Kazakh court suspends journalist's jail sentence
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 12 July 2016 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Kazakh court suspends journalist's jail sentence, 12 July 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/57a43c6d13.html [accessed 29 May 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. |
July 12, 2016
By RFE/RL's Kazakh Service
Guzyal Baidalinova
A Kazakh court has suspended the 18-month prison sentence of a prominent journalist jailed on libel charges.
The Almaty Court of Appeals also ruled on July 12 that Guzyal Baidalinova should be immediately released from prison but won't be allowed to leave the city.
Baidalinova, the owner and editor of the Nakanune.kz online news portal, was found guilty of publishing false information about one of Kazakhstan's largest banks, Kazkommertsbank.
Baidalinova pleaded partially guilty during her trial in May.
She was arrested in December after Kazkommertsbank filed a lawsuit against her, accusing her of publishing a series of reports with false data intended to damage the financial institution's reputation.
Nakanune.kz is known for its independence and critical reporting of local authorities.
The Kazakh government has harshly cracked down on independent media outlets and its journalists in recent years.
Shortly after Baidalinova's sentencing in May, she won the Liberty, an annual award established by Kazakh opposition groups in 2003.
The award is given to journalists, writers, artists, and activists for their contribution to democratic institutions in the country.
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
