An action in memory of lost journalists passed off in Grozny

On December, 15, a memorial action timed to the Day of Memory of the journalists who perished carrying out their professional duty passed off in front of Press House in Journalists' public garden in the capital of Chechnya. The action with the participation of representatives of republican mass media, intelligentsia, the clergy, youth and students' organizations was arranged by the Ministry of External Relations, National Policy, Press and Information of Chechnya.

The participants spoke of significance of journalist's profession and particular representatives of mass media who perished during the first and second military campaigns in the territory of Chechnya. The people lay flowers at the foot of the memorial to lost journalists and honored their memory with a minute's silence. A representative of the clergy said a requiem (dua) on the lost journalists.

During the two military campaigns in Chechnya, from 1993 till 1997, about one hundred representatives of mass media perished, among them 22 residents of Chechnya and 15 journalists who had worked in different local and Russian mass media. They were: Grigory Krikoriantz, Khusein Guzuev, Akhjat Osmaev, Gelani Charigov, Ruslan Tsebiev, Sultan Nuraev, Shahman Kagirov, Malkan Suleimanova, Nina Efimova, Ivan Gogun, Ramzan Khajiev, Said Didaev, Victor Elizarov, Yusup Beterbiev and Bilal Akhmadov.

After a counter-terrorist operation started in 1999 in the territory of Chechnya, journalists Ramzan Mezhidov, Shamil Gegaev (killeded during bombing of a column of refugees by federal troops), Adam Tepsurkaev, Supijan  Ependiev, Liza Berdukaeva, Luiza Arjieva and Adlan Khasanov perished in the republic.

As it was stated at a presentation of a report "Selective justice. Detections of the journalists' deaths in Russia, 1999-2009" prepared by International Journalists' Federation, Chechen Republic was one of the three places in Russia where not a single murderer of journalists was brought before the court during the period from 1993 till 2007.

Jima Bumella, President of this organization, considers that it is necessary to create an organization which would deal with the problems connected with loss of journalists carrying out their professional duty in Northern Caucasus.