(Adil Soz/IFEX) – On 30 March 2005, unidentified individuals broke into the flat of Alberg Zhiger, an editor-in-chief of “Alternativa”, the only opposition newspaper in Zhambyl region. In Zhiger’s absence, burglars forced the door of his flat open and took disks containing archive materials belonging to the paper’s editorial board and information needed for the […]
(Adil Soz/IFEX) – On 30 March 2005, unidentified individuals broke into the flat of Alberg Zhiger, an editor-in-chief of “Alternativa”, the only opposition newspaper in Zhambyl region. In Zhiger’s absence, burglars forced the door of his flat open and took disks containing archive materials belonging to the paper’s editorial board and information needed for the paper’s next edition. The intruders also took important notebooks and other documents, but left cash, electronic gear, a computer and other valuables.
Zhiger believes the robbery is linked to his work. He had planned to go to the capital, Almaty, on 29 March to attend the founding meeting of a new public movement, called “For A Fair Kazakhstan”. According to Zhiger, on the evening of 18 March, two police officers, identifying themselves as district militia officers, visited him at his home and ordered him to go with them to the regional Prosecutor’s Office. At the Prosecutor’s Office, he was questioned about the purpose of his planned visit to Almaty and the officers then tried to dissuade him from going on the trip. On the day of the planned trip, Zhiger was taken off the train shortly before its departure, on the pretext that his documents and personal items needed to be checked.
Zhiger filed a report with the local Internal Affairs Department about the break-in at his flat.
