Almaty, 27 May 2002 (RFE/RL) -- A Kazakh court ruled today to shut down the company that publishes the independent weekly "Respublica," which had its offices firebombed last week. The court ruled that PR Consulting Company, which publishes the weekly "Respublika," will be closed. The plantiff in the case was Kazakhstan's Culture and Information Ministry. Publication of the newspaper was suspended in April by a court order due to what the court called "legal technicalities."
This latest blow to the newspaper comes just a week after the newspaper's editorial office was destroyed by two Molotov cocktails. That followed an earlier warning attached to the body of a headless dog that was left at the office. Two workers at another independent newspaper, "SolDat," were beaten by unknown assailants last week also.
This latest blow to the newspaper comes just a week after the newspaper's editorial office was destroyed by two Molotov cocktails. That followed an earlier warning attached to the body of a headless dog that was left at the office. Two workers at another independent newspaper, "SolDat," were beaten by unknown assailants last week also.