Kazakh Journalist Union Chief Hospitalized For Second Time During Trial

Seitkazy Mataev, chairman of the Kazakh Union of Journalists of Kazakhstan (file photo)

The head of the Kazakh Journalists' Union and chairman of the National Press Club has been hospitalized for the second time since a trial began against him last week for on charges of embezzlement and tax evasion.

Seitqazy Mataev and his son, Aset, the director of the KazTAG news agency who also is being tried on embezzlement charges, went on trial for corruption in Astana on August 23.

Seitqazy Mataev felt ill on the first day of the trial and was rushed from the courtroom to a hospital. His symptoms included high blood pressure.

The trial resumed on August 29.

However, Mataev's lawyer Andrei Petrov said Mataev was again rushed to a hospital with extremely high blood pressure.

The Mataevs were detained in February and later placed under house arrest.

Both deny the charges against them, and rights groups having denounced the charges as politically motivated.

With reporting by KazTAG