Kazakhstan / Freedom of the press / Ramazan Yesergepov
Iran
Disappearance of the “Arctic Sea” cargo ship
Kazakhstan / Freedom of the press / Ramazan Yesergepov
We were concerned to learn that Ramazan Yesergepov, editor-in-chief of the weekly Alma Ata Info, was sentenced to three years in prison.
We demand his immediate release and hope that his conviction will be overturned upon appeal so that Ramazan Yesergepov can fully and freely exercise the profession of journalist.
We reiterate our commitment to the freedom of the press and to the free exercise of journalism, which are guaranteed, notably, by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
France notes that Kazakhstan will hold the presidency of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in 2010. France encourages the authorities in Astana to fully implement the commitments to which they subscribed by joining the OSCE and which were confirmed during the Ministerial Council in Madrid in December 2007.
France is ready to continue working with Kazakhstan in preparing its upcoming presidency.
Iran
Q - Do you believe the French authorities’ efforts have contributed to progress toward resolving Clotilde Reiss’s situation? Can you confirm her father’s statements? He says he expects her to be released today or Saturday.
We expect the Iranian authorities to act in accordance with their statements.
We demand that Clotilde Reiss be released without delay.
Disappearance of the “Arctic Sea” cargo ship
Q - Is France involved in the search for the Arctic Sea cargo ship? If so, in what way?
France is indeed in regular contact with the authorities concerned by this matter, notably the Maltese authorities, to help them clarify the Arctic Sea’s situation./.