STATEMENT
"Adil Soz" Foundation after having analyzed the situation with freedom of speech in independent Kazakhstan, has to state that a short period of active development was followed by a continuing policy of cutting down the democratic principles of freedom of speech.
In 2018, Kazakhstan ranked 158 out of 180 in the “Reporters without borders” freedom of speech index. Freedom House experts evaluated the level of democracy in Kazakhstan as 6.7 points on a 7-point system.
From year to year independent media are being banned, civil society activists who exercise the right to freedom of expression get under various means of pressure. In 2017, the court prohibited Zhanbolat Mamay the editor-in-chief of the “Tribune/ Sayashi Kalam” newspaper to work in journalism, editor-in-chief of "CentralAsiaMonitor" Bigeldy Gabdullin was forced to quit journalism under the threat of imprisonment, editor-in-chief of the Internet portal "Radiotochka" Bekzhan Idrissov forced to leave the country. In the year of the 70th anniversary of the World Declaration of human rights popular online edition Ratel.kz with banned with great violations of national legislation and international standards of freedom of speech and the most of Ratel’s leading journalists became jobless. Independent newspapers "DAT" and "Uralsk week"work under constant judicial and administrative pressure.
Dozens are in prisons after being found guilty in inciting discord and other serious crimes, though their only fault was in reposting and giving likes to other people’s messages and leaving neutral comments in social networks. The number defamation charges is increasing. article 274 of the criminal code of the Republic of Kazakhstan "dissemination of false information" is criticized by national and international experts. One of the accused under this article has already been found dead in jail. Now journalists of Ratel.kz are under threat to be charged under this article. The article 274 is widely used as a threat to civil society activists by law enforcement agencies. The new amendments to the law "On mass media" increased the term of providing information at the request of journalists by two and a half times, complicated the procedure of submitting requests, and build new barriers to journalistic investigations. The highest rank officials assure younger generation of journalists that they are not "watchdogs of democracy", but interpreters who are to translate official’s tonguetied speeches into normal language and to explain thie wisw ideas to the wide audience.
The state authorities selebrate the 70th anniversary of the great document by lavish speeches and awards, at the same time grossly violating the norms of the article 19 of the World Declaration of human rights that states: " Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers."
