(Adil Soz/IFEX) – On 14 September 2005, Adil Soz reported that the Kazakh authorities have prevented the popular opposition newspaper “Respublika Delovoye Obozreniye” and its successors from being published. On 12 September, the Almaty Economic Court voided a process transferring the rights to issue a number of popular opposition newspapers from one company to another. […]
(Adil Soz/IFEX) – On 14 September 2005, Adil Soz reported that the Kazakh authorities have prevented the popular opposition newspaper “Respublika Delovoye Obozreniye” and its successors from being published.
On 12 September, the Almaty Economic Court voided a process transferring the rights to issue a number of popular opposition newspapers from one company to another. As a result, “Respublika Delovoye Obozreniye” and “Respublika Analiticheskiy Yezhenedelnik”, an analytical supplement, are prevented from publishing. On 25 August, the Supreme Court delivered a similar ruling against “Set KZ” newspaper, which is also run by the same editorial board.
“Respublika Delovoye Obozreniye” has been facing persecution since 2002. It was originally named “Respublika”, although that name has been changed by the editorial board a number of times. The publication has faced suspensions and lawsuits, its editorial office was set on fire and its editor-in-chief Irina Petrushova faced criminal charges and was forced to leave the country. The Information Ministry has also cancelled the registration of three successors of “Respublika”, including “Assandi Times”, and has failed to register four others.
