Articles by Adil Soz – International Foundation for Protection of Freedom of Speech
CAPSULE REPORT: Legal situation for media deteriorating; three more newspapers face continued sanctions over registration requirements
(Adil Soz/IFEX) – The following is a 19 April 2006 Adil Soz capsule report: The International Foundation for Protection of Freedom of Speech, Adil Soz, is alarmed by the general trend in media legislation in Kazakhstan. An analysis demonstrates that Kazakhstan has the strictest media legislation in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). Many of […]
Journalist’s apartment robbed, links made to reporting
(Adil Soz/IFEX) – On 11 April 2006 in Almaty, unknown individuals broke into the apartment of Ramazan Yesergepov, a journalist for “Alma-ata info” newspaper, in his absence. The intruders forced Yesergepov’s entrance door open and stole some gold items from his house. The police arrived 45 minutes later, saying they did not have enough gasoline […]
Editor of “Versiya” newspaper assaulted in Pavlodar
(Adil Soz/IFEX) – On 13 April 2006 at approximately 7:00 p.m. (local time), the editor of “Versiya” newspaper, Yaroslav Golyshkin, was assaulted by two unknown persons on the porch of his house in Pavlodar, northern Kazakhstan The assailants approached the journalist and asked him if he could light their cigarettes, then subjected him to a […]
“Alma-ata info” newspaper facing charges
(Adil Soz/IFEX) – The “Alma-ata info” newspaper is facing charges under article 342 of the Administrative Code of Kazakhstan, for allegedly violating the law on mass media. A lawsuit has been filed by the local government’s internal politics department in Almaty, Kazakhstan. In its lawsuit, the Almaty City council claims “Alma-ata info” newspaper failed to […]
Two newspapers, journalist and opposition politician fined in two separate cases for “moral damages” to Canadian businessman
(Adil Soz/IFEX) – On 10 March 2006, the Medeu District Court in Almaty fined local businessman and opposition politician Bulat Abilov and the Duniye company, which owns “Svoboda Slova” newspaper, 1 million tenge (approx. US$7,800) and 50,000 tenge (approx. US$400), respectively, for “moral damages” in a lawsuit launched by Canadian businessman Adonis Derbas. Derbas, seeking […]
New government decree threatens freedom of the press
(Adil Soz/IFEX) – The following is a joint statement by Adil Soz and The International In-Service Training Center for Journalists: Adil Soz expresses concern over the new accreditation procedure being imposed by the Uzbekistan government on local and foreign journalists. The new accreditation rules, contained in the government decree of 24 February 2006, “On adopting […]
Court closes down opposition newspaper “Juma Times”
(Adil Soz/IFEX) – On 6 March 2006, following a prosecutor’s lawsuit, the Specialized Economic Inter-district Court of Almaty delivered a ruling, ordering the closure of the Zhumash-Kokberi company, owners of “Juma Times” newspaper, and the subsequent cancellation of that newspaper’s registration. The company was convicted on charges, under article 100 of the Election Campaigning Rules, […]
Journalist briefly detained by border guards
(Adil Soz/IFEX) – On 28 February 2006, Mekhribon Betiyeva, a reporter for Radio Liberty, Kazakhstan, was detained by Kazakh border guards near the Kazakhstan-Uzbekistan border, after having interviewed local residents. At the time, she was working on a story about a conflict between Kazakh frontier guards and an Uzbekistan citizen. The journalist said she earlier […]