Censorship Without Borders, Corruption Too

Michael Hedges February 6, 2023 - Follow on Twitter

There was a time, under certain circumstances, when media outlets marched in lock-step behind their country’s leaders, typically the unrepresentative and unelected. The government-line was followed quite rigorously. It was from more than fear, though that always figured. Good jobs with newspapers or broadcast outlets were doled out like patronage. This century, cracks in that system have become grand canyons.

A Russian court has summoned an appearance by independent Kazakh news portal Arbat.Media about its news coverage, noted Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) (February 3), quoting Arbat.Media. A lawsuit was filed against the news portal by the 19th Military Prosecutor's Office of the Russian Army on behalf of an “interested person.” Sounds serious, yes? That “interested person” is notorious Russian Federation media regulator/censor Roskomnadzor which has referred hundreds of Russian reporters and news outlets for punishments since the invasion of Ukraine by Russian Federation forces.

The difference - at least one - is that Kazakhstan is an independent republic. This is the first time a Central Asian media organization has been so summoned, said Radio Azattzk (February 1). Roskomnadzor has previously demanded retractions or deletions from Kazakh media, largely ignored. A trial is to take place February 17 before the Leninsky District Court of Vladimir, east of Moscow. Now, apparently, it wants fealty across borders.

Arbat.Media is charged for posting false information “about the numerous losses of persons in the Russian Armed Forces, shelling by Russian military personnel of residential buildings in Ukrainian cities and the death of civilians,” said the summons document, reported Russian exile news portal Mediazona (February 1). This errant publication allegedly took place last September under the title: "Russian occupiers are defeated in the Kharkov region, but do not want to admit it.” The article, said the charging document, “aimed at creating a distorted perception of current events among the Internet audience and creating protest moods.”

“We are a Kazakh news company and do not violate the laws of Kazakhstan, and therefore we see no reason to delete the article,” said Arbat.Media editor in chief Syrym Itkulov, quoted by Kazakh press freedom advocate Adil Soz Foundation (February 1), which noted that Kazakh news outlets “regularly receive such claims” from Roskomnadzor. Further, to CPJ, he called the event “surreal” and that traveling to Russia for the court appointment is “out of the question.” Roskomnadzor has pursued other Kazakh and Kyrgyz independent news outlets in recent months. Vlast and Informburo editors bluntly refused to comply noting that they are in Kazakhstan, which has press freedom. NewTimes did remove the posts in question avoiding sanctions in Russia, fearing a loss of Russian-language readers.

Central Asian nations - Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan - share a history with Russia, mostly through the days of the Soviet Union. Breaking away for their own independence has been hard for some, not so hard for others but never easy. The fate of independent media and press freedom generally is cast on winds of change. In its 2022 Press Freedom Index, Reporters sans Frontieres (RSF) ranked Turkmenistan the regions worse at 178th. Best was Kyrgyzstan at 79th, far better than Hungary, by comparison. Kazakhstan ranked 155th, slightly behind Belarus.

The Radio Azattyk, service of RFE/RL, website has been blocked since December by the Kyrgyzstan Ministry of Culture. Shortly thereafter the Radio Ayattyk bank accounts were frozen. Two weeks ago, The Ministry of Culture petitioned a court to shutdown Radio Ayattyk completely, reported The Diplomat (January 28), citing an inconvenient video report on the Kyrgyz-Tajik border clash broadcast in September. A hearing is set for this week (February 9).

Well-known and well-respected independent Kyrgyz news portal Kloop has also been threatened with closure for, once again, not taking down an inconvenient report. It detailed cost overruns at a state construction project. “The decision to delete information on Kloop can be made only by the editorial office of Kloop, but certainly not by the Ministry of Culture,” said the Kloop statement (February 1). “You can block Kloop, and we will be ready to challenge all your actions in court, inform our readers through dozens of other information channels, as well as seek the repeal of all unfair laws adopted by the authorities since 2021.”

See also...

• Hot Topics - Media in Central Asia

• Hot Topics - Press/Media Freedom

• Hot Topics - Corruption