Akorda promises to protect female journalists

On November 24, the Adil Soz Foundation and the Union of Journalists of Kazakhstan published an appeal to the President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the Prosecutor General of the Republic of Kazakhstan Berik Asylov, the Minister of Internal Affairs Marat Akhmetzhanov and the Minister of Information and Public Development Darkhan Kydyrali with a request to protect female journalists from persecution.

The very next day, Ruslan Zheldibay, the press secretary of the president post a message on Facebook saying that the appeal was taken into account. According to him, the relevant agencies have already been instructed to investigate the incidents and punish those responsible for the persecution of female journalists.

The same morning, two men were detained who committed 4 attacks on the editorial office of ElMedia.

"Adil soz" comments:

The almost instant reaction of the president and the "relevant departments" is good news. But the situation will not change if cases of harassment of journalists and the media are investigated properly only after the direct instructions of the head of state. Responsibility for the persecution of journalists and for attacks on media people should be enshrined in the Criminal Code and provided for in the new media law. Then there will be no need  in orders from above  to protect media employees.