Kazakh lawmakers say the country’s new law on Personal Data Protection will protect citizens’ privacy. 

But journalists are expressing concerns that the legislation, which could prevent even the publication of people’s full names, could restrict their ability to access and report information and even land them in legal trouble.

The new law, which went into effect on November 25, applies to the public sector, legal entities, and individuals. It introduces new regulations to protect personal data and stipulates hefty penalties for violations.

Almaty-based journalist Inga Imanbai describes the law as a serious obstacle, and predicts that «the number of lawsuits will rise against independent media outlets.»

«When you write an article about government officials abusing their power, you have to prove it by providing information about the officials and their family members’ bank accounts and properties,» Imanbai says. «However, under the new law this information is considered personal data.»

According to the new law, individuals must give their consent to the collection, use, and distribution of their personal data. Any unauthorized collection or distribution of personal data could result in criminal charges punishable by up to five years’ imprisonment.

Kazakh media lawyer Gulmira Birzhanova says the law is not «entirely clear,» and could result in journalists being prosecuted for publishing a person’s full name.

‘Greater Transparency’

Birzhanova says that unlike similar laws in Russia and Ukraine, Kazakhstan’s law does not make a distinction between public figures and private individuals.

«There were cases in Ukraine and Russia where such laws were used to take journalists to court,» Birzhanova said. «However, the courts decided in favor of the journalists, saying a public person and state authorities can’t have personal-data [protection].»

Supporters deny that the law is intended to restrict media activities.

Lawmaker Ramazan Sarpekov says that if journalists can document what they publish, it would not be considered a violation of the law.

Sarpekov says the purpose of the law is to protect people’s rights, reputations, and interests.

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«All information about a person’s biography, starting from their date of birth to their date of death, is considered personal data, and shouldn’t be published without their consent,» Sarpekov said.

Sarpekov says many people «would not want others to know that they were adopted, divorced, or accidentally put under criminal investigation.»

Sasha Zernova, a human-rights lawyer from the Britain-based CIS Working Group, says the Kazakh law is generally in line with globally accepted norms and provides greater transparency.

However, Zernova says, «some provisions of the law cause concern, including the vague legal language used, and the regime of exception, which are not strictly in compliance with international standards.»

Most concerning, she adds, are the lack of monitoring and enforcement procedures and the powerful role of the ombudsman in implementing the law.

Written by Farangis Najibullah, based on reporting by RFE/RL Kazakh Service correspondent Makpal Mukankyzy

http://www.rferl.org/content/kazakh-data-protection-law/25179583.html

Experienced investigative journalists can apply for yearlong fellowships.

The Lab at the Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics at Harvard University is offering fellowships in residence in Cambridge to produce monographs about targeted institutions.

Such institutions can be either public or private, and if private, then either for-profit or not-for-profit. They include public health institutions, the financial services industry, the elected state judiciary, media (public and private) and Congress.

The ideal candidate will have a minimum of five years of investigative reporting experience. The salary is commensurate with experience. Health benefits will be provided. International fellows will be assisted with visas.

Applicants must submit application materials online, two letters of reference, a CV, a comprehensive project budget, a proposal describing the institution planned to be covered, and any relevant experience with that institution.

The deadline is Jan. 1.

For more information, click here: http://www.ethics.harvard.edu/images/resources/pdfs/call4investigativejournalists.pdf

Authors of essays in Spanish or books in any language other than Spanish or Catalan can participate in this contest.

The Fundación Palau and Galaxia Gutenberg are hosting the Josep Palau i Fabre International Essay Prize.

Categories include untranslated text and original text.

The untranslated text category accepts books that have been published outside of Spain during the last three years and that are originally written in any language but Catalan or Spanish. Writers can participate only if the work has not been translated into these languages before.

The original text category accepts essays written in Catalan or Spanish, with a humanistic, creative approach rather than academic to any discipline (philosophical essay, sociological, historical, literary, political and aesthetic).

Winners in each category will receive EUR5,000 (about US$6,750).

The deadline is Nov. 30.

For more information, in Spanish, click here: http://www.galaxiagutenberg.com/media/84804/v_premi0_internacional_de_ensayo_josep_palau_i_fabre.pdf

Journalists interested in covering religion can submit project proposals for a reporting fellowship.

The International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) is offering Luce Overseas Religion Reporting fellowships for U.S. and international journalists. ICFJ is seeking project proposals for the second round of its two-year program.

The program is designed to improve U.S. and global reporting on social issues related to religion and educate the American public about the role and nature of religion in cultural, political and economic realms.

Applicants must submit a preliminary project proposal of no more than 800 words outlining a research, reporting or writing assignment to be undertaken within approximately a four-month period.

Since the goal of the program is to produce published or broadcast stories, applicants should explain their expectations for how and when their stories or commentaries will appear. Applicants should also explain how they plan to advance the story (in quality, number of readers/listeners/viewers, or impact).

ICFJ will cover the flight for participants’ reporting, meals and a modest professional allowance. A mentor will be offered as they develop their story.

The deadline is Dec. 6.

For more information, click here: http://www.icfj.org/project-proposal-guidelines-1

PRAGUE — Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty has been targeted in an Internet attack known as a distributed denial of service (DDoS). 

The attack has disrupted RFE/RL’s global multimedia news and information services intermittently since November 14.

Nonetheless, its computer network was working on November 18 and broadcasts have continued normally.

The attack has not prevented the public from accessing RFE/RL’s web pages.

But it has slowed the ability of RFE/RL’s broadcasting services to upload fresh news stories, photographs, and video to the Internet.

RFE/RL President Kevin Klose said information is still being gathered about the attack, but he confirmed that it is believed to be «targeted.»

Klose said a decision was taken on November 18 to report on the attack in response to the needs of the broadcasters’ audiences, «who rely on RFE/RL reporting, and who themselves contend with countless obstacles to connect with us every day.»

RFE/RL’s content-management system also supports Voice of America, Middle East Broadcasting, and the Office of Cuba Broadcasting.

Those U.S. international media networks also have been adversely affected by the attacks but continue to operate.

Klose described the attack as «stark evidence of the challenges that confront the free dissemination and exchange of information in this age.»

A DDoS attack floods the target with fake requests that come from thousands or even millions of computers that have been compromised or infected with viruses or malware.

RFE/RL experienced a more limited DDoS attack against its Belarusian language service in 2008.

RFE/RL Director of Technology Luke Springer said the latest attack was discovered on November 14 when hardware for the international media organization’s computer network began receiving many times more requests than normal.

At the peak of the attack, the RFE/RL network was receiving requests for data from hundreds of thousands of computers every second.

Springer said that means there are probably more than 1 million malware-infected computers being directed by the attackers — most likely without the knowledge of the computer owners.

Technical investigations show that nearly 80 percent of the computers sending out requests for data as part of the DDoS attack are in China and nearly 20 percent are in Russia.

But Springer said those findings do not indicate who is responsible for the attack.

Attempts to make technical changes that counter the attack have temporarily alleviated the problem. But Springer said the attackers also have been changing their methods, allowing them to continue disrupting services intermittently.

Springer said the DDoS attack has not damaged RFE/RL’s network equipment. But he says that «filling up the Internet pipeline with so many bogus requests has caused a traffic jam.»

RFE/RL is a private, nonprofit organization funded by a grant from the U.S. Congress.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE

Office of the Spokesperson

For Immediate Release                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

November 7, 2013

2013/1360

STATEMENT BY JEN PSAKI, SPOKESPERSON

Presidential Election in Tajikistan

The United States concurs with the preliminary assessment of the election released in Dushanbe by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) Election Observation Mission.  While the election was peaceful, restrictive candidate-registration requirements resulted in a lack of pluralism and genuine choice.  Family, proxy, and multiple voting were also prevalent.   These are areas that have been identified for improvement in previous elections, and we call on the Tajik government to immediately address these serious shortcomings.  The United States is pleased that international organizations were allowed to participate as observers throughout the country.

Moving forward, we also call on the Tajik government to reform its legal framework in accordance with OSCE/ODIHR recommendations, and open up greater access to media to allow for a free, fair, and competitive platform for candidates.

Tajikistan has come a long way since the end of a brutal civil war.  We welcome the progress Tajikistan has made in improving its electoral process, but there is still a long way to go.  True democracy is about more than an Election Day.  We urge the Tajik government to begin working now to strengthen political pluralism, allow true opposition parties to operate, and expand operating space for independent media and civil society groups.

Print, broadcast or online journalists with five or more years of experience can apply for this fellowship.

The Kiplinger Program in Public Affairs Journalism offers short-term fellowships to help make better use of new online tools and channels. The fellowship runs April 6-11 at Ohio State University in Columbus.

Fellows will spend a week of training designed to fit journalists’ needs. They will explore creative uses of social media, investigative reporting, public affairs reporting, online data tools and ethical issues that come with social media.

The Kiplinger Foundation covers the costs of the training, lodging, most meals and a travel stipend.

Candidates must send a bio (maximum of 150 words), a short explanation of how the fellowship would benefit them and their newsroom (maximum of 200 words), two references contacts, and Web links to three recent stories. If your work requires that you write in a language other than English, you must provide originals and English translations.

The deadline is Nov. 30.

For more information, click here: http://www.kiplingerprogram.org/kiplinger_program/faq.html

Print, broadcast and online journalists worldwide can apply for fellowships to attend a course in London.

TrustMedia, a Thomson Reuters Foundation Service, offers a writing and reporting course Feb 10-14, 2014. The course combines face-to-face teaching with online study.

The core activity concerns the actual writing and reporting of news, as practiced by Reuters and other global agencies. Practical exercises form the core of the program, with an emphasis on improving basic reporting and writing skills including accuracy, impartiality, speed, clarity and structure.

Applicants must be working as a journalist or regular contributors to print, broadcast or online media organizations. They must be able to demonstrate a commitment to a career in journalism in their country, have at least two years of professional experience and a good level in spoken and written English.

Full bursaries are available for journalists from the developing world/countries in political transition working for organizations with no resources for training. Bursaries include return air travel (economy class), accommodation and a modest living allowance.

Thomson Reuters Foundation also offers training for journalists from any region from an organization that has the resources to fully cover the costs of the program.

The deadline is Nov 15.

For more information, click here: http://www.trust.org/course/?id=a05D000000HfCKEIA3

For Immediate Release                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

November 7, 2013

2013/1360

STATEMENT BY JEN PSAKI, SPOKESPERSON

Presidential Election in Tajikistan

The United States concurs with the preliminary assessment of the election released in Dushanbe by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) Election Observation Mission.  While the election was peaceful, restrictive candidate-registration requirements resulted in a lack of pluralism and genuine choice.  Family, proxy, and multiple voting were also prevalent.   These are areas that have been identified for improvement in previous elections, and we call on the Tajik government to immediately address these serious shortcomings.  The United States is pleased that international organizations were allowed to participate as observers throughout the country.

Moving forward, we also call on the Tajik government to reform its legal framework in accordance with OSCE/ODIHR recommendations, and open up greater access to media to allow for a free, fair, and competitive platform for candidates.

Tajikistan has come a long way since the end of a brutal civil war.  We welcome the progress Tajikistan has made in improving its electoral process, but there is still a long way to go.  True democracy is about more than an Election Day.  We urge the Tajik government to begin working now to strengthen political pluralism, allow true opposition parties to operate, and expand operating space for independent media and civil society groups.

Parviz Muborakshoev

Media Analyst

Public Affairs

U.S. Embassy

109-A Ismoili Somoni Ave.

Dushanbe, 734019, Tajikistan

tel: 229-23-18, cell: 98-580-80-92

email: MuborakshoevPA@state.gov

web: http://dushanbe.usembassy.gov/

U.S. Embassy on Facebook.com

A group of international observers said on November 7 that Tajikistan’s presidential election, won in a landslide by incumbent President Emomali Rahmon, lacked pluralism and genuine choice. 
Tajikistan’s Central Election Commission earlier in the day announced that Rahmon, 61, had won a new seven-year term in the November 6 election, with 83.6 percent of the vote.

Andreas Baker, presidential adviser to the OSCE’s Parliamentary Assembly and an OSCE election observer in Dushanbe, said that «while quiet and peaceful, this was an election without a real choice.»

In an interview with RFE/RL’s Tajik Service, Baker criticized Rahmon for taking advantage of his incumbency.

«While there was extensive state media coverage of the official activities of the incumbent president, that meant that he had a significant advantage throughout the campaign,» Baker said.

Rahmon ran against five little-known and largely loyal candidates after his only serious rival, Oilnihol Bobonazarova, was disqualified after failing to gather the required number of signatures.

Baker also mentioned irregularities in the election.

«The observation mission took note of widespread proxy voting, family voting, and group voting, as well as indications of ballot-box stuffing on election day,» he said.

Baker noted restrictive requirements that hampered the changes of potential candidates during the registration process.

«[There were] restrictions on candidate registry, including an unreasonably large number of signatures needed for potential candidates to register,» he said. «And that posed some significant obstacles to a number of nominees, and we found that to be at odds with OSCE commitments.»

The head of the Commonwealth of Independent States’ observer mission, Sergei Lebedev, praised the «significantly high voter turnout» in the election, officially put at 86.6 percent.

Lebedev said the CIS mission had recorded some incidents of multiple voting and other minor irregularities at some polling stations. However, Lebedev said those incidents would not have had any impact on the outcome of the election.

No Congratulations

The leader of the opposition Social Democrat Party, Rahmatillo Zoirov, said his party didn’t recognize the election and «would not congratulate Rahmon» on his victory.

Zoirov said Rahmon’s «team is not capable of improving and reforming the economic, political, and social situation in the country.» The Social Democrats boycotted the election.

A representative of the opposition Islamic Renaissance Party, Jaloliddin Mahmudov, said that «since there wasn’t any real competition in the election, the voting process was transparent.»

Bobonazarova, the disqualified opposition candidate, criticized the election as a «political show staged by election officials and candidates.»

«The candidates running against Rahmon gathered 210,000 supporters’ signatures to enter the race,» Bobonazarova said. «How is it possible that the number of votes they received was a lot less than that?»

With reporting by Reuters and AFP

http://www.rferl.org/content/tajikistan-election-president-rahmon-landslide-victory/25160688.html