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'''Ramazan Yesergepov''' ({{lang-kk|Рамазан Есіргепов}}, ''Ramazan Esirgepov'', رامازان ەسٸرگەپوۆ; {{lang-ru|Рамазан Тахтарович Есергепов}}, ''Ramazan Takhtarovich Yesergepov'') is a jailed [[Kazakhs|Kazakhstan]]i journalist, whose arrest led to international concerns about the freedom of the [[media in Kazakhstan]]. Prior to his arrest he was the editor of ''[[Alma-Ata Info]]''.<ref>{{citation|title=Журналистерді қорғау комитеті Рамазан Есіргеповті түрмеден босатуға шақырды|url=http://www.azattyq.org/content/Kazakhstan_taraz_ramazan_esirgepov_prison_hunger_strike__prosecutor/2095504.html|date=2010-07-09|periodical=[[Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty]] (Azattyq)|accessdate=2011-04-20|first=Kenzhebek|last=Nurqasenuly}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Yesergepov is married to Raushan Yesergepova.<ref name="CAO">{{citation|url=http://centralasiaonline.com/cocoon/caii/xhtml/en_GB/newsbriefs/caii/newsbriefs/2010/07/30/newsbrief-05|periodical=Central Asia Online|date=2010-07-30|accessdate=2011-04-20|last=Rogers|first=Stan|title=Ramazan Yesergepov appeals to UN}}</ref>

==Career==
Yesergepov founded ''Alma-Ata Info'' in 2005. In 2006, the newspaper was charged under Administrative Code Article 342 for alleged violations of the law on mass media; namely, the Almaty City Council claimed that the newspaper had changed its thematic focus but failed to register the change with the government. The newspaper faced a maximum fine of [[Kazakhstani tenge|T]]206,000 (roughly US$1600). Yesergepov believed the real reason for the charges was retaliation for articles criticising the authorities.<ref>{{citation|url=http://www.ifex.org/kazakhstan/2006/04/11/alma_ata_info_newspaper_facing/|date=2006-04-11|title='Alma-ata info' newspaper facing charges|periodical=Adil Soz|accessdate=2011-04-20}}</ref>

In November 2008, Yesergepov published a piece entitled "Who Rules the Country: President or National Security Committee?", featuring private correspondence from the chief of the Jambyl Regional Department of the [[National Security Committee of the Republic of Kazakhstan|National Security Committee]]. The NSC then listed the document as classified information, and ordered Yesergepov to reveal his sources. Around the same time, Yesergepov suffered an [[infarction]] and went to obtain medical care; due to his hospitalisation, he did not attend an interrogation as ordered, even after his release from hospital.<ref name="Ferghana20090111">{{citation|url=http://enews.fergananews.com/news.php?id=929|periodical=[[Ferghana Information Agency]]|title=Kazakhstan: Journalist Ramazan Yesergepov faces the prospect of spending the next 8 years behind the bars|date=2009-01-11|accessdate=2011-04-20}}</ref>

==Arrest and imprisonment==
On 6 January 2009, officers of the NSC's Jambyl department detained Yesergepov on charges of "unlawful compilation and proliferation of information containing state secrets" and "abuse of position". The initial charges were brought under Penal Code Article 172 Part 2, carrying a maximum sentence of three years.<ref name="Ferghana20090111"/> However, the Taraz District Court #2 then decided to charge Yesergepov under Part 4 of the same article instead, meaning that he could face up to eight years in prison.<ref name="Ferghana20090111"/><ref name="AdilSoz20100714">{{citation|title=Parole of chiefe editor of newspaper «Alma-Ata Info» Ramazan Yesergepov was dismissed|url=http://www.adilsoz.kz/en/newsen/parole-of-chief-editor-of-newspaper-alma-ata-info-ramazan-yesergepov-was-dismissed/|periodical=Adil Soz|date=2010-07-14|accessdate=2011-04-21}}</ref> In August 2009 he was sentenced to three years in prison; the [[Supreme Court of the Republic of Kazakhstan|Supreme Court]] rejected an appeal to investigate the legality of the decision.<ref name="SeattleTimes">{{citation|url=http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2009652242_apaskazakhstanjailededitor.html|periodical=Seattle Times|date=2009-08-13|accessdate=2011-04-20|title=Kazakhstan court refuses to free jailed editor|last=Leonard|first=Peter}}</ref> Yesergepov's case returned to the Taraz court, which upheld the original sentence in October 2009.<ref>{{citation|periodical=Reuters|url=http://in.reuters.com/article/2009/10/22/idINIndia-43365920091022|date=2009-10-22|accessdate=2011-04-20|title=Kazakhstan court rejects jailed journalist's appeal}}</ref>

Yesergepov was imprisoned at Taraz Standard Regime Penal Colony #158/2. He applied for parole in January 2010; when that request was denied, he requested transfer to a lesser-security [[colony-settlement]] instead, which was also refused.<ref name="AdilSoz20100927">{{citation|url=http://www.adilsoz.kz/en/newsen/administrative-commission-has-denied-transfer-to-penal-colony-settlement-to-ramazan-yesergepov/|periodical=Adil Soz|title=Administrative Commission has denied transfer to penal colony settlement to Ramazan Yesergepov|date=2010-09-27|accessdate=2011-04-21}}</ref><ref>{{citation|title=Административная комиссия отказала Рамазану Есергепову в переводе в колонию-поселение|periodical=Adil Soz|date=2010-10-04|accessdate=2011-04-20|url=http://www.adilsoz.kz/news/administrativnaya-komissiya-otkazala-ramazanu-esergepovu-v-perevode-v-koloniyu-poselenie/}}</ref> On 30 June 2010, he announced his intention to go on [[hunger strike]].<ref name="AdilSoz20100630">{{citation|url=http://www.adilsoz.kz/news/glavnyj-redaktor-gazety-alma-ata-info-ramazan-esergepov-nameren-obyavit-golodovku/|periodical=Adil Soz|date=2010-06-30|accessdate=2011-04-21|title=Главный редактор газеты «Алма-Ата ИНФО» Рамазан Есергепов намерен объявить голодовку}}</ref> His hunger strike lasted until 11 July. Two days later, his next request for parole was also denied.<ref name="AdilSoz20100714"/> At the end of that month, his wife delivered an appeal from her husband to Viktoriya Tiuneleva of the NGO Kazakhstani Bureau for Human Rights, to be forwarded to the [[United Nations Human Rights Council]].<ref name="CAO"/> In September 2010, another application of Yesergepov's for transfer to a colony-settlement was denied.<ref name="AdilSoz20100927"/>

==Response to imprisonment==
The case against Yesergepov led to condemnation by Kazakhstani opposition party [[Azat party|Azat]], which called his arrest an attempt to intimidate journalists.<ref name="SeattleTimes"/> Local newspaper ''Adil Soz'' stated that Yesergepov did not receive a [[public trial]], violating Criminal Procedural Code Article 17.<ref name="AdilSoz20100630"/> A number of international organisations also condemned the matter. The [[Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe]], to which Kazakhstan had submitted a bid for chairmanship, stated that Yesergepov's imprisonment "violated international standards and Kazakhstan's commitments on media freedom", and sent a letter of protest to the Kazakhstani government.<ref name="SeattleTimes"/> The New York-based [[Committee to Protect Journalists]] accused Kazakhstan's government of undermining the OSCE through human rights violation at home; [[Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Kazakhstan)|Ministry of Foreign Affairs]] spokesman [[Ilyas Omarov]] stated in response that no OSCE member state had complained to his ministry over the matter, and that Kazakhstan had a "healthy media environment" run primarily by private companies rather than state bodies.<ref>{{citation|periodical=Eurasianet.org|last=Lillis|first=Joanna|title=Kazakhstan: Media Watchdog Raps Astana's Rights Record|url=http://www.eurasianet.org/node/61936|date=2010-09-15|accessdate=2011-04-20}}</ref> [[Human Rights Watch]] also pointed to the case as an example of Kazakhstan's "chilling environment for freedom of expression.<ref>{{citation|periodical=Daily Times of Pakistan|title=Rights group raps Kazakh record before OSCE summit|url=http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010%5C12%5C01%5Cstory_1-12-2010_pg14_4|date=2010-12-01|accessdate=2011-04-20}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Yesergepov, Ramazan}}
[[Category:Kazakhstani journalists]]
[[Category:News editors]]
[[Category:Kazakhstani prisoners and detainees]]
[[Category:Prisoners and detainees of Kazakhstan]]
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Journalists imprisoned for refusing to reveal sources]]

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There, I have entered a username at 03:35, 21 September 2016