OSCE concerned about detention of leading Kazakh human rights defender and journalist

VIENNA/WARSAW, 7 November 2002 - The two OSCE institutions dealing with human rights and media freedom today jointly expressed their concern about the detention of Sergei Duvanov, a journalist and human rights defender who was taken into custody on 28 October on allegations of rape and officially charged yesterday.

"We are alarmed about the situation and the facts surrounding the case," said Freimut Duve, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media. "The pattern of incidents involving Mr. Duvanov, their coincidence with his planned trips abroad to discuss publicly the situation in Kazakhstan, and the disputed circumstances of the latest case trigger concerns that these incidents may be politically motivated."

"In order to defuse such suspicions, we urge the Kazakh authorities to conduct promptly a full, fair and transparent investigation into the charges brought against Mr. Duvanov, and to involve independent foreign experts to handle possible DNA evidence," added Steven Wagenseil, Deputy Director of the OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR). "We also call on the authorities to consider the use of alternatives to detention in the case of Mr. Duvanov."

Since 29 October Mr. Duvanov has been on hunger strike to protest against his detention. According to his lawyers, his health condition is drastically deteriorating. The ODIHR and the OSCE Media Representative remind the Kazakh authorities that they bear full responsibility for the life and physical integrity of Mr. Duvanov while he is being kept under arrest and call on them to comply with international and national humanitarian and human rights standards.

As a participating State of the OSCE, Kazakhstan has agreed to respect OSCE commitments related to freedom of media and expression, and the right to a fair trial.

In late August, Mr. Duvanov was attacked and severely injured shortly before he was scheduled to travel to Warsaw to brief the participants of the OSCE's annual human rights conference about the situation in Kazakhstan. This latest incident occurred just before he was supposed to travel to the United States on a similar mission.