Kazakh Foreign Ministry spokesman Aibek Smadiyarov said on January 22 that Kremlin-friendly Russian journalist Tina Kandelaki has been banned from entering the country over a post she made online, alleging that the Russian language was being discriminated against in the Central Asian country. Kandelaki had criticized Kazakhstan's plan to replace the Russian names of railway stations with Kazakh ones, which caused outrage in Kazakhstan, where many reminded the reporter that the country is an independent state. Last year, Kazakh officials banned Russian propagandist Tigran Keosayan from entering Kazakhstan over threats to the country online. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Kazakh Service, click here.
Kremlin-Friendly Russian Journalist Banned From Entering Kazakhstan Over Online Post
Russian journalist Tina Kandelaki (file photo)