Escalating Digital Repression Threatens Civic Space and Free Expression

11 may, Brussels, Belgium In a new joint statement, International Partnership for Human Rights (IPHR), Kazakhstan International Bureau for Human Rights and Rule of Law (KIBHR), Association for Human Rights in Central Asia (AHRCA) and Turkmen Initiative for Human Rights (TIHR) warn about the escalating use of digital repression to silence dissent and restrict civic space across Central Asia.

The statement highlights concerns about online harassment campaigns, cyberattacks, website blocking, internet shutdowns and AI-enabled surveillance targeting independent civil society actors and media platforms. It raises particular alarm about the growing abuse of social media complaint mechanisms to remove independent content and restrict access to information online through coordinated and unfounded claims of violations of community rules. It also draws attention to the increasing use of legal prosecution to stifle critical online expression, typically through broadly worded charges such as disseminating “false” information or inciting “disobedience” or discord, as well as to cases of forcible psychiatric detention, alleged ill-treatment and transnational repression linked to online criticism. These practices illustrate how efforts to counter disinformation are being instrumentalised to suppress legitimate criticism in the digital sphere. The statement calls on Central Asian governments to end the misuse of legislation targeting online expression, halt harassment and intimidation of civil society actors, and ensure that digital spaces remain open, secure and accessible. It also urges other states and global social media platforms to take concrete measures to help protect digital civic space in the region and prevent the misuse of laws, technologies and online moderation systems to silence lawful expression. The statement was prepared for the OSCE Supplementary Human Dimension Meeting on “Safeguarding Civic Space in the Digital Age”, taking place in Vienna on 11–12 May 2026, and is intended to inform discussions at the meeting. The full statement is available on our website and can be downloaded below. Additional information on current trends affecting the rights of journalists, bloggers, and activists in Kazakhstan’s digital space is available in a separate briefing note prepared by KIBHR and IPHR for the Vienna meeting.