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Kazakhstan - Independent newspaper editor held by security agency

26 Jan 2012 15:20

Source: Content partner // Reporters Without Borders

Reporters Without Borders is outraged by the detention of Igor Vinyavsky (Игорь Винявский),the editor of the independent newspaper Vzglyad, since 23 January and calls for his immediaterelease.

Arrested in Almaty at the end of a series of raids on the offices of several independent newsmedia, Vinyavsky has been charged under article 170 of the criminal code with distributingleaflets calling for the government's overthrow. The charge carries a possible five-year jailsentence.

Mikhail Sizov, the editor of Alga, an opposition newspaper that was also searched, wasquestioned for the entire day on 23 January by the Committee for State Security (KNB) beforebeing released.

Vzglyad has not been able to publish since the raids because all of its computers were seized.Vinyavsky's personal computers were also seized during a search of his home on the evening of23 January. An Almaty court is due to decide tomorrow whether he is to remain in custody.

Harassment of independent journalists has been mounting since a violent crackdown on riotingoil workers in the western city of Zhanaozen on 16 December. Members of a crew workingfor Stan TV, an independent TV station, were detained for an hour in Zhanaozen on11 January. Two days later, 15 Stan TV employees - almost all of the station's staff - weresummoned to KNB headquarters for interrogation.

They were questioned about their coverage of the Zhanaozen riot although none of Stan TV'sstaff were in the city on the day it took place. The station was however one of the first newsoutlets to broadcast video footage filmed by netizens showing the police using violence againstdemonstrators.