Journalist Tokbergen Abiyev disappeared
24 december 2012
December 24, 2012
On December 20, 2012 journalist, head of the Astana-based press club “Alliance of Kazakhstan's Media” “Zakon I Pravosudie” Tokbergen Abiyev disappeared.
He told Kazakh journalists in a mass text message on December 20 that he was holding a press conference at noon the next day which would be a “sensation”. In the message, Abiyev said the title of the press conference would be “The corrupt must be jailed”
On December 20, 2012 in the evening at 21.00 p.m. he has left his house and gone to office of press club. Tokbergen said to his wife, that he should prepare for forthcoming press conference.
Abiyev was last seen at his office at the press club at around 22.00 p.m., where he asked his colleague Andrey Taranov's laptop to go pick up important materials for the press conference. The journalist said to Taranov that he would come back and asked to wait for him at the office.
Tokbergen Abiyev's wife called to him at around 01.00 a.m. on December 21, 2012, but he did not pick up his mobile phone. Andrey Taranov called him at around 04 a.m., but got an automated response that the subscriber was out of coverage. Abiyev did not reply on SMS-messages.
On December 22, 2012 a wife of Tokbergen Abiev and his colleague Musagali Duambekov have submitted a written statement to the Department of Internal Affairs and posted their statement on websites of the General Prosecutor's Office and Department of Committee of National Security of Astana.
Being editor-in-chief of the newspaper “Zakon I Pravosudie” Tokbergen Abiev was sentenced to three years of imprisonment in July 2008. He was charged with bribe. According to press release of financial police, he tried to give USD3000 to the Responsible Employee of Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan on Fighting with Economic and Corruption Crimes (Financial Police) for submission of compromising information on officer of judicial agency. There was no any information on official, who intended to take a bribe, his surname, position and punishment. Probably, proposal to sell compromising information it was a trap for Tokbergen Abiev.
On March 11, 2009 Sary-Arka District Court of Astana has passed the second sentence Tokbergen Abieyev. He was sentenced to three years of imprisonment for failure to pay moral damages.It was connected with judgment of 2008, when T. Abiyev was taken into custody on recovery of KZT5000000 from T. Abiyev and owner of the newspaper “Zakon I Pravosudie” LLP “ATS.KZ” by suit of E. Manayev about protection of honour and dignity.
After Abiyev was released from jail, he tried to register some newspapers, including newspaper with title “The corrupt must be jailed” but authority denied his request, saying that newspapers with this title had already registered. Abiyev then founded a press club “Alliance of Kazakhstan's Media” “Zakon I Pravosudie” and Internet-portal abiyev.kz.
We would remind you that in 2008 a journalist of newspaper “Zakon I Pravosudie” Oragalaysha Omarashanova (Zhabagtaykyzy) disappeared. The search of a missing journalist is still led to nothing.
On December 20, 2012 journalist, head of the Astana-based press club “Alliance of Kazakhstan's Media” “Zakon I Pravosudie” Tokbergen Abiyev disappeared.
He told Kazakh journalists in a mass text message on December 20 that he was holding a press conference at noon the next day which would be a “sensation”. In the message, Abiyev said the title of the press conference would be “The corrupt must be jailed”
On December 20, 2012 in the evening at 21.00 p.m. he has left his house and gone to office of press club. Tokbergen said to his wife, that he should prepare for forthcoming press conference.
Abiyev was last seen at his office at the press club at around 22.00 p.m., where he asked his colleague Andrey Taranov's laptop to go pick up important materials for the press conference. The journalist said to Taranov that he would come back and asked to wait for him at the office.
Tokbergen Abiyev's wife called to him at around 01.00 a.m. on December 21, 2012, but he did not pick up his mobile phone. Andrey Taranov called him at around 04 a.m., but got an automated response that the subscriber was out of coverage. Abiyev did not reply on SMS-messages.
On December 22, 2012 a wife of Tokbergen Abiev and his colleague Musagali Duambekov have submitted a written statement to the Department of Internal Affairs and posted their statement on websites of the General Prosecutor's Office and Department of Committee of National Security of Astana.
Being editor-in-chief of the newspaper “Zakon I Pravosudie” Tokbergen Abiev was sentenced to three years of imprisonment in July 2008. He was charged with bribe. According to press release of financial police, he tried to give USD3000 to the Responsible Employee of Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan on Fighting with Economic and Corruption Crimes (Financial Police) for submission of compromising information on officer of judicial agency. There was no any information on official, who intended to take a bribe, his surname, position and punishment. Probably, proposal to sell compromising information it was a trap for Tokbergen Abiev.
On March 11, 2009 Sary-Arka District Court of Astana has passed the second sentence Tokbergen Abieyev. He was sentenced to three years of imprisonment for failure to pay moral damages.It was connected with judgment of 2008, when T. Abiyev was taken into custody on recovery of KZT5000000 from T. Abiyev and owner of the newspaper “Zakon I Pravosudie” LLP “ATS.KZ” by suit of E. Manayev about protection of honour and dignity.
After Abiyev was released from jail, he tried to register some newspapers, including newspaper with title “The corrupt must be jailed” but authority denied his request, saying that newspapers with this title had already registered. Abiyev then founded a press club “Alliance of Kazakhstan's Media” “Zakon I Pravosudie” and Internet-portal abiyev.kz.
We would remind you that in 2008 a journalist of newspaper “Zakon I Pravosudie” Oragalaysha Omarashanova (Zhabagtaykyzy) disappeared. The search of a missing journalist is still led to nothing.
