Voice of Democracy
Published by Kazakhstan 21st Century Foundation · Washington, D.C. · April 10, 2002

GAGGING THE MEDIA --The Nazarbayev regime has imposed an authoritarian stranglehold on the news media reminiscent of the Soviet era as it has “aggressively kept local independent and opposition media from publishing,” according to the Committee to Protect Journalists’ (CPJ) annual survey of press freedom. “The Kazakh government used pliant judges, the tax police, and other economic levers to convict or impose fines on prominent opposition journalists,” and “utilize[d] the ‘war on terrorism’ as an excuse to stifle domestic dissent further,” it reported. “Most of the country's newspapers and televisions stations are owned, directly or indirectly, by the president's family or business associates,” according to CPJ, and Nazarbayev controls all of the country’s printing houses along with its two main Internet service providers, CPJ noted. Nazarbayev was also criticized for further tightening the already restrictive Mass Media Law, putting the Internet under its umbrella, limiting foreign programming and striking out at independent journalists and politicians. http://www.cpj.org/attacks01/europe01/kazak.html

NAZARBAYEV’S WORD: WORTHLESS ­ Kazakhstan authorities broke an agreement with European Union governments this week when special riot police seized an opposition activist they had promised to leave under house arrest so EU ambassadors could visit him, Reuters reported. Galymzhan Zhakiyanov of the Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan party, was grabbed by authorities and flow to a northern city. He faces what are widely considered politically-motivated, trumped­up corruption charges often used by the regime to persecute its critics who formerly served in government. He had sought refuge in the French Embassy following a botched attempt to arrest him, and EU ambassadors got a promise from Kazakh authorities that he could remain in his home and would not be removed. Reuters said the arrests, newspaper closures, pulling the plug on a television station “have raised fears recently of a wave of repression” by the Nazarbayev regime. http://dailynews.yahoo.com/headlines/top_stories/

KAZAKH JUSTICE -- It took only hours to arrest, jail, try and convict eight opposition activists who were demonstrating this week outside a Central Asian economic summit in Almaty against the persecution of two organizers of Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan Party. The AP reported Nazarbayev “has shown little tolerance for dissent.” http://www.ap.org

BIG MONEY DROPOUT -- Indian billionaire Lakshmi Mittal has reportedly dropped his bid to be Kazakhstan's honorary consul in Britain in the face of accusations he was trying to buy the office with his huge political contributions and investments. The London Evening Standard reported the steel magnate's "extensive business interests in the notoriously corrupt former Soviet republic prompted government officials to offer him the post of consul." Mittal owns several steel mills in Kazakhstan. The British foreign office has been investigating Mittal's application and political ties since it became public. He withdrew in the face of negative publicity, sources said. http://www.standard.co.uk/

FREE ELECTIONS DEMANDS 'SUBVERSIVE' -- The Kazakh government has launched "a massive attack on freedom of speech, independent media and democratic parties" in an attempt to break the back of the opposition, leaders of the opposition charged this week. They called on the United States, Russia and the Europeans to support the Kazakh democratic movement at a time when authorities are "exerting unprecedented pressure." At least four independent newspapers and several television stations have been shut down recently by authorities. Human rights activists standing vigil outside European embassies were confronted by pro-government demonstrators shouting anti-reform slogans. President Nazarbayev has ordered prosecutors to investigate critics of the regime, the AP reported, and warned that opposition rallies demanding free elections could provoke civil war. http://www.ap.org

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