The Kazakh supreme court has upheld the two-year ban that a court in the southern city of Taraz imposed on the weekly Alma Ata Info on August 8 at the same time as it sentenced its editor, Ramazan Esergepov, to three years in prison, Reporters sans Frontières (RSF) has reported.
“This disgraceful sentence should have been quashed because of all the irregularities during the trial,” Paris-based RSF said. “Esergepov was not convicted for divulging stage secrets but for criticising leading figures who illegally abuse their authority. The entire trial was rigged and the aim of the sentence was to silence the press in a country in the grip of corruption.”
Recalling that the Kazakh government promised to embark on deep-seated democratic reforms for when it takes over the rotating presidency of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) next January, RSF pointed out that freedom of expression is one of the pillars of democracy.
“The government could have begun to implement these promises by quashing Esergepov’s conviction,” it said. “We urge the international community and the OSCE in particular to step up pressure on the government to free Esergepov and lift the ban on his newspaper.” The French foreign ministry has urged the Kazakh government to respects the commitments it made as an OSCE member.
Esergepov’s appeal against his three-year sentence is being heard by the supreme court of the southern province of Jambyl, which is expected to issued its ruling on August 18. Esergepov was convicted on charges of gathering and divulging classified documents.
