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Intelligence agency pressures newspaper editor to reveal source of
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Datum nieuwsfeit: 03-12-2008 |
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Bron: Reporters Without Borders |
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Vacatures Marketing/pr/reclame:
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Reporters Without Borders
Kazakhstan3 December 2008
Intelligence agency pressures newspaper editor to reveal source of
leak
Reporters Without Borders condemns the harassment of independent
journalist Ramazan Esergepov by the National Security Committee (KNB),
which wanted him to reveal how he obtained an internal KNB memo. The
harassment led Esergepov to seek refuge inside the US consulate in
Almaty.
"The pressure applied to Esergepov was out of all proportion,"
Reporters Without Borders said. "The KNB should track down the source
of the leak within its own ranks. Esergepov has nothing to answer for.
The confidentiality of a reporter's sources is one of the pillars of
investigative journalism. Protecting it is vital."
The press freedom organisation added : "We call on the police and
those in charge at the KNB to ensure that this harassment stops. Such
methods are contrary to the values defended by the Organisation for
Security and Cooperation in Europe, of which Kazakhstan is supposed to
take over the presidency in 2010."
The owner and editor of the weekly Alma Ata Info, Esergepov published
a story on 21 November which was headlined "Who really runs our
country, the president or the KNB ?" and which cited an internal KNB
memo.
On 29 November, KNB officials searched his home in the former capital,
Almaty, and the office of the weekly, located in the same building,
looking for anything that would help them identify the source of the
leak.
He was summoned to KNB headquarters at 11 a.m. on 1 December - to be
interviewed "as a witness," according to the KNB. While he was there,
KNB officers tried to force him to get into a car and accompany them
to talk to the head of a regional office located 500 km southwest of
Almaty.
Esergepov managed to escape and fled to the US consulate, where he
spent the night and requested political asylum. He was asked to leave
yesterday and he now fears for his safety.
During the search of his home and office, which lasted 16 hours, seven
computers, six mobile phones and many documents were taken, while
Esergepov had to be rushed to hospital with a high blood pressure
attack. He left the hospital at 5 p.m. the next day.
He was originally supposed to report to KNB headquarters for
questioning at 3 p.m. on 30 November but, because of his
hospitalisation, it was rescheduled for the following day. Before
going, Esergepov gave a news conference with Rozlana Taukina, the head
of Journalist in Danger, the Reporters Without Borders partner
organisation in Kazakhstan.
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Dit is een bericht uit het Nieuwsbank persberichtenarchief. Gegevens in
dit bericht kunnen verouderd zijn. Overname is toegestaan onder
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Eventueel in dit bericht vermelde (e-mail) adressen en telefoonnummers
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