Sergei Duvanov

Sergei Duvanov (born 1953) is a prominent Kazakhstani journalist who in 2002 wrote articles that showed President Nursultan Nazarbayev and several other Kazakh politicians had illicit Swiss bank accounts containing millions of U.S.' dollars. The scandal was labeled "Kazakhgate." [http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/09/28/world/main2050919_page2.shtml What's The Truth About Kazakhstan?] CBS News]

In 2001 the U.S. Department of Justice investigated Kazakhgate. Duvanov was arrested in October 2002 at his datcha outside Almaty, accused of raping a 14-year old girl, one day before he was going to visit the United States to speak about Kazakhstan's human rights situation. [http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/rights/articles/eav102902.shtml Supporters of detained Kazakhstani journalist denounce incident as government set-up] EurasiaNet]

In January 2003 he was found guilty and sentenced to three and a half years in prison. As of 15 January, 2004 he is serving a released prison regime, which allows him to go to work and live at home. He is not allowed to go to public places, a notion undetermined by Kazakh law. [ [http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/56236 Journalist and human rights activist Sergei Duvanov released on probation] ]

Duvanov and the opposition claim that the case was politically motivated.

ee also

*Human rights in Kazakhstan

References