergei Utkin explained.