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July 25, 2025 – Kazakhstan –
Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs refused accreditation to 16 journalists working for Radio Azattyq, the Kazakh-language service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), citing violation of accreditation rules as the only justification. Earlier, in mid‑June, seven other Azattyq journalists—including the Almaty bureau chief—had their renewals blocked; applications submitted in February were delayed past their expiration in April, without a transparent explanation.
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) described the move as a clear assault on press freedom, emphasizing that the affected journalists are effectively barred from doing their jobs despite working for an accredited outlet. Human Rights Watch echoed this condemnation, stating that the denials undermine Kazakhstan’s international human rights obligations and constitute administrative harassment of independent media.
Radio Azattyq, represented legally by the Legal Media Center, filed an administrative lawsuit challenging the ministry’s actions. The case highlights procedural violations, including unlawful delays and misapplication of Article 30(4) of the media law—intended to restrict foreign journalists, but here applied to Kazakh citizens working for a foreign outlet. The ministry refused a proposed court conciliation on July 17, and the lawsuit remains pending with no hearing date yet set.
This episode is part of a mounting pattern: previous rounds of accreditation denial occurred in 2022 and 2024, sometimes reversed only after legal pressure and international scrutiny. Observers warn that Kazakhstan’s 2024 media law and new accreditation rules, which came into force in mid‑2024, grant authorities excessive control over journalists—both domestic and foreign—and are ripe for abuse. Under these rules, accreditations can be revoked for minor infractions, and journalists must publish information only through their accredited outlet, severely limiting freelance and cross‑platform journalism.
The press freedom environment in Kazakhstan remains dire: the country is ranked 142nd of 180 by Reporters Without Borders in 2024, with increasing government control over media and online spaces being the dominant trend.
Analysts urge the Kazakh government to reconsider and reverse these accreditation denials and for its international partners to pressure Astana to uphold constitutional protections and international norms protecting independent journalism.
Reference –
https://www.hrw.org/news/2025/07/22/kazakhstan-journalists-denied-accreditation
