New Charges Filed Against Kazakh Opposition Leader

30 July 2004 -- A coalition of Kazakh opposition parties today complained about new charges authorities have brought against a jailed opposition leader.
In a statement, the Communist Party and the Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan (DCK) Party say the new corruption charges brought against DCK leader Galymzhan Zhakiyanov are fabricated.

The two parties accuse Kazakh authorities of bringing the charges of extortion now in an attempt to prevent Zhakiyanov from being released on parole next week.

Zhakiyanov has already served about one-third of his seven-year sentence after being found guilty in 2002 of abuse of office while he was governor of the Pavlodar Province in the late 1990s.

The National Security Committee declined to comment on the new charges.

Zhakiyanov is still the official leader of the DCK.

(AP)