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Kazakh Police Arrest Journalist Protesting Media Laws

by mtippett | June 22, 2010 at 10:37 am

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Ekaterina Belyaeva, Kazakhstani Journalist Arrested

Ekaterina Belyaeva the editor of the Kazah newspaper, Vzglad, was arrested in the capital Amalty after protesting Kazakhstan's strict media laws.

On Tuesday Ekaterina Belyaeva (Екатерина Беляева) posted on her facebook profile that:

"I wanted to protest against the law "On the leader of the Nation", but the police violated the procedural rules and the Constitution, arrested me."

Kazakhstan, a former Soviet republic in Central Asia has been governed by President Nursultan Nazarbayev for over two decades.

The most recently elections were in 2006. International observers say they were seriously flawed while opposition parties said they were rigged. Media though technically protected by the constitution are severely restricted and often persecuted.

In 2007 media rights body Reporters Without Borders said pressure on the media included prosecutions for "defaming" the president, the closure of opposition newspapers and physical attacks on journalists.

Insulting the president and officials is a criminal offence; the private life, health and financial affairs of the president are classified as state secrets.

The government controls the printing presses and most radio and TV transmission facilities. It operates the country's national radio and TV networks

Vjglad is among a handful of independent media outlets attempting to reform the restrictive media powers in Kazakhstan. Vjglad has closed by the police for a week earlier in the year.

Ekaterina Belyaeva was released shortly after her arrest and posted photos and videos of here encounter with state police.

Ironically, Kazakhstan held the Eurasia Media Forum in April, organized by the President's daughter Dariga Nazarbayeva (who along with her husband also happens to own most of the media outlets in Kazakhstan). It was during this media forum that I met Belyaeva.

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mtippett

at 12:33 on June 22nd, 2010

When I was in Kazakhstan earlier this year I met Ekaterina. Here is an interview I did with her and Turi from Demotix.

t k kidwai

at 17:47 on June 22nd, 2010

Democracy is another name of rigged elections.Paralytic democracy needs crutches of rigged,manipulated elections.How George W. Bush won against Algore?Nixon was defeated by Kennedy?The another charm of democracy is that non-issues are blown out of proportion to deflect voters' attention from real issues at the time of election carnival-a season of craziness and near-madness.

Important myth associated with democracy is freedom of the press.Journalists,especially those who are fearless,honest and stick to professional ethics are sandwitched between the owners,whose main job is to curry favour of the powers-that-be and insensitive and callous ruling elite which can never brook criticism.The poor journalists are always between fire and fry-pan.