Saniya Toyken

Affiliated media: Radio Azattyq, Journalist

Incident date: September 25, 2023

Attack type:

• Short-term detention

Who attacked: Authorities

Source: Radio Azattyq

Location: Kazakhstan, Astana, Astana

Additional information:

Radio Azattyq reporter Saniya Toyken was detained by police officers on September 25 on the territory of Expo in Astana. On that day, the INNOPROM.QAZAQSTAN exhibition started. Since Saniya did not have accreditation, she was not filming inside, but outside, at a distance from the exhibition. An unknown woman approached her and demanded that she stop filming. She was then joined by a police officer and a man in plain clothes. They also stated that it was forbidden to photograph the exhibition. Despite the fact that Saniya presented her editorial licence and was not even in the exhibition territory but near it, she was taken to the Yesil police department, where she was held for two hours without being provided any explanations or drawn up any detention documents.