Ulan-Ude/Agency Caucasus – Court in Ulan-Ude will discuss the case against journalists who distributed brochures that describe 23 February as ‘Genocide Festival’.
On 14 April Sovietsky region court of Ulan-Ude city in West Siberia started to discuss again the case filed against journalists Nadejda Nizovski and Tatyana Stetsura from Buryatia, for arousing hatred against security forces with brochures and essays. During the hearing on 29 April witnesses spoke.
23 February is celebrated in Russia as Defender of the Fatherland Day. However, in recent years 2 Siberian journalists distribute brochures in this day and remind people that 23 February is the anniversary of Chechen exile and moreover, a lot of nations were subjected to genocide and exiled by Russia.
Sovietsky region court of Ulan-Ude found journalists Nadejda Nizovski and Tatyana Stetsura guilty for arousing hatred and hostility against police and army and fined them 100 thousands rubles each on 19 January. However, the court’s verdict declared by former judge Irina Levandovsky, were canceled by appeal commission of Buryatia Supreme Court upon defendants objection to the verdict.
According to the information given by editor in chief of ‘Freedom of Expression’ newspaper Pavel Lyuzakov, investigation on Nizovskina and Stetsura stated after they defended imam Bahtiyar Umarov in the case against him for ‘Buryatia should not be Andican’ brochures. In the city of Andican in Uzbekistan a revolt against administration was surpassed in May 2005 killing 800 people.
On 23 February 2009 police took journalists who were distributing brochures about 65 Anniversary of Chechen exile, into custody and initiated oyer against them.
Amnesty International stated support for the journalists and a protest took place against the investigation on October 4, 2010. Nizovskina and Stetsura appealed to the European Court of Human Rights. KU/ÖZ/CY
