Member of Board of Elders of Balkar People was forced to the Prosecutor's Office of Nalchik

On August 25 in the morning, Tamara Gerieva, a member of the Board of Elders of Balkar People (BEBP), was violently delivered by militiamen to the Prosecutor's Office of Nalchik, where Anatoly Tkhagapsoev, public prosecutor of the city, offered her to sign a warning on inadmissibility of extremist activity. Ms Gerieva herself told about it to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

According to Tamara Gerieva, who is 55, on August 24, after 10 p.m., when she left the office of the BEBP, she was surrounded by militia cars. Militiamen asked her to go with them "for a couple of questions" in connection with the car of another BEBP member Dalkhat Baidaev, which was burnt down a day before. According to Tamara Gerieva, she answered that, firstly, it was already late; and, secondly, if they had questions to her, let them summon her.

After that, according to Gerieva, they began dragging her into the car; she raised hell and called her friends living nearby by her mobile phone. "All of them quickly gathered and fought me back," she said.

On the following day in the morning, when she came to the BEBP office, where she is a secretary, militiamen were already waiting for her.

"They forced me into a 'Gazel' minivan, causing bruises to me, and brought to the public prosecutor of Nalchik. He started warning me about inadmissibility of extremist activity and offered to sign a warning, but I refused," Tamara Gerieva continued.

She believes that the reason of this enhanced attention to her from law enforcement bodies was in her act on August 6 at the nationwide public rally under the motto "For peace, accord and unity" she voted, together with some other persons, against the resolution adopted by the majority.

The car of the former director of the National Park "Prielbrusye" Dalkhat Baidaev was burnt down in central Nalchik on August 24. Gasoline was poured over it, and it was set on fire by unidentified criminals, who arrived in a car. The investigation on the incident is underway.

According to the disseminated statement of the United Information Centre of Law Enforcement Bodies, "without waiting for the outcomes of the official investigation, the BEBP hurried up to ascribe a political context to the arson."

"On August 25, an initiative group of 20 persons from among the BEBP activists stated its intention to hold a nationwide rally in defence of the 'interests of the Balkar people' and a picket near the House of Government, and started the preparation by making calls to their supporters in the regions," says the above law enforcers' statement.

It further notes that, according to the Federal Law No. 54 of 19.06.2004 "On Assemblies, Meetings, Demonstrations, Marches and Pickets", the public prosecutor of Nalchik Anatoly Tkhagapsoev made to BEBP leaders an "official warning on inadmissibility of holding non-sanctioned mass actions", which entails "legal consequences in case of breaching the current legislation."