Amnesty International has called for the dismissal of charges against Kazakh satirical blogger Temirlan Ensebek, citing concerns over free expression. Ensebek faces allegations of “inciting interethnic discord” under Article 174 of Kazakhstan’s Criminal Code, potentially leading to a seven-year prison term. The charges relate to content on Ensebek’s Instagram account Qaznews24, specifically a satirical post involving Russian TV presenter Tina Kandelaki. Authorities claim the post constitutes incitement, though they have not pinpointed which content initiated the charges.
Marie Struthers, Amnesty International’s Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, criticized the case as politically motivated and reliant on what she described as an overly broad interpretation of “incitement” within Kazakh law. She urged authorities to cease the criminal proceedings, stating, “Free expression is not a crime and the authorities must end their misuse of the criminal justice system.”
This isn’t the first time Ensebek has been under government scrutiny. In 2021, he was investigated for allegedly “spreading knowingly false information” after posting a satirical piece about former President Nursultan Nazarbayev, though those charges were eventually dropped.
Organizations such as Article 19 and Human Rights Watch have also urged for Ensebek’s release and emphasized the protection of free speech in Kazakhstan. The Kazakh police have stated that the case is unrelated to the satirical nature of the posts, but rather involves “clear signs of inciting ethnic discord” with insulting elements targeted at an ethnic group, as reported by the Almaty police department.