The prosecutor-general's office of Kazakhstan's Zhetysu region has thrown out a criminal case against well-known investigative journalist Sandugash Duysenova for lack of evidence.
The decision comes after she alleged that investigators at the police station stripped and filmed her naked after detaining her on August 11 in her hometown, Taldykorgan, in the Zhetysu region.
Duysenova, who has been recognized for her investigations into social issues, corruption, and human rights concerns, had been charged with violating citizens' privacy and divulging personal information about a suspected criminal.
Duysenova was released on bail shortly after her detention and subsequently filed an appeal asserting mistreatment and humiliation at the police station, saying investigators compelled her to be filmed after taking off her clothes and had tortured and humiliated her.
The prosecutor-general's office said on August 15 in a statement that upon considering Duysenova's arguments, investigative authorities requested further examination of the case. The statement said that the investigative officials lacked substantial evidence to substantiate the charges against her.
The origins of the criminal case against Duysenova stemmed from her publication of an article containing the identity number of an individual convicted of murder. The legal representative of the convicted person lodged a complaint against the journalist with the Prosecutor-General's Office of the Zhetysu region, leading to the criminal proceedings against her.
Adil Soz (Fair Speech), an organization providing legal support to journalists, on August 15 issued an open letter to Kazakh President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev concerning the journalist's arrest. The letter urged the prevention of torture and degrading treatment within law enforcement agencies, including instances of forced nudity and filming by police officers.
Evgeniy Zhovtis, the director of the Human Rights and Law Enforcement Bureau in Kazakhstan, called on Kazakh officials to adhere to the United Nations Convention Against Torture, which Kazakhstan has ratified.
"The procedure of forcing to strip naked and recording on video...can also be regarded as pressure in connection with the journalist Duysenova's professional activities," Zhovtis said on Facebook.
Duysenova last year received the International MediaCAMP Award for a photo she took of the fallen monument of Nursultan Nazarbaev in Taldykorgan city during the January 2022 crackdowns in Kazakhstan.