"Reporters Without Borders" award "Dosh" magazine from Chechnya

The international human rights organization "Reporters Without Borders" has awarded its Press Freedom Prize for the contribution into defence of the freedom of press to the "Dosh" (Word) magazine from Chechnya.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that in June this year the "Reporters Without Borders" wrote in their report "Russian Caucasus: Media Behind Iron Curtain that in Chechnya and Ingushetia journalists were replaced by human rights activists, as here mass media do not dare to publish the information, painful for the authorities.

The quarterly magazine "Dosh" became the laureate of the prize in the nomination "Mass Media of the Year", as one of the few independent printed editions covering the situation in Northern Caucasus.

According to Jean-Francois Julliard, secretary general of the "Reporters Without Borders", the "persecuted" Chechen magazine "has demonstrated a surprising level of boldness and self-sacrifice," as written by the Russian Service of the BBC TV Company.

The awarding ceremony took place in the Paris-based Espace Fondation Centre. The award to the "Dosh" was received by the editor-in-chief of the magazine Israpil Shovkhalov and chief-editor Abdullah Duduev.

"Today, our thoughts are with those, with whom we should have marked the reception of this award - with Magomed Evloev, Natalia Estemirova and Anna Politkovskaya," Mr Shovlakhov said at the ceremony.

Abdullah Duduev said that the main topics of the magazine are human rights, culture and history of Northern Caucasus, and social and economic situation of the residents of the region.

According to his story, many Russian mass media distort the real situation in Northern Caucasus and create a negative image of its residents; therefore, the publishers of the magazine believe it important "let them tell about themselves."