(Adil Soz/IFEX) – On 8 December 2005, Almaty police stopped a vehicle that was delivering copies of the opposition newspaper “Juma Times”. The incident took place only a few meters from its printing press. Police ordered the driver to take the car to the Medeo District Police Department, saying they had to seize all copies […]
(Adil Soz/IFEX) – On 8 December 2005, Almaty police stopped a vehicle that was delivering copies of the opposition newspaper “Juma Times”. The incident took place only a few meters from its printing press. Police ordered the driver to take the car to the Medeo District Police Department, saying they had to seize all copies of the newspaper because it was being “distributed illegally.” The police failed to show a seizure warrant or court decision making the paper’s distribution illegal.
Yermurat Bapi, chief editor of the closed opposition newspaper “SolDat”, believes the seizure is related to reports criticizing the Presidential campaign of 2004 as marred by serious violations and reports on a trial.
It was the third police seizure of an opposition newspaper in the last three months.
On 3 November, police officers seized 100,000 copies of “Juma Times” from two cars that were transporting copies to the printing press. That time, police had also failed to show any formal documents permitting the seizure.
Furthermore, newspaper vendors reported in October and November that police authorities regularly tried to prevent them from selling papers and seized copies in Almaty and Astana, the capital.
