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Appeals court upholds Kazakh journalist's sentence

October 22, 2009

Ramazan Esergepov is escorted by police to a courthouse in Taraz in August.

A court of appeals in Kazakhstan’s southern city of Taraz has upheld the sentence of independent journalist Ramazan Esergepov, RFE/RL's Kazakh Service reports.

Esergepov, the editor in chief of the Alma-Ata weekly "Info," was convicted of revealing state secrets and sentenced to three years in prison in August.

He and his supporters say the case is politically motivated.

His wife, Raushan Esergepova, told RFE/RL her husband would appeal the decision.

She said her spouse officially objected to having lawyer Saltanat Sapaeva represent him at the October 22 hearing, but she did so nonetheless.

Esergepova says the lawyers chosen by her husband have not been allowed to represent him.

Lawyer Otegen Iskhanov told RFE/RL this is a violation of Esergepov's rights.

Journalists were not allowed to be present at today's hearing.

Link to original story on RFE/RL website

Topics: Appeal, Human rights activists,