Nur.kz reporter Ardak Yerubayeva on trial for disobedience to police

Today, on September 2, hearings started on charges  of Nur.kz reporter Ardak Yerubayeva of Disobedience to the lawful order or requirement of the employee (serviceman) of law enforcement or special public authority, body of military police, bailiff, bailiff.

As it was reported, on August 31, the journalist tried to make a photo of the government motorcade of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan Alikhan Smailov, but  was immediately grabbed by two men in civilian clothes, who did not introduce themselves and did not show their official IDs, and was taken to the police department, where she was kept for three hours.

According to the police, the journalist did not have media distinctive marks and run out of the crowd towards the motorcade of the guarded official. Ardak  said that she was standing in a row of civilians, did not run forward and was detained as soon as she raised her hand with a mobile phone to make a picture of the motorcade.

Initially, the online court hearing was scheduled for 9.30 AM.  Ardak was invited to the police to participate in it. First she was placed  in the basement, and then, due to the poor quality of the connection, she was sent outside, where it was so noisy that the journalist could not even hear the words of the judge. Ardak requested to hold the meeting offline, but the Judge Esdaur Muratkan replied that this was a provocation and began to scold the journalist for his bad upbringing.

“When I demanded to provide my personal presence in court, the judge statred to moralize saying about my upbringing. He said that well brought-up people do not demand offline hearings, ask me why I provoke him and said that my behavior is self-evident,”  Ardak Yerubaeva told.

The court hearing was postopned till 4 PM  (Nur-Sultan time).