Free access to Internet before, after and during the elections

26 international and national NGOs urged President K.-Zh. Tokayev and members of the government of Kazakhstan to publicly declare their support for free, open and secure Internet access in Kazakhstan before, during and after the presidential elections.

Addressing the head of our state, the authors remind: «President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, in your address to the people of Kazakhstan on January 7, 2022, you established that “free access to the internet does not mean free publication of fabrications, slander, insults, and inflammatory appeals.” However, as the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, Clément N. Voule, has rightly noticed, attempts to tackle problems such as disinformation and hate speech cannot justify “internet shutdowns, which are disproportionate by default, and should strictly adhere to international human rights principles and standards, including those concerning the right to freedom of expression».

The authors of the open letter remind of the history of Internet shutdowns in Kazakhstan, and point out that the Internet shutdown contradicts national and international laws and violates human rights. They also make recommendations to the government of Kazakhstan:

«As organizations that believe in the power of the internet and digital platforms as an enabler of human rights, we respectfully request that you use the important positions of your offices to:

Ensure that the internet, including social media and other digital communication platforms, remains open, accessible, and secure across Kazakhstan throughout elections, possible civic unrest, and thereafter;

Stop shutting down, throttling, or blocking the internet, and make a firm  commitment to refrain from imposing any unlawful restrictions on internet access and telecommunications in the future, particularly amid the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing conflicts in the region;

Repeal and amend any laws and policies that legitimize internet shutdowns, including the Law on Communication, and the Law on informatization, and enact rights-respecting in compliance with Kazakhstan’s obligations under international human rights law».

The full text of the statement is available at  www.accesnov.org