Articles by Adil Soz – International Foundation for Protection of Freedom of Speech
Two journalists covering demonstration arrested, later released
(Adil Soz/IFEX) – On 20 December 2007, two journalists – Aizada Kutuyeva of the news agency 24.kg and Tolkun Namatbayeva of Agence France Presse – were arrested in the capital, Bishkek, while covering a demonstration against the outcome of parliamentary elections. Along with other protesters, they were taken to the city’s Interior Department. They were […]
Loss of government funding will lead to closure of state-run newspapers in Batken region, diminish free expression, says Adil Soz
(Adil Soz/IFEX) – The following is a joint statement by Adil Soz and newspaper journalists and editors in Batken region regarding the authorities’ intention to stop funding state-run newspapers: Dear Mr. President and Mr. Prime Minister, We, the staff of district and city state-run newspapers in Batken region, closely follow all the events that take […]
Several opposition newspapers harassed by authorities
(Adil Soz/IFEX) – The International Foundation for Protection of Freedom of Speech “Adil Soz” expresses its deep concern over the recent mass repression against independent media in Kazakhstan. Websites http://www.zonakz.net, http://www.geo.kz, http://www.kompromat.kz and internet radio station http://www.inkar.info remain blocked since 23 October 2007. The website http://www.kub.kz was removed from the Kazakh segment of the internet […]
Adil Soz, other NGOs issue joint statement on shortcomings of proposed media law reforms
(Adil Soz/IFEX) – The following is joint statement by Adil Soz and eight other freedom of expression organisations to members of the Kazakh Parliament, in response to media law amendments proposed by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Culture and Information: Dear Members of Parliament, Freedom of expression NGOs in Kazakhstan express […]
Editor, two journalists face criminal libel charges over concert review
(Adil Soz/IFEX) – The following is a statement by the National Association of Independent Mass Media of Tajikistan (NANSMIT), an Adil Soz partner: Saida Kurbonova, editor-in-chief of the “Ovoza” newspaper, and two of the newspaper’s journalists, Mukhaiyo Nozimova and Farangis Nabiyeva, are facing charges under Article 135 (“slander contained in public speeches”), Article 136 (“insult […]
Journalist faces libel lawsuit for reports critical of prosecutor
(Adil Soz/IFEX) – Senior prosecutor Baurzhan Ospanov plans to sue journalist Zhasaral Kuanyshalin for his critical reports in the newspapers “Zhas Alash”, “Taszhargan” and “Respublika”. The journalist had reported that the prosecutor was drunk and had misbehaved during court proceedings. Following the publication of the articles, Ospanov was pulled from the proceedings for which he […]
Journalist faces libel charges over article about beating of drug convict
(Adil Soz/IFEX) – Olga Ushakova, a journalist with “Ustinka Plus” newspaper in Ust-Kamenogorsk, eastern Kazakhstan, is facing libel charges under the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan over a 15 September 2006 article. The charges stem from a complaint filed by Eugeniyi Nazarenko, convicted on 31 August 2006 to three years in prison for […]
Journalist, newspaper fined in two separate lawsuits over critical articles
(Adil Soz/IFEX) – Journalist Gennady Benditskiy and the newspaper he works for, “Vremya”, have to pay a total of 1.7 million tenge (approx.US$14,000) to Justice Ministry officer Raikhan Useyev and lawyer Valeriy Alefirenko, following the courts’ affirmation of their lawsuits. On 29 June 2007, the Zhetesu district court in Almaty ordered “Vremya” and Benditskiy to […]