An independent Kazakh journalist is being continually harassed by the country's National Security Committee (KNB), which wants him to reveal how he obtained an internal KNB memo. The harassment led Ramazan Esergepov to seek refuge inside the US consulate in Almaty.
“The pressure applied to Esergepov was out of all proportion,” Reporters sans Frontières said. “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 owner and editor of weekly Alma Ata Info, Esergepov published a story on November 21 which was headlined “Who really runs our country, the president or the KNB?” and which cited an internal KNB memo. On November 29, 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 December 1 - 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 November 30 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 RSF partner organisation in Kazakhstan.
