A statement

Published: 19 February 2003 y., Wednesday
Kazakhstan's Foreign Ministry released a statement today expressing "bewilderment" over European Parliament criticism of the state of democracy in the country. The European Parliament last week expressed concern about the investigation, judicial proceedings, and verdict in the case of opposition journalist Sergei Duvanov, who was jailed for more than three years on a rape conviction. The Foreign Ministry statement said the European Parliament document was based on biased information, adding that it was surprising that the parliament did not manage to ask for information from official sources, which, the ministry said, had an influence on the parliament's "nonobjective resolution." The Foreign Ministry also said the parliament's document went against a partnership-and-cooperation accord between Kazakhstan and the European Union. Duvanov, the author of several articles alleging corruption within the Kazakh government, was found guilty of raping an underage girl, though he has denied any wrongdoing. The European Parliament said it wants an independent investigation conducted.
Šaltinis: RFE/RL
Copying, publishing, announcing any information from the News.lt portal without written permission of News.lt editorial office is prohibited.

Facebook Comments

New comment


Captcha

Associated articles

The most popular articles

Afghans mixed on U.S. withdrawal

Kabul residents express mixed views on their country's future security ahead of U.S. President Barack Obama's announcement of a withdrawal plan. more »

Grim cigarette labels aim to curb smoking

The U.S Food and Drug Administration will release graphic warning labels for cigarette packages this week, to remind the American public about the dangers of smoking, moving away from the smaller print warnings currently found on cartons. more »

Blazing plane caught on video

Amateur video footage shows the immediate aftermath of Russian plane crash. There were 52 passengers and crew aboard the Tupolev-134 when it went down on Monday night. more »

Israel unveils first of 50 solar power fields

Israel's Arava Power Company has unveiled the country's first commercial solar field. The firm, which is investing almost $2 million on building a series of plants across the Negev desert hopes to start a "Solar Revolution" in the largely arid country. more »

Robot mannequins help find best fit

Shape-shifting robot mannequins are being used by an Estonian company to help solve one of the biggest problems for the online clothing industry - giving customers clothes which fit properly. more »

Solar flare erupts

NASA releases video of a solar flare erupting from the sun. more »

New volcano fallout hits Argentina

Residents of the Argentine town of Villa la Angostura are warned to stay inside after a blanket of volcanic ash descends. more »

Tiny Eco-Home demonstrates big energy savings

An energy efficient home, measuring just 3 metres cubed, is helping people realise how to cut their carbon footprint. more »

Poison and dogs deployed to rid Macquarie Island of rampant rabbits

Remote, windswept Macquarie Island in the Southern Ocean is being purged of its rabbits in a massive eradication programme designed to reverse more than a hundred years of environmental destruction. more »

Endeavour lands for last time

Space Shuttle Endeavour lands at the Kennedy Space Station in Florida for the last time after completing its mission to the International Space Station, as Space Shuttle Atlantis prepares for NASA’s last shuttle mission. more »