Authorities in Kazakhstan Can Block Internet Access

Kazakhstan’s Constitutional Court ruled on June 9 that authorities can legally block communication networks and internet access during emergencies threatening national security, a decision that confirms the legality of a practice that has often been criticized by activists and human rights defenders.According to the ruling, the National Security Committee can invoke a special clause in the Law on Communication, through which emergency network blackouts can be adopted as a preventive measure.Last October, Yelzhan Kabyshev, head of legal at the Eurasian Digital Fund, an organization focused on digital rights, filed a petition to establish the anti-constitutional nature of the clause, given that it directly affects the right of people to send and receive information, and the right to access to online platforms, including government websites.The Court said that disrupting communication networks that can lead to coordinated violence balances out citizens temporarily losing the right to information.The National Security Council thus retains the full constitutional authority to shut down the internet without court approval. A massive network shutdown was ordered during Qandy Qantar (Kazakh for ‘Bloody January’), the violent repression of urban protests in January 2022.Yedige Yerkassynov contributed to the reporting.Sign up for our English-language newsletter.