CPJ condemns closure of leading opposition weekly by Information Ministry
(CPJ/IFEX) – The following is a 10 May 2005 CPJ press release: KAZAKHSTAN: Information Ministry orders closure of opposition weekly New York, May 10, 2005 – CPJ condemns the closure of the leading opposition weekly Respublika Delovoye Obozreniye (Republic Business Review) by The Kazakh Culture, Information, and Sports Ministry. Last Thursday in Almaty, Kazakhstan’s financial […]
Information Ministry shuts down “Respublika Business Review” newspaper
(Adil Soz/IFEX) – On 4 May 2005, the Culture, Information and Sport Ministry’s Information and Archives Committee shut down “Respublika Business Review” (“Respublika Delovoye Obozreniye”) newspaper and “Respublika Analytical Weekly” (“Respublika Analiticheskiy Yezhenedelnik”) newspapers after an Appeals Court upheld an earlier 25 March district court ruling. “Respublika Business Review”‘s editorial board received a letter of […]
Newspaper, journalists convicted of defamation and fined
(Adil Soz/IFEX) – On 6 April 2005, a Medeu District Court judge in Almaty found “Zhas Alash” newspaper and journalists Ruslan Yerbota and Yerik Rahimov guilty of defamation. The court obliged the paper to pay 100,000 tenge (approx. US$750) in moral damages to plaintiff Serik Abdrahmanov, a deputy in the lower house of Parliament. Yerbota […]
Exiled editor of Kazakh opposition weekly detained for two days
(CPJ/IFEX) – The following is a 25 April 2005 CPJ press release: RUSSIA: Exiled editor of Kazakh opposition weekly detained for two days New York, April 25, 2005 – Police in the Russian city of Volokolamsk detained Irina Petrushova, editor of the Kazakh opposition weekly Respublika Delovoye Obozreniye, for two days at the request of […]
Documents and electronic files stolen from opposition newspaper editor’s flat
(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 […]
Public Committee to Protect Freedom of Speech protests increasing pressure on independent media in lead up to presidential election
(Adil Soz/IFEX) – In a 9 March 2005 statement, the Public Committee to Protect Freedom of Speech, of which Adil Soz president Tamara Kaleyeva is a member, protested against the increasing pressure faced by independent mass media. The statement follows: ADDRESS OF THE PUBLIC COMMITTEE TO PROTECT FREEDOM OF SPEECH IN KAZAKHSTAN After examining numerous […]
Court orders newspaper to stop publishing
(Adil Soz/IFEX) – On 25 March 2005, the Inter-District Economic Court in Almaty held final hearings in the case against the Bestau company, which owns “Respublika” newspaper. The Culture, Information and Sport Ministry’s Information and Archives Committee filed the lawsuit after the newspaper published transcripts of an interview given by Vladimir Zhirinovsky, the Russian Parliament’s […]
Copies of opposition newspapers seized
(Adil Soz/IFEX) – The press agency of the dissolved Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan (DVK) party stated that, in February 2005, police officers stepped up efforts to seize copies of “Dauys DVK” newspaper from the newspaper’s distributors. The DVK has been shut down by court order. On 8 February, police officers watching a DVK branch building […]
Lawsuit launched against newspaper’s owner
(Adil Soz/IFEX) – The Culture, Information and Sport Ministry has launched a lawsuit against the Bastau company, which owns the newly established “Respublika Analiticheskiy Yezhenedelnik” (“Respublika Analytical Weekly”) newspaper, demanding that the company be liquidated. The suit was launched after the newspaper published transcripts of an interview given by Vladimir Zhirinovsky, the Russian parliament’s (Duma) […]
Journalist found guilty of defamation
(Adil Soz/IFEX) – On 16 February 2005, the Arkalyk city court held a final hearing in the case against journalist Zhumat Anesuly. Anesuly was charged with defaming city akim (mayor) Zhomart Tubekbayev under Article 129 of Kazakhstan’s Criminal Code. The charges stemmed from a 28 October 2004 article in “Zhas Alash” newspaper, entitled “Aydalada Kalgan […]
Newspaper faces criminal charges for “insulting” president
(Adil Soz/IFEX) – On 2 February 2005, Kazakhstan’s National Security Committee brought charges against “Juma Times-Data Nedeli” newspaper for insulting the honour and dignity of the President under Article 318 of the Kazakhstani Criminal Code. The charges stemmed from a 12 November 2004 article entitled, “It is Time to Know Whom to Vote For”, which […]
“Respublika” newspaper reporter attacked
(Adil Soz/IFEX) – Andrey Klimonov, a freelance reporter for “Respublika” newspaper and former director of the Kazakhstan Bureau for Human Rights and Rule of Law’s Aktobe office, was attacked by five unidentified individuals on 30 December 2004 at 10:00 p.m. (local time) near his home in Aktobe. The attackers asked him, “Are you Andrey Klimonov?”, […]
Investigation reopened into harassment of journalist
(Adil Soz/IFEX) – The Internal Affairs Ministry has reopened the investigation of Colonel Berik Bilyalov for allegedly “provoking” reporter Grigoriy Melnikov, of “Vremya” newspaper. The ministry’s investigations unit reinstated criminal charges against Bilyalov, who was accused of “deliberately provoking” Melnikov under Article 308, Part 4, of the Kazakhstan Criminal Code (abuse of professional position for […]
Access to opposition party website blocked
(Adil Soz/IFEX) – On 7 January 2005, access to the Ak Zhol opposition party’s official website, http://www.dpkakzhol.kz, was blocked. Users attempting to access the Ak Zhol website were automatically redirected to the website of internet services provider Nursat at http://w3.nursat.net/, where the following message was posted: “The page you are looking for is currently unavailable”. […]
RSF calls for reopening of investigation into journalist’s death
(RSF/IFEX) – RSF has called for the investigation into the death of Internet journalist Askhat Sharipzhanov to be reopened. The organisation’s appeal came three days after an Almaty court sentenced Kanat Kalzhanov to three and a half years of hard labour for having struck the journalist with his car on 16 July 2004. Sharipzhanov died […]
National Security Committee initiates lawsuit against newspaper’s owner
(Adil Soz/IFEX) – On 23 December 2004, the Special Inter-District Economic Court in Almaty held pre-trial hearings in the case against Ak tas Ltd., which owns “Soz” newspaper and has been charged with publishing false information. The National Security Committee (NSC) filed a lawsuit after the author of a 23 September “Soz” article wrote that […]