​Head of Kazakhstan Union of Journalists Seitkazy Mataev and CEO of KazTag detained

The president of the National press club, the head of the Union of journalists of Kazakhstan Seitkazy Mataev and CEO of KAZTAG news agency Aset Mataev are detained, azh.kz reports with reference to “Adil Soz", the International fund for protection of freedom of speech.

According to “AdilSoz", Seitkazy Mataev is suspected in multimillion plunders of public funds and illegal reconstruction of National press club building in Almaty. Aset Mataev is incriminated with multimillion plunders during implementation of the state information order.

“The facts of this case allow to assume that the real purpose of their prosecution is the closing of an open dialogue ground of the press club, introduction of secret state control over the contents of publications of KAZTAG and decrease of public activity of the Union of journalists of Kazakhstan" – noted in the press release.

According to “Adil Soz", the national press club was created as public association of the Kazakhstan and foreign journalists in 1997. The buildings belonging to it in Almaty and Astana have been purchased and refurbished at the expense of loans that were borrowed and paid back long time ago.

Translated by Zeena Urynbassarova