Since January 7, Kazakh authorities have sentenced at least three journalists to periods of detention ranging from 10 to 15 days, and summoned at least six journalists for questioning in connection with their coverage of nationwide protests that broke out on January 4, according to multiple news reports, a preliminary report on violations of journalists’ rights during and after the protests by independent local free speech organization Adil Soz, an unpublished document from the Kazakh Ministry of Information on incidents involving journalists shared with CPJ, and CPJ interviews with local journalists.

“It is unacceptable that Kazakh authorities should jail journalists for reporting and commenting on events of huge public importance, and outrageous that journalists should be questioned about links to so-called ‘extremist’ organizations simply for doing their jobs,” said Gulnoza Said, CPJ’s Europe and Central Asia program coordinator, in New York. “Investigations into the protests must not be used as a pretext to settle scores with critical journalists. Authorities should quash the convictions of journalists Daryn Nursapar, Nurzhan Baimuldin, and Lukpan Akhmedyarov, and cease summoning members of the press over their presence at the demonstrations.”

On January 11, police in the northwestern city of Aktobe summoned Zhanalyk Akhash, a correspondent for broadcaster KTK–reportedly owned by a foundation set up under the name of former President Nursultan Nazarbayev–and questioned him for around an hour about why he was at protests in the city and whether he was a member of various organizations, including opposition group Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan (DVK), according to the Adil Soz report. DVK is banned as an extremist group in Kazakhstan but has been declared a peaceful opposition movement by the European Union.
On the evening of January 11, police in the western city of Atyrau summoned Ainur Saparova and Farkhat Abilov, reporters who covered the protests for Ak Zhayik, a local independent newspaper known for its criticism of local authorities, and questioned them for around two hours about why they attended the protests and who told them to do so, according to the Adil Soz report and Abilov, who spoke to CPJ by telephone. Abilov told CPJ that police demanded his photos and videos of the protests, including photos of a protester who died from a bullet wound, but he refused to hand them over, adding that before and after the interrogation, unknown individuals called and messaged him, threatening to kill the journalist, and demanding he hand over his recordings. Abilov has since fled Kazakhstan for his safety.
On January 12, Aktobe police summoned Zhanagul Zhursin, a correspondent who covered protests in the city for U.S. Congress-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s Kazakh service, known locally as Radio Azattyq, and questioned her for around three hours as a witness “with a right to a lawyer” in an unspecified criminal case, according to a report by the journalist’s employer, which stated that witnesses with such a status often become suspects. Zhursin’s colleague Darkhan Omirbek told CPJ by messaging app that investigators refused to inform the journalist which article of the criminal code the case was based on. Investigators asked Zhursin why she attended the protests, who she spoke to there and what they said to her, as well as what her views are on DVK and the movement’s leader Mukhtar Ablyazov, this report stated.
Also in Aktobe on January 12, police summoned and interrogated Dmitry Matveyev, a correspondent covering the protests for independent news website Ratel.kz, according to the Adil Soz report and the journalist, who spoke to CPJ by telephone. Matveyev told CPJ that investigators questioned him for around three hours about why he was at the protests and whether he has links to DVK before demanding that he give them videos and photos taken at the protests, which he refused.
The same day, Aktobe police summoned and interrogated Zhanar Kozhanova, a correspondent covering the protests for independent broadcaster 31 Kanal, according to the journalist, who spoke to CPJ by telephone. Kozhanova said that police questioned her for around an hour about why she was at the protests.

CPJ emailed the Interior Ministry and the office of the prosecutor-general of Kazakhstan for comment on the detentions and questioning of journalists, and requesting details about the charges against Abzhan, but did not immediately receive a reply.