Russian Propagandist Kandelaki Banned From Entering Kazakhstan

Previously, she accused the country's authorities of discriminating against the Russian language.

Deputy head of Gazprom Media and director of the TNT television channel Tina Kandelaki has become persona non grata in Kazakhstan. Previously, she accused the country's authorities of discriminating against the Russian language. Official representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Aibek Smadiyarov said that Kandelaki would no longer be able to enter Kazakhstan, The Moscow Times writes.

“If you don’t like someone, you won’t let them into your home. We will do the same. If necessary, measures will be taken. <…> The state never forgives this. She will not come to Kazakhstan, and if she does come, she will not enter,” Smadiyarov said.

On January 16, Kandelaki commented on the news about the intention of the Kazakh authorities to rename railway stations in the country. “In Kazakhstan, slowly but surely they continue to displace the Russian language at the state level. <…> For example, they propose replacing the station “Uralsk” with “Oral”, “Uzen” with “Zhanaozen”, etc.,” she wrote.

Kandelaki called this a “very dangerous trend,” citing the “experience” of the Baltic countries. “Here, too, everything started small, and then grew like a real snowball: Russian schools were closed, Soviet monuments were removed, the Russian language was banned, and, finally, pensioners were kicked out into the cold,” said the propagandist.