Media lawyers and human rights organisations have expressed concern over the possible restriction of journalists' access to deputies in the corridors of the Kurultai. In their view, the new requirements must have a clear legal basis, be officially adopted and published in advance.
WHY MEDIA LAWYERS HAVE RAISED QUESTIONS
As reported by BES.media, access-to-information expert Olga Didenko noted that the Kurultai website does not yet contain an updated regulation or accreditation rules for journalists that would provide for a change in the format of media work.
In her view, introducing restrictions before the relevant documents are adopted raises questions about their legitimacy. The expert believes that any new requirements for journalists' work should be clear, officially established and published in advance.
Didenko also stressed that the open work of journalists in the legislative body is important not only for newsrooms. It allows the public to receive information about how laws are passed and what issues deputies are discussing.
WHY JOURNALISTS NEED ACCESS TO DEPUTIES
Head of the legal service of the Legal Media Centre, Gulmira Birzhanova, reminded that Article 13 of the Law "On Access to Information" provides for the openness of Kurultai sessions and their accessibility to information users. Exceptions apply to closed sessions, as well as sessions of law enforcement and special state bodies.
In Birzhanova's opinion, restricting journalists' access to information directly affects their ability to carry out professional work. The corridors allow journalists to approach a deputy promptly after a session, ask a clarifying question and obtain a comment on a topical issue.
WHAT HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANISATIONS HAVE SAID
The open appeal to deputies was signed by the Legal Media Centre Public Foundation, the freedom of speech defence fund "Adil soz", the MediaNet International Centre for Journalism and the Kazakhstan Bureau for Human Rights and the Rule of Law.
The organisations called for security rules not to be used in a way that leads to a disproportionate restriction of journalists' professional activities. The authors of the appeal stressed that security and internal facility regime requirements are necessary, but restrictions must have a clear legal basis and be applied according to understandable rules.
The appeal also notes that the Constitution of Kazakhstan guarantees freedom of speech, prohibits censorship and enshrines the right to freely receive and disseminate information. The Law "On Mass Media", as the authors of the appeal point out, grants journalists the right to visit state bodies and attend events of the body that accredited them, except in cases established by law.
WHAT MEDIA LAWYERS SEE AS THE VALUE OF CORRIDOR WORK
According to experts and the authors of the appeal, the ability to approach deputies directly is important for the prompt receipt of information. Journalists do not always need to arrange a comment in advance: the need to ask a question may arise immediately after discussion of a particular topic.
This is precisely why media lawyers believe that any change to the order of media access must be legally defined and transparent.
The official draft of the new rules is still at the discussion stage.
CONTEXT
Earlier, Deputy Head of the Kurultai Apparatus Bolat Kalyambekov reported that the Kurultai Bureau had changed the order of interaction between deputies and media representatives.
According to him, journalists will be able to ask questions to elected representatives in the press centre, while the final regulations for the work of the Kurultai have not yet been adopted. At the same time, media representatives can no longer freely communicate with deputies in the corridors of parliament.
