Moderator disconnected journalist from online press conference for asking a question that was "not on the topic of the press conference"

On April 9, Marzhan Baktiyarkyzy,  moderator of the Central Communications Service (CCS), disconnected  journalist Serikzhan Mauletbay from online press conference of Deputy Prime Minister Yeraly Tugzhanov for asking a question that was "not on the topic of the press conference", Informburo.kz reports.

The theme of the press conference was: "On the work of the state commission for the  rehabilitation of victims of political repression and its regional branches." However, the journalists were also interested in other issues. So, Ainur Koskina asked the Deputy Prime Minister about the production of Kazakhstan's QazVac vaccine, and Kuntu Arynbek asked the Minister of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan Askhat Aimagambetov about the post a rector of one of the universities made about Kenesary Khan's head. Both questions were answered.

However, when Serikzhan Mauletbay said that his question is about the pandemic, the moderator immediately interrupted him. Moreover  after his indignation, she disconnected him from Zoom.

It should be noted that Yeraly Tugzhanov is the chairman of the Interdepartmental Commission on COVID-19 nonproliferation. Journalists complain that he very rarely goes to the press.

"Adil soz» comments:

The essence of this conflict derives from the new rules for the accreditation of journalists. It comes from the paragraph 16,  that introduces the position of a moderator and his\her severe power. Firstly, what the moderator actually does is nothing but regulating the freedom to receive and disseminate information during public events such as press conferences and briefings. This innovation is an obvious censorship, and it does not matter what good intentions the authorities use to justify it. Secondly, what does the accreditation of journalists have to do with it?

Introducing position of a moderator was opposed by many NGOs during the discussion of these rules. Unfortunately, the part of the "hearing state" that is responsible for the development of the new rules ignored the position of civil society. So new conflicts unleashed by the censoring moderators will be unavoidable. The only hope is that the new law on mass media will make it possible to annul this unconstitutional rule, as well as many others of the same kind.