(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 […]
(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 unidentified individuals used a hidden camera to film Ak Zhol party leaders having lunch at a café and alleged that NSC officers were involved in the incident.
In October, the NSC sent a notice to Ak Tas, calling for “Soz” to issue a retraction and apology. However, the editorial board failed to comply with the NSC’s demand. In response, the NSC initiated a lawsuit “based on protection of honour, dignity and business reputation”, demanding 5 million tenge (approx. US$38,500) in compensation.
During the pre-trial hearings, the newspaper’s attorney, Utkin, argued that the paper’s owner was not the correct defendant because it was not the paper’s publisher and, as such, another legal entity should be considered liable. As a result, the lawsuit was suspended to determine who the defendant should be.
