New York, October 29, 2002—CPJ is deeply concerned that Sergei
Duvanov, a prominent 49-year-old journalist known for his criticism of
Kazakh authorities, was arrested on October 27 on suspicion of raping
a minor.
The journalist, who remains in detention, has been officially charged,
the opposition party Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan reported today.
Duvanov has denied the charges, saying the authorities "decided to use
the dirtiest, most deceitful means to discredit me in from of the eyes
of my Western colleagues...in order to prevent me from writing articles
which aren't pleasing for those who sit in power," The Associated Press
reported.
Duvanov was detained the day before he was to travel
to the United States to speak about press freedom conditions in Kazakhstan
at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and at the U.S. governmentfunded
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) office in Washington, D.C. He
was also scheduled to speak at the Open Society Institute in New York
City.
Duvanov, who writes for opposition-financed Web sites and is the editor-in-chief
of a bulletin published by the Almaty-based Kazakhstan Bureau for Human
Rights and the Rule of Law, is known for his biting criticism of Kazakhstan's
political system and high-level officials, including Kazakh president
Nursultan Nazarbayev. Authorities have frequently harassed him in reprisal
for his work.
On the evening of August 28, three unknown assailants beat and stabbed
Duvanov in the stairwell of his apartment building, saying of his work,
"If you carry on, you'll be made a total cripple."
On July 9, the General Prosecutor's Office charged him with "infringing
the honor and dignity of the president," a criminal offense that carries
a penalty of a fine or a maximum three-year prison sentence, after he
accused President Nazarbayev of corruption in an article. According to
the Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan, authorities later dropped the criminal
case against him without any explanation.
"Given the pattern of harassment against Duvanov and the timing of the
arrest, just prior to his departure for the United States, we are deeply
skeptical of the charges against him," said CPJ executive director Ann
Cooper. "We therefore call on Kazakh officials to make public the evidence
against him immediately and to ensure that any proceedings against him
are transparent and follow international standards of due process."
|
