Hot News Today, on May 25, 2000, at around 10am an attempt on the life of Igor Poberezhsky, journalist and director of a well-known Russian news and information agency "Eurasia" was made near his apartment house in Moscow. An unidentified criminal of Asian nationality knifed him in the back when Mr. Poberezhsky was getting in the car. 1998 to present, Igor Poberezhsky's have performed the duties of press secretary of Akezhan Kazhegeldin, leader of the Republican People's Party of Kazakhstan (RPPK) and ex-premier of Kazakhstan. Mr. Poberezhsky had neither business nor any other involvement in any criminal activities. He has been taken to Sklifasovsky Emergency Hospital. The doctors consider the condition of the patient grave. Igor Poberezhsky's colleagues link the attempt upon his life with the continued oppressive campaign of Nursultan Nazarbayev's regime to harass and intimidate the democratic opposition in Kazakhstan. Just a month ago Akezhan Kazhegeldin's former security officers were found guilty on a forged charges of “illegal possession of firearms”. They are Lieutenant Colonel Afanasienko and Major Ibrayev. Last summer, the run-up to parliamentary elections was marked by a series of mysterious deaths. Head of the RPPK elections headquarters Mikhail Isinaliyev and deputy chair of the RPPK Executive Committee Zhumatai Amerkhanov died one by one of curious “fulminant” deceases. Mr. Amirzhan Kosanov, another deputy chair of the Republican Party's Executive Committee and Ms. Elena Nikitenko, head of the SR news agency that backed RPPK were assaulted by the “unidentified” criminals too. Yesterday, May 24, famous Kazakhstani movie director and member of the RPPK Executive Committee, Rashid Nougmanov was detained upon his arrival at airport and held incommunicado by Kazakh secret service. The attempt upon Igor Poberezhsky's life should be considered as yet another example of the above methods that only too well demonstrate the means and ways used by President Nazarbayev's regime to harass the opposition. “Eurasia” Information and Analytic Center
25 May 2000
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