Media Group Says Kazakh Authorities Harassing Newspaper

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said in a statement that a succession of Kazakh printing houses have refused to print the newspaper, in some cases after officials warned the printing houses not to do so.

The CPJ said since December "Uralskaya nedelya" has signed contracts with four separate printing houses, only to receive notice several days later that the newspaper could not be printed.

According to the CPJ statement, the printing house with which "Uralskaya nedelya" signed its most recent contract, Ak Zhaiyk, is printing the newspaper despite the fact that "an official called Ak Zhaiyk and warned its management not to print 'Uralskaya nedelya.'"

(with material from AP)