Articles by Adil Soz – International Foundation for Protection of Freedom of Speech
Cameraman assaulted and equipment broken by authorities; media professionals accused of causing “public disturbance”
(Adil Soz/IFEX) – On 20 August 2006, police prevented 31 Channel-Aktau director, Stanislav Tokmashev, reporters Svetlana Sultangereyeva and Sandugash Shortanova, and cameraman Murat Bekmagambetov from carrying out their professional activities in Aktau, western Kazakhstan. The cameraman was hit over the head with a truncheon and his camera was broken by an officer. At the time […]
Writer Zhasaral Kuanyshalin sentenced to two years in jail, freed on amnesty
(Adil Soz/IFEX) – On 31 July 2006, writer and opposition politician Zhasaral Kuanyshalin was sentenced at Medeu district court in Almaty for “public insult or other infringement upon the honour and dignity of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan with the use of the mass information media” under Article 318 of the Criminal Code […]
Website office broken into, three computers stolen
(Adil Soz/IFEX) – On the night of 7-8 July 2006, unknown individuals broke into the offices of the website http://www.dialog.kz. They stole three computers and a printer, leaving other equipment and valuables untouched. The intruders entered the premises through a window. Police have launched a criminal investigation into the attack. Website project director Zhanibek Suleyev […]
Writer facing charges for “insulting” president
(Adil Soz/IFEX) – On 3 July 2006, the Medeu district court in Almaty held preliminary hearings in the case against opposition politician and writer Zhasaral Kuanyshalin on charges of “public insult or other infringement upon the honour and dignity of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan with the use of the mass information media”, […]
President signs restrictive media bill into law
(Adil Soz/IFEX) – On 5 July 2006, President Nursultan Nazarbayev signed into law the government bill “On Amendments and Additions to Some Legislative Acts of the Republic of Kazakhstan on Matters related to Mass Media”, despite numerous protests from local journalists and human rights organizations. The bill, proposed by Information Minister Yermukhamet Yertysbayev on 30 […]
Adil Soz protests new amendments to media laws proposed by Information Ministry
(Adil Soz/IFEX) – The following is a 24 June 2006 statement by the president of Adil Soz: Laws that regulate the work of local journalists get worse every year. Media laws already grant the Kazakh authorities the right to conduct scheduled and unscheduled inspections, and offer them broad grounds to fine (even to the point […]
Journalist questioned by national security body about online article, accused of “insulting” president
(Adil Soz/IFEX) – The National Security Committee (NSC) has launched an investigation into journalist Kazis Toguzbayev, who has been accused of insulting the honour and dignity of the president of Kazakhstan, following a 3 May 2006 article on the website http://www.kub.kz, entitled “Mafia regime shadows the murderers of Altynbek Sarsenbayev”. In his article, the journalist […]
“Aina plus” newspaper may be driven into bankruptcy by police officers’ lawsuits
(Adil Soz/IFEX) – The hearing of a lawsuit filed by Sergei Arhipov, the commander of a special police division, against PR-Agency Almaty International, which owns “Aina plus” newspaper, took place on 16 May 2006 at Medeu district court in Almaty. The lawsuit is in response to the 16 March publication of Arhipov’s photograph in the […]