Kazakh authors protest state audit of copyright society KazAK

September 7, 2026 at 12:00 PM2 min

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Kazakh authors and cultural figures held a press conference in Almaty to protest an audit of the Kazakh Authors' Society (KazAK) launched on August 27, 2026. They claim the audit, involving the Almaty prosecutor's office, the Ministry of Justice, and the National Institute of Intellectual Property (Kazpatent), is illegal and constitutes administrative pressure. International organizations CISAC, IFRRO, and IAF have appealed to President Tokayev expressing serious concern.

Key Facts

The audit of KazAK was ordered on August 27, 2026, under the leadership of the Almaty prosecutor's office and the Ministry of Justice.
A demand for 39 categories of documents from KazAK was issued on September 1, 2026, covering a period of more than three and a half years.
International organizations CISAC, IFRRO, and IAF appealed to President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev expressing serious concern over the situation.
Poet and publicist Mukan Mamytkhan, playwright and writer Shayakhmet Alzhanbay, and composer and singer Kadyrgali Kobentay publicly spoke at the press conference.
KazAK filed a complaint with the Prosecutor General and demanded the suspension of the audit.

The Audit

The audit of the Kazakh Authors' Society (KazAK) was ordered on August 27, 2026, under the leadership of the Almaty prosecutor's office and the Ministry of Justice. A demand for 39 categories of documents from KazAK was issued on September 1, 2026, covering a period of more than three and a half years. According to resolution No. 726197500100014, KazAK has claims regarding the absence of a legal basis for the audit and the excess of authority. KazAK filed a complaint with the Prosecutor General and demanded the suspension of the audit.

Creative Community Response

Poet and publicist Mukan Mamytkhan, playwright and writer Shayakhmet Alzhanbay, and composer and singer Kadyrgali Kobentay publicly spoke at the press conference. They stated that the audit is a continuation of a conflict that has lasted for several years. Representatives of the creative community and KazAK have previously repeatedly declared what they consider illegal audits, double standards, and attempts to transfer the functions of independent authors' societies to the state Kazpatent. The participation of Kazpatent specialists in the current audit caused a particularly sharp reaction.

International Concern

International organizations CISAC, IFRRO, and IAF appealed to President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev expressing serious concern over the situation. The appeal underscores the international dimension of the conflict over the independence of copyright protection in Kazakhstan.