“Travel agency principal who deceived pilgrims was detained.” “Scammers deceive about 50 pilgrims from Almaty and Shymkent.” “Tokayev demands to punish those who deceived Kazakhstanis who went to Mecca for hajj.” These are the headlines of Kazakhstan media during the pilgrimage of Muslims to holy places. CABAR.asia figures out why there are problems related to hajj. (more…)

Sometimes journalists of Kazakhstan have to catch running ministers in corridors, literally hustle into government elevators to ask questions to high-ranking officials and always be prepared for a detention by the police from any public event. Has it always been like that? (more…)

Religious leaders, particular persons preaching religious values use social media to communicate with the audience. How to identify those ‘digital preachers’ who aim for destruction? (more…)

Some commentators on social media justify the homicide of Saltanat Nukenova, wife of ex-head of the ministry of national economy of Kazakhstan, by religion. CABAR.asia asked experts if religion truly justifies abuse of women. (more…)

The war in Ukraine has brought issues of self-identification and national identity in Central Asian states into focus. According to researchers, decolonisation issues had been discussed in the expert community previously, but it has gone beyond academic limits after the outbreak of the war. However, the degree of knowledge of the colonial past and decolonisation processes in the countries of the region is very diverse and it is often the political issue.

(more…)

Lakshmi Mittal, owner of ArcelorMittal Temirtau, has enjoyed the support of ex-President Nursultan Nazarbayev. “No one could tell a word to Mittal,” this is how ex-prime minister of Kazakhstan, Serik Akhmetov, described the one considered guilty of the tragedy that unfolded on October 28, 2023 at the Kostenko Mine that claimed 46 lives. These words could be considered as the explanation of why a foreign investor with 180 fatalities at his plants for almost 30 years would stay in Kazakhstan. (more…)

Direct elections of akims (mayors) of districts and cities of regional subordination took place in Kazakhstan on November 5, 2023. This really historical event went smoothly: no scandalous electoral race, no critical statements or revelations. Most of winners are members of the ruling party Amanat. Moreover, 41 of 45 winners have already been akims or deputy akims. Can these elections be called valid? (more…)

‘Not just for your information’ – this is the principle of work of new media in Kazakhstan. They try to establish communication between the society and authority, to make officials revise their attitudes to their duties. And they have succeeded in it. (more…)

Recently, relatives of a patient who died in a hospital in Talgar (a town near Almaty) beat medical workers who refused to return the body to them. This is not the first case of violence against medical workers in Kazakhstan. (more…)

There are concerns that Russian disinformation and extremist groups may instrumentalise the conflict. (more…)