The "Assandi-Times" opposition newspaper in Kazakhstan has been shut down.
Journalists working for the periodical say officials of the Medeu District Court in Almaty came to their offices on April 2 and sealed the premises, saying the newspaper has been closed.
The journalists were officially informed that the court ruled on April 1 to shut down the newspaper after establishing that it was part of the banned Respublika media company.
The journalists say there were not aware of the hearing.
"Assandi-Times" correspondent Natalya Sadyqova told RFE/RL last month that she had to flee Kazakhstan for Ukraine as local authorities charged her with alleged libel.
In 2012, a court found eight newspapers and 23 websites to be parts of Respublika and ruled to shut them all down, saying that their materials carry extremist contents.
Journalists working for the periodical say officials of the Medeu District Court in Almaty came to their offices on April 2 and sealed the premises, saying the newspaper has been closed.
The journalists were officially informed that the court ruled on April 1 to shut down the newspaper after establishing that it was part of the banned Respublika media company.
The journalists say there were not aware of the hearing.
"Assandi-Times" correspondent Natalya Sadyqova told RFE/RL last month that she had to flee Kazakhstan for Ukraine as local authorities charged her with alleged libel.
In 2012, a court found eight newspapers and 23 websites to be parts of Respublika and ruled to shut them all down, saying that their materials carry extremist contents.