Declaration by the Presidency, on behalf of the European Union, on the recent attacks against the independent media in Kazakhstan (Madrid and Brussels, 28 May 2002)

The European Union is deeply worried about the most recent attacks against the independent media in Kazakhstan, which include the repeated vandalizing of TAN TV feeder cable in Almaty, the 3 May arson attack against the “Ak Zhaiy “ publishing house in Atyrau, the aggression against two journalists of the newspaper “SolDat” on 21 May followed by the destruction of its equipment, and the firebomb attack against the offices of the newspaper “Delovoye Obozreniye-Respublika” on 22 May, which, furthermore, risked the lives of many people in the same building.
The abovementioned acts call into question the safety of the independent mass media in Kazakhstan, protected by its Constitution and by the commitments freely assumed by Kazakhstan in the framework of the OSCE and of several international agreements, among which the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement concluded with the European Union is of special relevance to the EU and its member states.
The European Union expects the Kazakhstani authorities to carry out a rapid and thorough investigation aimed at the identification and prosecution of the perpetrators of the mentioned violent acts. At the same time, the Union expects Kazakhstani authorities to secure the appropriate conditions and effective guarantees for an unhindered work of the independent media in the country.

Press-service of the Representative office of the European Commission in the Republic of Kazakhstan
Almaty, 20A Kazybek Bi, tel: (3272) 63 62 65
Fax : (7-3272) 91 07 49, E-mail: eudel@delkaz.cec.eu.int
For additional information, please contact Alena Lipatnikova, tel: 63 62 65