Home arrest of Seitkazy Matayev restricts his right for defense - Adil Soz

Almaty. February 24. KazTAG - Home arrest for Seitkazy Matayev restricts his right for defense, said Tamara Kaleyeva, president of the international fund for protection of freedom of speech Adil Soz.
"Although the procedural court ruling is legal, we should take into account that he had asked to set him out on bail, so that he could take part in his defense to the maximum, to take all the necessary measures and provide the evidences of his innocence. He had initially declared about his innocence. Talking about his right for full defense, undoubtedly, it restricts his right for defense," said Kaleyeva to KazTAG.
She emphasized, that allegedly violation of obligation by Matayev on appearance in the investigation bodies, which resulted in the decision on home arrest, has not been fixed documentarily.
"Here are many contradictions. He says he did not violate any requirements of investigator on interrogations and other investigatory arrangements. The judge said that he deviated. Where is it fixed? How is it fixed? It looks like we have to believe the words of the servants of law. But journalists don't take the words of anybody," she said.
In her opinion, detention of Matayev and his home arrest complicate the chance to show his innocence.
"Undoubtedly, he was detained in order to be deprived of the chance to voice his position on this accusation, I believe the current judicial decision will complicate his defense," she said.
As it was reported, the department of the national bureau for corruption combat of Almaty detained S. Matayev on suspicion of embezzlement of budget funds on especially large scale and evasion of the payment of taxes.
The journalists’ community flared concerning the statement of the department of the national bureau for corruption combat as S. Matayev had been factually declared a criminal prior to the court's decision.
Up to 400 well-known journalists claimed the Prosecutor's General Office of Kazakhstan to take the investigation under control and provide maximum publicity and transparency of the investigation.
Bigeldy Gabdullin, president of the international Kazakhstani PEN-club and Tamara Kaleyeva, president of the international fund for protection of freedom of speech, have called to release the chairman of the Union of Journalists of Kazakhstan.