Kazakh Senate Approves Controversial Media Law

A demonstration against the amendments on June 24 in Almaty (RFE/RL)

June 29, 2006 -- The Kazakhstan's upper chamber of parliament, the Senate, today adopted controversial changes to the existing media law.

The amendments, which were drafted by Culture and Information Minister Ermukhamet Ertysbaev, were passed by a vote of 36 to none in two successive readings.

They will now be sent to President Nursultan Nazarbaev for approval.

Critics, including the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and Kazakh media-advocacy groups, say the new legislation would represent a setback to press freedom.

The proposed changes would bar editors of periodicals that have been closed by a court order from working in the same capacity for other publications.

They would also double the number of reasons used to deny a media outlet official registration.

Hundreds of journalists and opposition activists demonstrated in Almaty on June 24 to demand that the proposed changes be withdrawn.

(Kazakhstan Today, Interfax-Kazakhstan)