Head of Kazakhstan’s Agency for Religion denies censorship claims

    Head of the Kazakhstan’s Agency for Religion, Marat Azilkhanov has commented on his earlier statement that all religion-related materials to be published by state-owned media will be subject to preliminary approval of the Agency for Religion.
    “I want to stress the suggested measure is not a form of censorship. I was speaking only of materials to be produced under public procurement contracts. These are the due procedures for public bodies to follow,” he told a briefing at the President’s Public Communications Office February 7.
    He elaborated the agency will be ensuring the media place the right emphasis on certain religion-related issues, so that the materials would not be misleading.
    “The goal is to ensure the high quality of the materials,” he stressed.
    “All videos and printed pieces should be coordinated with the agency from now on (…). This is a matter of ideology. All information to be conveyed by documentaries, TV programs (…) should be centrally coordinated by the agency,” he said at an extended session of the Agency on February 3, www.tengrinews.kz.