A cameraman for a privately owned Kazakh television channel is reported to have been severely beaten while filming a report in Almaty, RFE/RL's Kazakh Service reports.
An Almaty-based media watchdog said Abzal Aghaliev of Tan television was assaulted while filming a fire at a meat-packing factory on March 18.
The watchdog, Adil Soz (A Just Word), said today that Aghaliev was assaulted by Qadyrzhan Mazhinov, executive director of the Nuralem company that owns the factory.
The group also alleged that Mazhinov smashed Aghaliev's video camera.
Mazhinov has not commented so far on the allegations.
Police have opened an investigation.
Tan television broadcasts primarily news and entertainment programs.