Authorities must drop prosecution of press freedom defenders
12 january 2010
January 11, 2010—The Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following statement after receiving reports today that a trial of three press freedom activists, who organized a protest on Wednesday against the jailing of journalists in Kazakhstan, has started in Almaty; the three are charged with violating a law on holding rallies:
“Kazakh authorities must immediately stop the unfounded prosecution of Raushan Yesergepova, wife of jailed editor Ramazan Yesergepov; Rozlana Taukina, head of the local press freedom group Journalists in Trouble; and opposition activist Vladimir Kozlov, who were exercising their right to protest against the politicized jailing of Kazakh journalists,” said CPJ Europe and Central Asia Program Coordinator Nina Ognianova. “Kazakh officials must demonstrate the tolerance for freedom of expression that becomes their newly assumed role of Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe chair.”
“Kazakh authorities must immediately stop the unfounded prosecution of Raushan Yesergepova, wife of jailed editor Ramazan Yesergepov; Rozlana Taukina, head of the local press freedom group Journalists in Trouble; and opposition activist Vladimir Kozlov, who were exercising their right to protest against the politicized jailing of Kazakh journalists,” said CPJ Europe and Central Asia Program Coordinator Nina Ognianova. “Kazakh officials must demonstrate the tolerance for freedom of expression that becomes their newly assumed role of Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe chair.”
