Kazakhstan Suspends Website Of British Comedian

Borat, aka Sacha Baron-Cohen (epa) 13 December 2005 -- The Kazakh authorities have suspended the internet web page of a British comedian who portrays a Kazakh journalist.

In the run-up to Kazakhstan’s presidential elections, held on 4 December, the Kazakh Foreign Ministry indicated it was considering taking legal action against Sacha Baron-Cohen, who plays Borat, a sexist and racist television reporter.

Cohen used the character's website -- www.borat.kz -- to respond to the legal threats.

Nurlan Isin, head of the government-appointed group regulating internet websites that end in the .kz domain name, says Cohen's site was suspended "so he can't badmouth Kazakhstan under the .kz domain name."

Kazakh officials have said that Cohen, as Borat, spreads harmful misconceptions about Kazakhstan, for example, that Kazakh women are kept in cages, that Kazakhstan's national sport is shooting dogs, and that Kazakh wine is made from fermented horse urine -- all claims that Borat has jokingly made.

(Reuters)