Nine journalists have filed a lawsuit against the Ministry of Culture and Information. They are attempting to challenge the new "Standard Accreditation Rules", claiming they violate freedom of speech.
According to Bes.media, the journalists consider the requirement to publish information only in accredited media outlets to be illegal.
"Violation of this clause carries the threat of losing accreditation for up to six months. The plaintiffs are confident that this restricts the right to freely disseminate information, which is guaranteed by the provision in the Constitution and the law of the Republic of Kazakhstan on 'Mass Media'," the report states.
The journalists will be represented in court by the "Әділ сөз" foundation.
The plaintiffs noted that the procedure for introducing the accreditation rules was carried out in violation of the "Law on Legal Acts". According to them, the validity period of the standard rules was set retroactively, although legal acts establishing new legal liability cannot be introduced until 60 calendar days after official publication.
"The state demands strict compliance with the law from the country's citizens, therefore, its bodies have neither the moral nor the legal right to ignore the procedural requirements of the legislation", said the foundation's president, Karla Dzhumankulova.
The plaintiffs insist on the cancellation of certain points of the order approved by the Ministry of Culture and Information.
"Official announcements should be accessible to all journalists, regardless of accreditation, therefore the requirement to publish information only in specific media outlets violates the freedom to disseminate information and puts accredited and non-accredited journalists in unequal conditions", the circulated press release states.
Recall that earlier the Akimat of Shymkent refused to respond to journalists' requests regarding the activities of the akim's advisers. They cited the fact that the media outlet did not provide a document confirming accreditation.