Accessibility links

Breaking News

Arrested Kazakh Executives Shown In 'Secret' KNB Flats


Marika Tsotsoria, left, and Natalia Parfenova, wives of arrested Kazatomprom executives at a press conference on July 1
Marika Tsotsoria, left, and Natalia Parfenova, wives of arrested Kazatomprom executives at a press conference on July 1
ALMATY -- A program on Kazakhstan's state television channel Khabar showed four arrested Kazatomprom executives living in comfortable conditions at secret Kazakh security service (KNB) apartments, RFE/RL's Kazakh Service reports.

The four are among eight top executives at Kazatomprom who were detained in May in connection with a criminal investigation against Kazatomprom President Mukhtar Dzhakishev, who is accused of corruption.

Kazatomprom is the country's nuclear holding company operating in uranium and other nuclear fuels.

Malkhaz Tsotsoria, one of the KNB's "guests" on the TV documentary, was quoted on the program as saying that the four have been living in the apartments, which he said have the standard of a "three-star" hotel.

He added that they are getting hot meals three times a day and can use a washing machine.

But the Kazatomprom executives' wives said in Almaty that the program -- shown on prime time in Kazakhstan and rebroadcast on other TV programs -- was propaganda and that the men are actually being held incommunicado in poor conditions.
XS
SM
MD
LG