Hronika.kz journalist Olga Voronko’s car tires slashed and vehicle doused with green dye

In Pavlodar, the car of Hronika.kz journalist Olga Voronko was vandalized during the night of 2 September: its tires were slashed and the vehicle was doused with green antiseptic dye. According to the outlet, that same night the lock on the apartment door of an editor from another Pavlodar-based website was also damaged.

Voronko believes the incident may be linked to her professional activities, although there is currently no evidence implicating any specific individuals. Among her recent publications were reports concerning Bekzat Orazov, the former head of the Pavlodar Region Defence Affairs Department, as well as wanted individual Sultan Ichiyev. Voronko wrote that her car was damaged after one of her articles about a person associated with Ichiyev.

Shortly before the incident, the Hronika.kz editorial team also received a formal complaint from the Ministry of Defence demanding changes to an article about Orazov and the publication of a retraction. In particular, the ministry challenged wording in the article concerning the serviceman’s dismissal and a reference to an alleged “curse.”

Voronko had previously reported in detail on Orazov’s conflict with the Pavlodar regional department of the National Security Committee, the criminal cases that followed, and his subsequent reinstatement.