Dagestan: journalists of "Chernovik" hope to close the case

On October 6, Makhachkala will host the next court hearing on charges of the journalists of the Dagestan-based newspaper "Chernovik" (Blueprint) of extremism. In the opinion of the edition's Biyakay Magomedov, if there is no political order in the case, the journalists will be acquitted.

"Now, if we judge by the procedural party and according to the law, I can say - we'll win the case. If the judge makes decisions on the basis of the law and if there's no political order to drawn us, we'll win. And if there is a direct command from law enforcement bodies, the judge will be forced to pass an accusatory verdict," Mr Magomedov said in his conversation with the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

"I don't think that the 'telephone law' will be used against us and to press on the judge. I think that the new public prosecutor has no intention to litigate against mass media," said the lawyer.

According to Magomedov, the former Dagestanian Public Prosecutor Igor Tkachov had lost, when he rushed into the war on mass media: "Back on May 22, there was a conference, where scientists, lawyers, judicial community and prosecutors expressed their no-confidence to Public Prosecutor Tkachov, and he was subsequently dismissed and transferred to some other post."

He has explained that he himself, being one of the defendants, lodged a petition on holding a preliminary hearing, because the materials of the case give no indication as to the place of the crime, who was the culprit, etc.