Kazakh Court Rejects Appeal By Jailed Journalist

Ramazan Esergepov

The Zhambyl regional appeals court in southern Kazakhstan has upheld the verdict against jailed independent journalist Ramazan Esergepov, RFE/RL's Kazakh Service reports.

Esergepov's wife, Raushan Esergepova, told RFE/RL that her husband intends to appeal to Kazakhstan's Supreme Court.

Esergepov, the owner and chief editor of the Almaty-based weekly "Alma-Ata Inform," was sentenced to three years of jail this summer for revealing state secrets in an article printed in his newspaper in November 2008.

The weekly has since stopped publishing.

Esergepov and his relatives say the case against him is politically motivated.

Esergepov was arrested by the Committee of National Security (KNB) in January.

His wife says he has not been allowed to be represented by his own lawyer since he was arrested and forced to have a state-appointed attorney defend him.