Kazakh Opposition Editor Sues National Security Committee

Igor Vinyavsky

ALMATY -- The chief editor of a Kazakh opposition newspaper has filed a lawsuit against the National Security Committee (KNB) for not allowing him to fly to a conference in Europe, RFE/RL's Kazakh Service reports.

"Vzglyad" chief editor Igor Vinyavsky said in Almaty on July 5 that he has filed lawsuits against the KNB and the Dutch KLM Airlines.

Vinyavsky said that on June 21 the KNB border service and KLM employees took him off a flight to Brussels, where he was going to attend a conference on corruption in Central Asia.

Vinyavsky said he was told by the KNB officials that he had problems with his visa. He said he told them his visa was in order.

Vinyavsky's lawyer, Sergei Utkin, said visa issues are beyond the competencies of the border service and therefore represents a case of abuse of power.

Vinyvsky said he is going to demand compensation of 500,000 tenge ($3,500) in his lawsuit.