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Kazakh Online Newspaper Says It Received Pig's Head With Editor's Photo In Its Mouth


Orda.kz's editor in chief, Gulnara Bazhkenova (file photo)
Orda.kz's editor in chief, Gulnara Bazhkenova (file photo)

An online newspaper in Kazakhstan has received a parcel containing a severed pig’s head with a torn photo of the media outlet's editor in chief in its mouth.

Gulnara Bazhkenova, the editor in chief of Orda.kz, wrote on Facebook on October 5 that a private delivery service brought the parcel to the newspaper's offices in Almaty.

"Orda.kz's editorial team has faced frequent attacks, including threats and provocations, lately," Bazhkenova wrote.

Bazhkenova said earlier that unknown individuals painted a text containing threats to her and her newspaper on a pavement close to Orda.kz's headquarters in Almaty.

Orda.kz focuses on political, economic, and social events and developments in the Central Asian nation.

Attacks on independent media outlets in the country have been frequent for years, especially before presidential or parliamentary elections.

Kazakhstan is holding an early presidential election on November 20.

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