Statement of International Foundation for
Protection of Freedom of Speech Adil Soz and Internews-Kazakhstan
regarding Media Draft Law
International Public Foundation for Protection of
Freedom of Speech Adil Soz and Kazakhstani non-government
organization Internews-Kazakhstan announced their disengagement from
Mazhilis of the Parliament’s working group for consideration of the
Media draft Law.
The above was declared to journalists by
representatives on these organizations during a press-conference in
Almaty on December 9.
In particular, in the statement that was distributed
during the press-conference, it is declared, although due to the
efforts of public journalists’ organizations and some deputies of
Mazhilis of the Parliament it was made certain shifts to
democratization of the governmental draft law, at the same time, a
range of AdilSoz Foundation and Internews-Kazakhstan amendments of
fundamental importance were rejected.
‘Finally a document, which is going to be submitted
to Mazhilis of the Parliament contradicts to the Treaty on citizen’s
and political rights and essentially limits the legal frames of the
freedom of speech and media business in Kazakhstan. It is aimed to
fix three problems: to regulate the freedom of speech itself,
receiving/distributing information and mass media activities. These
issues cannot be solved in one law, that is why the draft law has an
ideological slant’ – says the joint statement of the International
Foundation for Protection of Freedom of Speech Adil Soz and
Internews-Kazakhstan.
International Foundation for Protection of Freedom
of Speech Adil Soz and Internews-Kazakhstan called the Mazhilis of
the Parliament to reject the Media draft law submitted for
consideration as ‘conceptually fallacious’. ‘Work on improvement of
the informational legislation should be started with development of
the concept and its public discussion. It is necessary to have
independent laws on the right of citizens to freedom of speech, on
the right of citizens to receive and distribute information and
Media law aimed to define the legal machinery of media creation and
activities’ – the statement says.
Please, find enclosed the full version of the
Statement
December 9, 2003. Internews-Adilsoz |