Deputy Interior Minister Declines to Call Orda.kz Searches Illegal
Photo: Orda Collage
Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Igor Lepekha did not describe the actions of security forces who conducted searches and detentions at the Orda.kz office as illegal.
An Orda journalist asked Lepekha in the Majilis whether he considered investigative actions carried out without allowing access to lawyers and without presenting a ruling to be lawful.
A criminal case has been opened for disseminating false information. Investigative actions are underway. All questions should be directed to the investigators and the supervisory authority. If you believe there have been violations, please contact the prosecutor's office,
the deputy minister said.
On Monday, Orda’s offices in Almaty and Astana were searched, and employees were detained. Armed law enforcement entered the Almaty office. They confiscated journalists’ personal phones, conducted harsh searches, ransacked the premises, and took equipment and cash from a safe containing employee salaries.
Employees in Almaty and Astana were detained and questioned.
The founder and editor-in-chief of Orda, Gulnara Bazhkenova, was placed under house arrest for two months with court approval.
The actions of security forces toward the publication were condemned by both Kazakh and international human rights groups, including the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).
Original Author: Anastasia Prilepskaya
Latest news
- Testing Will Be Removed From Teacher Certification Over Corruption Risks
- Kazakhstan Tightens Entry Rules for the Financial Market
- Kazakhstan May Limit How Many People Can Be Registered at One Address
- AI Could Replace Some Employees in Kazakhstan’s Telecom Sector
- Astana Braces for Traffic Restrictions During Mongolian President’s Visit and Eco Summit
- No One Left to Work With Livestock? Kazakhstan Prepares State Support for Herders
- Kazakhstan Begins Intercepting Fraudulent Calls
- Kazakhstan to Disclose Data on Payments and Contracts of Subsoil Users
- Why Saigas Die: Expert Explains the Causes and Reassures Kazakhstanis
- Domestic Tourism Is Growing in Kazakhstan, but Vacations Are Getting More Expensive
- Illegal Pawnshop Scheme Worth 93 Million Tenge Exposed in Aktobe
- Dental Services in Kazakhstan Keep Getting More Expensive
- Rybakina Takes 13th Career Title at the Stuttgart Tournament
- Kazakhstan Eases Entry for Investors While Tightening Permanent Residence Rules
- Kazakhstan Updates Rules on Mobile Phone Use by Military Personnel
- Snow Leopard Caught on Video in Altyn-Emel National Park
- 7.7 Hectares of Forest Burn in North Kazakhstan
- Almaty Holds Another Cleanup Drive Along Riverbanks and in Public Spaces
- More Than 100 Horses Die in Mangystau After Severe Weather
- Kazakhstan Creates New Center to Track Criminal and Public Security Risks
