Karaganda Region Prosecutor's Office took control over the investigation of the attack on Diana Saparkyzy

The Prosecutor's Office of Karaganda region took control of the investigation of the case of obstruction of the legal professional activities of journalist Diana Saparkyzy. This information became known from the letter of the regional prosecutor B. Myrzakerov in response to the appeal of the «Adil Soz» foundation to the deputies of the Mazhilis (lower house of the Parliament).
Recall that on August 18, security guards from the «Kazakhstanskaya» mine of the company «ArcelorMittal Temirtau» - B. Tirkyn and E. Zhanshin attacked the correspondent of the KazTAG news agency Diana Saparkyzy while the filming what was happening at the mine. One of the men took the journalist's phone and deleted the files, while the other held her back. Initially, the Shakhtinsk city police drew up only a protocol on administrative offence against B. Tirkyn under Article 73-1 of the Administrative Code (Intentional infliction of slight damage to health). Later, at the insistence of the «Adil Soz» foundation and the journalist's lawyer Shirin Amirgalieva, a criminal investigation was initiated under Article 158 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan (Interfering with legal professional activity of journalist).
The administrative investigation was terminated on October 27, with the reason being the initiation of a criminal investigation. On November 8, Senior Investigator of the Shakhtinsk City Police, K. Baisaitova terminated the criminal investigation, citing the termination of the administrative investigation against the security guards.
On January 23, the Prosecutor's Office of the Karaganda Region annulled the decision of the Shakhtinsk City Police to terminate the pre-trial investigation into the obstruction of the lawful professional activities of journalist Diana Saparkyzy.
In connection with this, the «Adil Soz» foundation made a statement in which it expressed the hope that this decision could change the current negative trend and contribute to the fact that Article 158 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan will become effective. The statement of the foundation was also sent to the deputies of the Mazhilis of the Parliament with a request to support the actions of the Prosecutor's Office with a parliamentary enquiry and to note the need to bring to court cases of obstruction of professional activities of journalists, especially in cases of physical violence against women journalists.