From: Justin Burke (JBurke@sorosny.org)
Date: Thu Nov 18 2004 - 09:20:15 EST
Center for Journalism in Extreme Situations
www.cjes.ru
Weekly bulletin of events in CIS mass media
Issue No. 45 (147), November 08 - 14, 2004
I. Attacks and Threats against Journalists
Azerbaijan
Five unknown individuals kidnapped and beat up Magomed Rzayev, a
reporter for the newspaper Azadlyg, in Nakhichevan on November 6, a
November 10 news report says. The kidnappers, who were wearing masks,
forcibly put the journalist in their car, bound his hands and feet and
took him to the countryside, where they beat and tortured him, dipping
his head into a bucket of water several times. Rzayev said one of the
kidnappers demanded that he stop working as a journalist, threatening
him with death. Several hours later, the kidnappers took the journalist
to the outskirts of the city, where they released him, taking a
notebook, computer disk and $150 form him.
After being released, the journalist went straight to the Nakhichevan
police department. However, the department officials refused to register
his complaint and referred him to the Babek district police department.
The next day, the journalist met with A. Akhmedov, the head of
Nakhichevan's top law enforcement authority, who promised to investigate
the incident.
Rzayev believes the attack was organized by the authorities, who are
unhappy with his critical publications.
Kyrgyzstan
Ibragim Ashurov, a cameraman with the National Television and Radio
Company (NTRK), has recently been attacked on a highway connecting Uzgen
and Osh, a November 9 news report says. Before the attack, the
journalist noticed that his car was being followed by a car with Osh
license plates. Ashurov was forced to stop and the two men from the
car, who said they were police officers, forced the journalist out of
the car and began beating him without making any accusations against
him. The attackers then drove away in the direction of Osh, taking
Ashurov's mobile phone and car keys with them.
The Osh police managed to detain one of the attackers. The journalist
believes the attack is connected to his professional activities, namely
his criticism of the local authorities. He says he and one of his
colleagues, Gilnara Kenneyeva, have been threatened with violence
before.
II. Lawsuits against Journalists
Kazakhstan
The Almaty Economic Court on November 9 begins the trial of the lawsuit
filed by Kazkommertsbank (KKB) against the owner of the newspaper
Express-K seeking the protection of business reputation and compensation
for moral damage in an amount of $10 million.
Express-K on September 14 published an article stating that
Kazkommertsbank was insolvent and was facing a default. The bank
demanded a public refutation of that information and a public apology.
However, Express-K did not publish a refutation or issue a public
apology within the thirty days allowed under the current legislation.
III. Other Forms of Pressure on Editorial Boards and Journalists.
Conflicts with the Authorities and Political Organizations
Kyrgyzstan
Elmira Baitikova, judge of the Bishkek Interdistrict Court, has rejected
the lawsuit filed by the newspaper MSN, a November 11 news report says.
In its suit, MSN contested the order issued by the State Department for
Anti-Monopoly Policy, in which the paper was accused on violating the
anti-monopoly legislation and which criticized its pricing policy.
Rina Prizhivoit, chief editor of the MSN politics department, believes
this decision is part of the campaign against the independent newspaper.
"Previously, the authorities tried to stifle the publication by bringing
lawsuits worth millions against it, and now they are trying to destroy
us by using the infamous 'administrative resources,'" she said.
Tajikistan
The Tajik tax police on November 9 reported a seizure of the entire
circulation of the independent newspaper Ruzi Nav, which had been
printed in Bishkek. The tax police said the content of a number of the
publications contained in the confiscated edition of the paper was
undesirable to the policy of the state.
Comments made by Ruzi Nav's editor-in-chief Radzhabi Mirzo indicate that
the tax authorities at first tried to accuse the paper of trying to
bring fewer newspapers from Bishkek than were printed, and when
meticulous calculation showed that the number of the papers brought from
Bishkek was exactly the same as the number of the papers printed
(15,000), they started making other claims (for example, asking if the
papers classified as items of cultural value, which can be brought into
Tajikistan only with permission from the Tajik Culture Ministry, or if
they could be infected with some bacteria and if medical tests were
necessary).
"The papers were seized without bringing any charges. However, according
to my information, the tax police on transport has filed a request with
the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Tajikistan, asking to conduct
tests to determine whether the Ruzi Nav newspapers are items of cultural
value, which cannot be carried over the state border without special
permission from the authorities under the current legislation," Mirzo
said.
IV. Restrictions of Access to Information
Kazakhstan
Anastasia Mashnina, a journalist with the weekly publication Novy
Vestnik, was planning to attend a court hearing scheduled to take place
in the Karaganda Oktyabrsky District Court on November 10. Despite the
fact that the judge had told her by phone that she would be allowed to
attend the hearing, the journalist decided to submit a written request
to the judge, in which she asked him to ensure an open trial and the
realization of the right of journalists to obtain information by
allowing herself and a photojournalist to attend the hearing and take
pictures of the trial. However the judge categorically refused to grant
the journalist's written request, giving no reasons for his decision.
Kyrgyzstan
Members of the presidential security service have not allowed Larisa Li,
a reporter with the newspaper MSN, to attend a meeting between the
Consultative Donor group and the president of Kyrgyzstan, citing a
problem with her accreditation, a November 12 news report says. One of
the guards said the journalist would be allowed to attend the meeting if
an official with the presidential administration entered her name on the
list of the journalists invited to cover the event. The secretary of the
presidential administration, whom the journalist contacted regarding the
matter, refused to do so, citing an order from his superiors to keep MSN
journalists from attending such events.
Oleg Panfilov
director of the Center for Journalism in Extreme Situations
phone/fax: +7 095 201-7626
address:room 320, 4 Zubovsky blv.Moscow 119021 Russia panfilov@cjes.ru
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