Kazakhstan's Democratic Forces Forum

By ROZLANA TAUKINA, Associated Press Writer

ALMATY, Kazakhstan - A well-known opposition journalist who is under investigation for insulting the honor and dignity of Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev was arrested Monday on suspicion of raping an underage girl.

Sergei Duvanov — editor of the weekly bulletin of the International Bureau for Human Rights and Rule of Law and an active member of the democratic opposition in this former Soviet republic — denied the allegations. He accused the government of fabricating the alleged crime as part of an effort to silence critical media.

Duvanov, who remained in police custody Monday, said that Sunday night, his neighbors asked if they could use his Russian-style sauna. The neighbors arrived with two girls, who were identified as their daughter and her friend. Duvanov said after his neighbors left, he went in the sauna. After leaving the sauna, Duvanov drank a cup of tea, which he now suspects was drugged.

The journalist said he was woken up Monday morning by police, who took him into custody on suspicion of rape after authorities allegedly received a complaint from one of the girls and her mother.

"It was simply decided to use the dirtiest, most deceitful means to discredit me in front of the eyes of my Western colleagues ... in order to prevent me from writing articles which aren't pleasing for those who sit in power," Duvanov said.

Col. Murat Urumkhanov of Almaty's Interior Ministry confirmed the journalist's detention and said medical and biological experts would investigate the girl's claims.

Activists said the allegations were invented by authorities.

"We don't doubt that this crime is fabricated," said political analyst Nurbulat Masanov. He accused authorities of preventing Duvanov from traveling to Washington to speak to the Carnegie Fund and meet with a journalist rights group. Duvanov had been due to leave Tuesday morning.

Zhemis Turmagambetova of the International Bureau of Human Rights in Kazakhstan said her group would closely observe the criminal investigation against the journalist.

Duvanov has written a series of critical articles about Nazarbayev on the Internet, including one that explores allegations that the president and members of his entourage funneled government funds into Swiss bank accounts for personal use.

That article prompted Kazakhstan's security service to open a criminal investigation of Duvanov this summer on allegations of insulting the honor and dignity of the president.

In August, Duvanov was attacked by unidentified assailants in the stairwell of his apartment building. They beat him and slashed him repeatedly with a knife, leaving him with cuts and bruises over most of his body.

Nazarbayev, a former Communist Party boss, launched limited democratic reforms after Kazakhstan gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, but has become increasingly impatient with dissent, cracking down on media and opposition politicians.

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