Kazakhstan blocks access to websites for fear of terrorism
Since last Friday, Kazakh authorities have blocked access to a number of popular websites. This followed a court ruling that the sites in question contributed to the dissemination of terrorism and religious extremism.
Aïlana Iskendirova, spokesperson for the court of Astana, the Kazakh capital, told the news agency tengrinews.kz that certain sites had promoted “terrorism and religious extremism and (contained) incitations to acts of terrorism and the production of explosive devices”.
Particularly targeted are mostly Russian-language blog platforms. Both the Kazakh Minister of Communications, Askar Jumagaliev, and the national telecommunications company, Kazakhtelecom, have confirmed the blocking. The sites in question have not as yet issued any comment on the decision.
Oil- and gas-rich Kazakhstan, the most stable state in central Asian was struck by two bomb attacks in May. The targets were a protective custody facility of the KNB (ex-KGB, security services) in Astana and the regional headquarters of the security services in Aktobé (north-west). The blasts killed two people according to AFP.
Source: www.undernews.fr
