Screenshot from minjust.gov.ru
On February 27, the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation added the online outlet Respublika.kz.media to its register of “foreign agents.” The project was founded by former journalists of the Kazakh opposition newspaper Respublika and covers developments in Kazakhstan and other Central Asian countries.
In its justification, the Russian Justice Ministry stated that Respublika.kz.media had disseminated materials produced by foreign agents and organizations designated as “undesirable” in Russia, as well as what it described as “false information” about decisions taken by Russian authorities. The ministry also claimed that the project was created with the support of a foreign organization and is managed from outside Russia.
The register lists editor-in-chief Irina Petrushova under the column “project participants.” The designation category is “other associations of persons.”
This marks the first time a Kazakh media outlet has been included in Russia’s regularly updated foreign agents list.
The Justice Ministry began maintaining a register of media outlets designated as foreign agents in 2017. Among those previously included were Deutsche Welle, TV Rain, and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, which were later declared “undesirable” in Russia. There is no longer a separate media list on the ministry’s website; such outlets are now added to the general foreign agents register.
The print edition of Respublika was published from 1998 to 2012 and was regarded as one of the few independent newspapers of its time in Kazakhstan. After ceasing print publication, the editorial team continued working online for four years. Since 2017, the project has been registered in the United Kingdom and is owned by the independent analytical center CA Analysis & Research Center.
Among Respublika’s recent high-profile investigations were reports on the killing in Ukraine of Kazakh journalist Aidos Sadykov and on the foreign assets of the family of former Kazakh president Nursultan Nazarbayev. Last autumn, the Respublika website became inaccessible within Kazakhstan.
