By empty (1/6/2005 issue of the CACI Analyst)

The inter-district economic court of Almaty authorized the liquidation of the Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan opposition party on Thursday. The court upheld arguments of the Almaty prosecutor\'s office in support of the party liquidation, an Interfax correspondent reported from the courtroom. The Almaty prosecutor\'s office asked for the liquidation of the Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan because of a political statement the party adopted at its congress on December 11, 2004.

By empty (1/5/2005 issue of the CACI Analyst)

The opposition Coordinating Council of Democratic Forces issued a statement on 5 January denouncing a lawsuit by the Almaty Prosecutor\'s Office seeking the closure of the opposition political party Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan (DVK). The statement described the case against DVK and recent tax charges against the Soros-Kazakhstan Foundation as \"politically motivated and coordinated from a single center.\" Prosecutors are seeking the dissolution of DVK for incitement to civil disobedience; the next hearing in the case is scheduled for 6 January.

By empty (1/4/2005 issue of the CACI Analyst)

According to a report compiled by the nongovernmental Georgian Young Lawyers\' Association, Georgian authorities have accumulated 55.7 million laris ($30.9 million) in fines and seized assets as part of their anticorruption program.