Journalist of newspaper «Uralskaya Nedelya» Lukpan Akhmedyarov was wounded seriously

The journalist of newspaper "Uralskaya Nedelya" Lukpan Akhmedyarov was wounded seriously yesterday evening outside his home. L. Akhmedyarov was attacked by at least five unidentified men, who shot him from air gun and stabbed him several times. He was taken to the regional hospital where he underwent emergency surgery.

Doctors said that he had suffered a serious head injury and eight stab wounds to the lungs, kidneys, stomach and other vital organs, and his body had traces of air gun pellets. They said he was in a serious condition, but his wife not in danger after four hour surgical operation.

L. Akhmedyarov's recent papers had criticized the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan N. A. Nazarbayev's government and had condemned the regional authorities' unwillingness to address the December clashes between police and oil workers in the town of zhanaozen.

The day before the attack, his wife, Aygul said about telephone call to her from unidentified men, who tried to intimidate her. They told her to persuade her husband to stop critisizing the authorities in his articles and to halt his militant activities.

Servicemen of International Foundation for Protection of Freedom of Speech "Adil Soz" have provided information on attack cases on journalist (in particular, dozen of attacks on journalists are perpetrated annualy). But, none of them was qualified under article 155 "Interference in the Legal Professional Activity of a Journalist" of Criminal Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The attack on Lukpan Akhmedyarov has been connected with criminal offence against the life and health. It was third one for last six months.