Amir Kasenov. Photo: from social media.
Amir Kasenov, editor in chief of the Kazakh news agency KazTAG, has been detained in Astana, the city police department said, according to Forbes.kz.
Kasenov is currently being held in a temporary detention facility. Police said he was detained as part of an investigation into the dissemination of knowingly false information, without providing further details.
The detention was first reported on December 23 by KazTAG’s director general, Asset Mataev, on his Telegram channel. According to Mataev, Kasenov was summoned for investigative actions at the Yesil district police department in Astana, after which the journalist’s lawyers were informed of his detention. Kasenov described what was happening as “legal lawlessness.”
Information about a criminal case against KazTAG’s management emerged in early December. The agency’s director general, Asset Mataev, and its editor in chief, Amir Kasenov, were named as suspects following a complaint filed by Freedom Finance. The case was prompted by KazTAG publications alleging fraudulent schemes involving the company’s leadership.
KazTAG maintains that the case was initiated “for the purpose of intimidation.” The editorial staff believe that employees of the presidential administration and representatives of the so-called “Old Kazakhstan” are involved.
