Journalist Nurzhan Baimuldin arrested

On January 12, Nurzhan Baimuldin, the editor-in-chief of the Russian news service off Kokshetau-Asia,  was detained. The questions that he asked the president of the country through his post on the social network were considered actions provoking a violation of law and order in emergency conditions.

During the interrogation, Baimuldin expeienced health problems  and an ambulance was called. However, the doctors did not hospitalize him. They said that the journalist ... took a cold,  told him to take paracetamol and to go to an outpatients' clinic. It should be noted that Baimuldin has recently been in contact with a patient with coronavirus. So on the background of a sharply worsening epidemiological situation, his “cold” symptoms may well turn out to be Covid-19.

On the same day, an administrative court was held.

“In response to your request, we inform you that on January 12  Baimuldin Nurzhan Narimanovich was brought to justice for Actions provoking the violation of legal order in emergency conditions, under Article 478 Part 1 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

The court of Kokshetau ruled to arrest the journalist for 10 days.

“Earlier, the Ministry of Information and Social Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan warned media representatives about their responsibility in a state of emergency in an official statement dated January 05 this year,” the police said in response to a information request of the editors of 716.kz.