Journalists twice removed from courtroom at Nalchik attack trial

Today in the afternoon, journalists were removed from the courtroom, where the Supreme Court of Kabardino-Balkaria is considering the criminal case on the events on October 13, 2005, in Nalchik.

Let us remind you that today journalists and other persons not parties of the litigations have already once been removed from the courtroom of the Supreme court of Kabardino-Balkaria. The decision was made by the court after a witness, a resident of Volgograd, a working militiaman, who figures in the case as a victim, moved a petition on being interrogated in the conditions excluding his visual observation.

After the lunch break, another militiaman from Volgograd was to be interrogated, who is also a victim in the case. Galina Gorislavskaya, who is chairing the trial, said that on August 3 a petition was submitted by this victim asking to interrogate him without visual observation. Today he has expressed a request to be interrogated in a closed judicial session.

The petition was upheld by the prosecution, but voiced against by the defence and defendants. "It all looks like a prepared script," said advocate Magomed Abubakarov and added that it was inadmissible to deprive this litigation of publicity.

Defendant Berov, on behalf of the whole fifth sector (sectors are the cages, in which defendants are kept during sessions, - comment of the "Caucasian Knot"), spoke against removal of the press out of the courtroom. "We want the public to know the truth," he said.

Defendant Mashukov has stated that evidences of "not-local militiamen", who are not interested in the outcomes of the trial, are valuable for the defendants, and these evidences should be covered in the press.

The court, nevertheless, has ruled to interrogate the witness in a closed judicial session; and journalists were again asked to leave the courtroom.