17 September 2003

Alert

ARTICLE 19 briefing on draft law concerning mass media


(ARTICLE 19/IFEX) - The following is a 16 September 2003 ARTICLE 19 press release:

ARTICLE 19 Briefing of Kazakhstan's draft Law "Concerning Mass Media"

ARTICLE 19 today published an analysis of the Republic of Kazakhstan's draft Law "Concerning Mass Media".

ARTICLE 19 has serious concerns with the draft Law. A number of its provisions impose significant restrictions on freedom of expression and the general scope of the law is extremely broad. One problem lies in the attempt to regulate every aspect of the media, and every media sector, in a single piece of legislation. This leads to legal regimes for registration, licensing, accreditation and access to information that are vaguely delineated and often inappropriate. More importantly, the imposition of registration, licensing and accreditation systems, all overseen by bodies which are not independent of government, represents an excessive exercise of State control over the press, inconsistent with international guarantees of freedom of expression.



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At a glance

Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan

IFEX members working in this country 1

 
Key reports and information
  • Attacks on the Press in 2011: Kazakhstan

    Former security agent and two accomplices charged in abduction and murder of journalist Gennady Pavlyuk

    Committee to Protect Journalists 22 February 2012

  • Press Freedom Index 2011-2012: Kazakhstan

    "In a bid to maintain a facade of stability at all costs, the Kazakh authorities have stepped up their persecution of the few independent voices and are trying to gain control of the Internet"

    Reporters Without Borders 25 January 2012

  • World Report 2012: Kazakhstan

    "The environment for freedom of expression remains restrictive"

    Human Rights Watch 22 January 2012

 
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