RSF condemns blocking of Internet sites

Reporters Without Borders (RSF), a watchdog group for imprisoned journalists and press freedom throughout the world, has called on the Kazakh government to unblock access to several websites, operated by opposition groups or carrying independent news. "The fact that they are blocking websites is an increasing sign that the Kazakh authorities are not just concerned about their public image abroad, but also internally in the country," Caroline Giraud, an RSF researcher for Central Asia, told IRIN from Paris on Thursday, noting, however, that what was happening with the Internet had been happening with mainstream media outlets for a long time. "You can seize newspapers, threaten journalists or instal an atmosphere of self-censorship, but blocking access is even easier," she said. But Astana has become increasingly sensitive to reports of corruption, human rights abuses and suppression of the opposition in Central Asia's largest nation, and the blocking of internet sites is being viewed as yet another measure taken to stifle political dissent. Earlier this month, editions of the opposition newspaper Soldat, critical of the authorities, were seized at the point of distribution in major Kazakh cities, while international observers were still calling for the release of the Kazakh journalist, Sergey Duvanov, the chief editor of Bulletin - a magazine published by the Kazakhstan International Bureau of Human Rights, citing legal irregularities and lack of evidence. He was sentenced to three and a half years in prison for the alleged rape of a minor on 11 March. "The defence of this journalist had been totally violated, " Giraud asserted, a stance shared in part by the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, Washington, and the European Parliament. "International observers were not even allowed into the courtroom," she said. Giraud's comments follow a statement earlier this week by the Paris-based group condemning the blocking of Internet sites, which regularly carry articles critical of Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev and government officials. "The near-monopoly of the state-owned Kazakhtelecom as an Internet service provider [ISP] must not be used to block independent and diverse news," RSF Secretary-General Robert Menard reportedly wrote to the Kazakh culture and information minister, Mukhtar Kul-Mukamed. "We ask you to make every effort to ensure the free flow of online news and to end all censorship of news websites, whatever their editorial line." According to the statement, Yuri Mizinov, editor of the news site Navigator (www.navigator.kz), called in experts who told him all Kazakhtelecom customers had been prevented from accessing the site. Other political news sites, such as www.euroasia.org.ru, www.kub.kz, the websites of opposition figures Mukhtar Ablyazov (www.ablyazov.info), Galymzhan Zhakiyanov (www.zhakiyanov.info) and Akezhan Kazhegeldyn (www.kazhegeldin.addr.com), as well as opposition media sites such as Vesti Pavlodara (www.vestipavl.com), Assandi Times and www.respublika.kz have been blocked. The only way to access them is through foreign-based ISPs, which involves delays of up to half an hour, it read. Asked to compare Kazakhstan with the other four Central Asian states with regard to press freedom, Giraud said "Kazakhstan is not the worst", noting the existence of an established independent press in the country, as well as a deteriorating press record in neighbouring Uzbekistan. Nonetheless, in an effort to highlight the importance of the issue, the activist called for no more blocking of any sites. "People have the right to information. This is one of the basic rights and liberties we should all enjoy," she said. [For a full copy of the most recent RSF report on Kazakhstan see: www.rsf.org]