Kazakh Foreign Ministry spokesman Aibek Smadiyarov said on January 22 that Kremlin-friendly Russian journalist Tina Kandelaki has been banned from entering the country over a post she made online, alleging that the Russian language was being discriminated against in the Central Asian country. Kandelaki had criticized Kazakhstan's plan to replace the Russian names of railway stations with Kazakh ones, which caused outrage in Kazakhstan, where many reminded the reporter that the country is an independent state. Last year, Kazakh officials banned Russian propagandist Tigran Keosayan from entering Kazakhstan over threats to the country online. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Kazakh Service, click here.
Kremlin-Friendly Russian Journalist Banned From Entering Kazakhstan Over Online Post
Editors' Picks
RFE/RL has been declared an "undesirable organization" by the Russian government.
If you are in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine and hold a Russian passport or are a stateless person residing permanently in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine, please note that you could face fines or imprisonment for sharing, liking, commenting on, or saving our content, or for contacting us.
To find out more, click here.