Kazakh Journalist Flees To Ukraine, Fearing Prosecution

Natalya Sadyqova in Kyiv on March 24A Kazakh journalist says she has fled Kazakhstan with her husband and two young children to avoid prosecution. Natalya Sadyqova told rferl.org on March 27 that she and her family were currently in Ukraine.

Sadyqova said investigators in her native city of Aqtobe questioned her last month regarding an article published in the opposition "Respublika" online news portal about corruption among local officials.

Investigators told Sadyqova they suspected she was the author and informed her that former lawmaker Marat Itegulov had filed a libel suit against the author, who was listed as Bakhyt Ilyasova.

Sadyqova insists she had nothing to do with the article.

She said she left Kazakhstan on March 9 after police sources informed her she might be arrested.

A court in Aqtobe issued a warrant for her arrest on March 17.