Kazakh Media No Freer In Past Year

Darigha Nazarbaeva, daughter of President Nursultan Nazarbaev and one of Kazakhstan's leading media moguls (file photo) (ITAR-TASS) May 3, 2006 -- The New York-based international rights group Freedom House says that Kazakhstan has made no progress over the past year in improving its already poor record of press freedom.

Speaking on World Press Freedom Day, Antonio Stango, director of the group's office in Almaty, said the media situation worsened in the run-up to the presidential election in December 2005.

He also cited as problems the regular harassment of opposition media, the closure of newspapers, and the dominance of Kazakhstan's broadcast media by the family and supporters of Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev.

(AP)