Tag: Irina Petrushova

On Thursday, 25 February 2016, the Open Dialogue Foundation and the Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty organised a working lunch dedicated to the topic of persecution of independent media and political opposition in Central Asia.

On Tuesday, 26 January 2016, the Open Dialogue Foundation and the Estonian Member of the European Parliament Mrs Marju Lauristin (Socialists and Democrats) organised a high-level working breakfast at the European Parliament in Brussels dedicated to the topic of media freedom in Kazakhstan.

Kazakhstan demands that administrations of social networks disclose personal data of independent journalists, bloggers and political opponents. In retaliation for criticism, the authorities bring criminal charges of ‘spreading false information’ against inconvenient journalists.

Journalists of the online portal ‘Nakanune.kz’ Guzal Baidalinova and Rafael Balgin have been taken into custody and placed under arrest for 2 months. Their colleague, Yulia Kozlova is also facing arrest. The journalists are being prosecuted under Art. 274 of the Criminal Code of the Kazakhstan.

On 18 December 2015, police raided the editorial office of the online portal ‘Nakanune.kz’ as well as apartments of the journalists: Gyuzyal Baidalinova, Yulia Kozlova and Rafael Balgin. The journalists may face charges of ‘spreading false information’.

The Open Dialogue Foundation (ODF) is a non-governmental, non-partisan organization established in Poland, in 2009. The statutory objectives of the Foundation include promotion, support and protection of human rights, democracy and rule of law in the post-Soviet area.

On 18-20 February 2015, the Open Dialogue Foundation’s delegation participated in the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly’s (OSCE PA) Winter Meeting in Vienna. One of the three annual meetings focused on the rights of migrants and refugess.