The website of the KazTAG news agency is blocked
The last article that KazTAG posted on its website on January 4 at 5.11 PM was information about the detention of journalist Aizhan Auelbekova in Taraz. After that, the website was blocked. The editors blame the Ministry of Information and Social Development for this.
“Adil soz” contacted Aset Matayev, the co-founder of KazTAG Intenattional News Agency. “These days we covered the protests in Zhanaozen, Aktau, Atyrau and other cities, and did it objectively. Each time we requested information from the official bodies - the Ministry of Internal Affairs, regional police departments, the Ministry of Defense, akimats (mayors offices) and other departments. We do this every time when we cover conflict situations in the country. However, there was practically no reaction from the authorities. And then we received a claim from the Information Committee of the Ministry of Information and Public Development. They wrote that our information contradicted the reality and had to be deleted. There was not a single word about the objectivity or bias of our articles. I would like to emphasize that the same information was published by many media outlets, and the video was distributed on all social media channels. " he explained.
The Information Committee of the Ministry of Information and Public Development claim related to the video entitled “The police started forceful action against the protesters in Aktau” that allegedly contained deliberately false information. In response KazTAG editors asked to specify “what exact part of the video the ministry considered to be the deliberately false”. At the same time, the editorial office assured that it would make the appropriate changes to the already published text, if substantiated answers are received.
According to A. Matayev, they contacted the provider, who assured that there was no technical work on its part or something else that could somehow affect the accessibility of the site.
“We hope for the prudence of the highest state bodies - that they will follow the example of other countries, where media serves as a link between society and government in various conflict situations. The press must work in any case, this work gives the authorities opportunity to know what is happening and to hear the people, and let the people know the position of the authorities. If there is no such instrument of communication, the situation will be aggravated, ”A. Matayev believes.
The KazTAG editors considered the actions of the Ministry of Information to be an act of censorship, which is officially prohibited in the Republic of Kazakhstan. They asked President Kassym-Zhomart Tokayev to pay attention to this situation.
