Lukpan Akhmedyarov

Affiliated media: Uralsk Week, Editor-in-chief

Incident date: May 15, 2017

Attack type:

• Bullying, intimidation, pressure, threats of violence and death, including cyber-

Source: Adil Soz

Location: Kazakhstan, West Kazakhstan Province, Uralsk

Additional information:

On May 15th, in a general WhatsApp chat where journalists and press services of the West Kazakhstan region communicate, Lukpan Akhmedyarov, editor of the Uralsk Week newspaper, sent a voice message criticising three heads of regional departments: the Department of Health, Department of Physical Education and Sports, and the Department of Internal Affairs. Akhmedyarov lamented that these leaders are completely closed to the press, although there are more than enough reasons to meet with journalists. In response, Akbolat Kateshev, press secretary for the Department of Internal Affairs of the West Kazakhstan region, launched aggressive insults against Lukpan Akhmedyarov in the same chat, suggesting that they should discuss the matter in a private chat.