Prominent Kazakh journalist fined for libel, again
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 9 November 2012 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Prominent Kazakh journalist fined for libel, again, 9 November 2012, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/50b4d0b023.html [accessed 17 September 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
November 09, 2012
By RFE/RL's Kazakh Service
Lukpan Akhmedyarov
ORAL, Kazakhstan – A court in Kazakhstan's western city of Oral has again fined an opposition journalist for libel.
Lukpan Akhmedyarov and his employer, the "Uralskaya nedelya" weekly, were ordered to pay 1.5 million tenges ($7,700) to a local finance police officer for allegedly insulting him in an article.
In July, Akhmedyarov was found guilty of insulting a local official and ordered to pay him 5 million tenges ($33,000).
The international media group Reporters Without Borders condemned the court's decision then.
The group called it a move "to strangle the journalist financially."
In April, Akhmedyarov survived a vicious attack in which he was stabbed and shot with an air pistol.
Last month, Akhmedyarov received the prestigious Peter Mackler Award for Courageous and Ethical Journalism at a ceremony in the United States.
Link to original story on RFE/RL website