Amended Kazakh media law needs further improvements, OSCE media freedom representative says
VIENNA, 27 September 2006 - The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Miklos Haraszti, has presented a comprehensive report to the Kazakh authorities that includes recommendations to improve the recently amended media law of Kazakhstan.
The report, prepared for the OSCE by the London-based media freedom advocacy group Article 19, was discussed during a meeting between Mr Haraszti and members of a high-level delegation from Kazakhstan, headed by the Secretary of State of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Oralbai Abdykarimov.
"Kazakhstan has been co-operating with my Office successfully on a number of issues, related to the Internet and training for public officials and journalists in the establishment of democratic and professional channels of communication" said Haraszti.
"I hope that the Government of Kazakhstan will be able to adopt these recommendations with the same positive approach, in order to further improve the nation's stand as a democracy with a free media."
The legal review analyzes all the features of the Kazakh media law that could impede independent journalism.
In June, the Representative asked the Minister of Culture and Information, Ermukhamet Ertysbayev, to withdraw from Parliament a set of amendments. The government-proposed amendments oblige the media to re-register. They also banned media professionals, whose publications had previously been closed down by the courts, from exercising their profession at the same level.
In the meeting with Mr Haraszti, the delegation was represented by the Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration, Maulen Ashimbayev. Other members included Senator Kunanysh Sultanov and MPs Dariga Nazarbayeva and Darya Klebanova.