ALMATY, Kazakhstan -- A Kazakh blogger has been sentenced to 15 days in jail on minor hooliganism charges.
Dmitry Shchyolokov told RFE/RL by telephone that he was detained early on February 21 after arriving at a court building to support a colleague, fellow blogger Andrei Tsukanov.
Tsukanov was sentenced on the same day to 15 days in jail in a separate case.
Shchyolokov and two other bloggers -- Rinat Kibraev and Nurali Aitelenov -- had been held in custody for several hours on February 20 after the three announced their intention to attend an annual meeting between Almaty Mayor Akhmetzhan Esimov and city residents.
Earlier this month, the same three bloggers were arrested and sentenced to 10 days in jail for publicly protesting a decision barring them from attending a meeting between Esimov and Kazakhstani bloggers in Almaty.
Dmitry Shchyolokov told RFE/RL by telephone that he was detained early on February 21 after arriving at a court building to support a colleague, fellow blogger Andrei Tsukanov.
Tsukanov was sentenced on the same day to 15 days in jail in a separate case.
Shchyolokov and two other bloggers -- Rinat Kibraev and Nurali Aitelenov -- had been held in custody for several hours on February 20 after the three announced their intention to attend an annual meeting between Almaty Mayor Akhmetzhan Esimov and city residents.
Earlier this month, the same three bloggers were arrested and sentenced to 10 days in jail for publicly protesting a decision barring them from attending a meeting between Esimov and Kazakhstani bloggers in Almaty.