Rights Watchdog Concerned About Pressure Faced By Stand-Up Comedians In Kazakhstan

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has expressed concerns about the pressure faced by stand-up comedians over their performances in Kazakhstan.

In its statement on August 8, HRW said "the crackdown on freedom of expression, including prosecutions of comedians, should end."

In recent months, many stand-up comedians in the tightly controlled former Soviet republic complained about the situation following the jailing of two stand-up performers over their performances.

On July 26, stand-up comedian Aleksandr Merkul, who often tells jokes about the Central Asian nation's current government and Russian President Vladimir Putin, was sentenced to 10 days in jail on a charge of hooliganism.

The charge stemmed from his performance in a restaurant in Astana in June, where he said, "Kazakhstan is new, poverty is old," presumably referring to "Zhana Qazaqstan" (New Kazakhstan), a slogan that is used regularly by President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev.

Merkul, 31, was charged with swearing during the performance, a video of which went viral on the Internet. Merkul pleaded guilty.

Earlier in May, another Kazakh comedian, Nuraskhan Basqozhaev, was also sentenced to 15 days in jail on the same charge after he joked about the authorities' efforts to tackle floods in spring caused by an abrupt wave of warm weather that led to a massive snowmelt.

The HRW statement also said that imposing pressure on comedians appears to be part of a wider crackdown on free speech in Kazakhstan.

Noted Kazakh journalist Duman Mukhammedkarim, who has been known for his articles criticizing the government, was sentenced to seven years in prison on August 2 on charges of "financing extremist activities" and "participating in the activities of a banned extremist group." Mukhammedkarim and his supporters have rejected the charges as politically motivated.

"People in Kazakhstan should be able to express critical opinions and commentary, not least through satire, without fear of retribution. Freedom of expression is not absolute, but international human rights law sets clear boundaries on legitimate government measures to regulate it. Kazakhstan is acting well beyond those boundaries, and it is past time it starts respecting them," the HRW statement said.