Reporters held by national television station security guards
(Adil Soz/IFEX) – On 24 December 2004, security guards for the Kazakhstan national television station forcibly detained KTK television station reporter Yaroslav Krasiyenko and cameraman Lamzar Lyusan. Krasiyenko and Lyusan were held for about two hours. The camera crew was filming city winter scenes at the time of the incident. After Lyusan began to film […]
Police and security guards obstruct camera crew, confiscate videotape
(Adil Soz/IFEX) – On 24 November 2004, a camera crew for the Channel 31 news programme “Informburo” was harassed by security guards while filming a picket at the Almaty “akimat” (the city Mayor’s Office). The picket was organised by an elderly Almaty resident to protest the use by city officials in their speeches of the […]
Journalist faces harassment from police
(Adil Soz/IFEX) – Adil Soz has sent letters to the Prosecutor General’s Office and the South Kazakh regional prosecutor, expressing its concern that Grigoriy Melnikov, a staff reporter for “Vremya” newspaper, is being persecuted by law enforcement agencies for his criticism of them. In the September 2004 edition of “Vremya”, Melnikov published an article entitled, […]
Court decision puts pressure on newspaper
(Adil Soz/IFEX) – On 18 October 2004, the Medeu District Court in Almaty issued a ruling against “Argumenty i fakty” newspaper. The case was filed by Maksut Orazai, a private citizen who accused the paper of “neglecting official names.” The court ruled that “Argumenty i fakty” was obliged to use only the official names of […]
Journalists’ rights violated during elections
(Adil Soz/IFEX) – The International Foundation for Protection of Freedom of Speech, Adil Soz, has documented 39 cases of violations of journalists’ rights surrounding the 19 September 2004 elections for the Majilis (lower chamber of Parliament). The vast majority of cases (26 out of 39) involved camera crews that were denied information about the elections […]
Vendors prohibited from selling opposition newspaper
(Adil Soz/IFEX) – Just prior to the 19 September 2004 elections for the Majilis, Kazakhstan’s lower chamber of parliament, unidentified individuals in civilian clothing prohibited vendors from selling “Respublica” newspaper. The individuals introduced themselves as “akimat” (local executive branch) officials and presented unclear documents prohibiting the distribution of “Respublica”. According to “Respublica” readers, most vendors […]
Restrictions lifted against journalist
(CPJ/IFEX) – The following is a 17 August 2004 CPJ press release: KAZAKHSTAN: Restrictions lifted against journalist New York, August 17, 2004-The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is pleased that restrictions have been lifted against journalist Sergei Duvanov, who was released from prison on probation in January. Yesterday, August 16, a district court in Kazakhstan’s […]
Presidential administration threatens to file lawsuits against foreign media outlets, court rules against newspaper
(Adil Soz/IFEX) – During a 21 July 2004 meeting, President Nursultan Nazarbayev informed the heads of local media that the presidential administration has hired a group of lawyers and plans to file lawsuits against foreign mass media outlets immediately after they publish or broadcast information aimed at “discrediting” Kazakhstan. The president said, “We are an […]
RSF calls for investigation after opposition journalist killed under suspicious circumstances
(RSF/IFEX) – RSF has called for an investigation after journalist Askhat Sharipzhanov, of the online publication “Navigator” (http://www.navi.kz), died in an Almaty hospital five days after he was hit by a car. The organisation urged Interior Minister Zautbek Turisbekov to ensure that an open investigation is launched, “to clear up doubts about the journalist’s cause […]
Freedom House calls on Central Asian governments to lift restrictions on press freedom
(Freedom House/IFEX) – The following is a 10 May 2004 Freedom House press release: CENTRAL ASIAN GOVERNMENTS MUST LIFT RESTRICTIONS ON PRESS FREEDOM May 10, 2004, NEW YORK – The continuing infringement on media freedom in Central Asia is one of the major human rights abuses plaguing the region, Freedom House said today. According to […]
Journalist’s prison sentence commuted
(CPJ/IFEX) – The following is a 27 April 2004 CPJ press release: KAZAKHSTAN: Journalist’s prison sentence commuted New York, April 27, 2004-The prison sentence of Kazakh journalist Vladimir Mikhailov, director of Rifma Ltd. media company and founder of the opposition weekly Diapazon, was commuted yesterday into 180 hours of community service, according to the Almaty-based […]
IPI welcomes president’s veto of Law on Mass Media
(IPI/IFEX) – The following is a 22 April 2004 IPI press release: Vienna, 22 April 2004 IPI Welcomes Kazakh President’s Veto of Law on Mass Media The International Press Institute (IPI), the global network of editors, leading journalists and media executives in over 120 countries, welcomes the decision by the President of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev, […]
CPJ concerned about deteriorating press freedom conditions
(CPJ/IFEX) – In a 1 April 2004 letter to President Nursultan Nazarbayev, CPJ expressed its concern about the deteriorating press freedom conditions in Kazakhstan, including the politicised legal prosecution of independent journalists. On 17 March, a court in the northwestern city of Aktobe sentenced Vladimir Mikhailov, director of Rifma Ltd. media company and founder of […]
Managing editor of weekly imprisoned
(RSF/IFEX) – RSF has expressed concern over the case of Vladimir Mikhailov, managing editor of the independent weekly “Diapazon”. On 16 March 2004, a court in Aktobe, western Kazakhstan, sentenced the journalist to one year in prison for failing to apply a court ruling in a case involving the offices of “Diapazon”‘s publisher, the Arsenal […]
WAN concerned over approval of new media law by Parliament
(WAN/IFEX) – The following is an 18 March 2004 WAN and World Editors Forum letter to President Nursultan Nazarbaev: Nursultan Nazarbaev President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Office of the President 11 Mira Street Astana, 473000 Kazakhstan Fax: +7-3172-323-073 18 March 2004 Your Excellency, We are writing on behalf of the World Association of Newspapers […]
Sports journalist assaulted
(RSF/IFEX) – On 11 March 2004, sports journalist Maxim Khartashov was attacked and beaten by two unidentified assailants in Almaty. Khartashov has frequently exposed corruption scandals in Kazakhstan’s sports sector. RSF expressed concern about the attack on Khartashov, a journalist from the opposition weekly “Vremya”. It was the second incident involving a sports journalist in […]