While I called it 50/50, I have to say I was optimistic that Nazarbaev would veto the law.
Instead, Kazakhstan’s first-and-so-far-only President proves that leading a country for 20 years teaches a man something about the dangers of free and unrestricted press. In the name of protecting Kazakhstani citizens from Internet Predators and Child Pornographers, the President signed into law a bill that gives the President and the Police broad powers over blogs and other sources of information online [not typically connected with predators and pornographers].
Registan.net will continue to bring news from Kazakhstan to the best of our ability – as always, guest posts are welcome.
This post was written by...
Michael Hancock-Parmer – author of 158 posts on Registan.net.
Michael earned an MA in Central Eurasian Studies in 2011 and remains a student at Indiana University pursuing a dual PhD in Russian History and Central Eurasian Studies. He served 6 months in the Peace Corps in Uzbekistan in 2005. After the events in Andijan and the subsequent closure of the program, he served 2 years in southern Kazakhstan, returning to the Midwest in 2007. His general area of interest is on post-Timur Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, centered on the Syr Darya river valley.
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“I have to say I was optimistic that Nazarbaev would veto the law.”
Made me laugh.