Zhalaudi Geriev in the courtroom. Photo by Patimat Makhmudova for the "Caucasian Knot"

30 December 2016, 03:07

RWB: Geriev convicted on trumped-up charges

The decision of the Supreme Court (SC) of the Chechen Republic, which upheld the verdict to Zhalaudi Geriev, a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent, should be repealed in view of the fabrication of the case, the international organization "Reporters without Borders" (RWB) has stated.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on December 28, the SC of Chechnya upheld the verdict to Geriev, passed on September 5 by the Shali District Court, according to which the journalist was sentenced to three years in colony on charges of possessing marijuana. His defence had then treated the verdict as illegitimate.

At the trial at the SC of Chechnya, like at the first-instance court, no evidence was presented in support of the prosecutor's version, apart from the confessions, given by Geriev under pressure and abandoned by him afterwards, the RWB has noted, adding that the case itself contains numerous contradictions, while the trial was accompanied by procedural violations. The court "ignored the testimonies of defence witnesses, who confirmed that three armed men had kidnapped Geriev; and complaints about ill-treatment were rejected by the court."

The conviction of Geriev "is a punishment for his journalistic activities," said Johann Beer, the head of the RWB's bureau for Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.

All news
НАСТОЯЩИЙ МАТЕРИАЛ (ИНФОРМАЦИЯ) ПРОИЗВЕДЕН И РАСПРОСТРАНЕН ИНОСТРАННЫМ АГЕНТОМ ООО “МЕМО”, ЛИБО КАСАЕТСЯ ДЕЯТЕЛЬНОСТИ ИНОСТРАННОГО АГЕНТА ООО “МЕМО”.

March 28, 2024 22:19

  • Court extends arrest of blogger Alyona Agafonova

    Alyona Agafonova, a blogger from Samara, accused of desecrating a symbol of military glory because of her video filmed near the monument "The Motherland is Calling!" has been left in custody until June 19.

March 28, 2024 22:13

March 28, 2024 22:03

  • Attack on Crocus City Hall highlights issue of state assistance to victims of terror acts

    In Russia, the status of victims of terror acts should be legislated and state assistance should be guaranteed to them, human rights defenders claim after the terror act at the Crocus City Hall. According to the human rights defenders, the authorities still do not provide full-scale assistance to the victims of the terror act in Beslan and the militant attack on Nalchik.

March 27, 2024 16:51

March 27, 2024 14:49

News archive