Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09STATE5392
2009-01-21 19:27:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Secretary of State
Cable title:
OSCE PERMANENT COUNCIL: STATEMENT ON JOURNALIST
how-toVZCZCXRO1798 PP RUEHAST RUEHFL RUEHLA RUEHMRE RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSK RUEHSR DE RUEHC #5392 0211935 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P R 211927Z JAN 09 FM SECSTATE WASHDC TO RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE PRIORITY 7238 INFO ORG FOR SECURITY CO OP IN EUR COLLECTIVE
UNCLAS STATE 005392
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM OSCE KZ
SUBJECT: OSCE PERMANENT COUNCIL: STATEMENT ON JOURNALIST
ARREST IN KAZAKHSTAN
UNCLAS STATE 005392
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM OSCE KZ
SUBJECT: OSCE PERMANENT COUNCIL: STATEMENT ON JOURNALIST
ARREST IN KAZAKHSTAN
1. Post is authorized to make the following statement at
the January 22, 2009, meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council
in Vienna:
Begin Text:
Madam Chairwoman,
The United States notes the concern expressed by the
Representative on Freedom of the Media Miklos Haraszti and by
the European Union on the case of Ramazan Yesergepov, the
editor of the weekly Alma-Ata Info. Mr. Yesergepov is under
arrest for allegedly disclosing state secrets while
publishing internal documents of the Kazakh National Security
Committee on November 21.
Mr. Haraszti has long campaigned for shield laws for
journalists, including in my own country. And we agree with
Mr. Haraszti that conflicts around unauthorized disclosures
of national security documents are a sign of the growing
maturation of freedom of the media in any society. This does
not mean that any national security document should be
disclosed, but clearly it is appropriate that there be
discussions of which types of documents might justifiably be
covered by such restrictions. For instance, documents
related to tax evasion or those whose revelation would simply
be embarrassing to a government or persons in positions of
power would not be expected to meet that threshold in modern
democracies.
We hope this incident and the international scrutiny
surrounding it will further stimulate debate in Kazakhstan on
these very issues.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
End text.
BURNS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM OSCE KZ
SUBJECT: OSCE PERMANENT COUNCIL: STATEMENT ON JOURNALIST
ARREST IN KAZAKHSTAN
1. Post is authorized to make the following statement at
the January 22, 2009, meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council
in Vienna:
Begin Text:
Madam Chairwoman,
The United States notes the concern expressed by the
Representative on Freedom of the Media Miklos Haraszti and by
the European Union on the case of Ramazan Yesergepov, the
editor of the weekly Alma-Ata Info. Mr. Yesergepov is under
arrest for allegedly disclosing state secrets while
publishing internal documents of the Kazakh National Security
Committee on November 21.
Mr. Haraszti has long campaigned for shield laws for
journalists, including in my own country. And we agree with
Mr. Haraszti that conflicts around unauthorized disclosures
of national security documents are a sign of the growing
maturation of freedom of the media in any society. This does
not mean that any national security document should be
disclosed, but clearly it is appropriate that there be
discussions of which types of documents might justifiably be
covered by such restrictions. For instance, documents
related to tax evasion or those whose revelation would simply
be embarrassing to a government or persons in positions of
power would not be expected to meet that threshold in modern
democracies.
We hope this incident and the international scrutiny
surrounding it will further stimulate debate in Kazakhstan on
these very issues.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
End text.
BURNS