Darkhan Omirbek

Affiliated media: Radio Azattyq , Journalist

Incident date: January 4, 2022

Attack type:

• Short-term detention

Who attacked: Authorities

Source: Radio Azattyq

Location: Kazakhstan, Astana, Nur-Sultan

Additional information:

At about half-past 10 PM, Darkhan Omirbek, the Radio Azattyq reporter who covered the protests near the Asem market in Nur-Sultan, was detained by police. When detained, the journalist told police that he was doing his job. Later, the journalist's lawyer, Asel Tokayeva, reported that Omirbek was taken to the Almaty District Police Department, and she denied access to the journalist for more than two hours: police officers at the entrance told her that «detained Darkhan Omirbek has "witness" status and that he was being "questioned" by the district attorney and the district mayor. According to the lawyer, Darkhan Omirbek's journalistic rights were violated and his right for defence.