15:53, 9 January 2004

Journalist Aleksandr Zhabsky continues hunger strike in Volgodonsk

Journalist Aleksandr Zhabsky has repeatedly told on the pages of the Volgononskaya Nedelya newspaper about Albert Krilov, against whom a criminal case was instituted. The case was under investigation for a long time, but in 2002 it was closed by a court decision. In 2003, following a protest of the office of public prosecutor, the regional court reversed the decision by the city court and sent the case for a new trial.

Journalist Aleksandr Zhabsky was a public lawyer of Krilov during the new trial. He was removed from the court room twice - in November and in December - by the judge's decision. Aleksandr lodged complaints about the illegal actions of the judge to chief justices of the city and regional courts, but he has failed to assert his right to take part in the trial as a public lawyer, in spite of the fact that the Russian legislation secures this right.

Aleksandr Zhabsky is going to continue the hunger strike until the Constitution of the Russian Federation and the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms takes effect with respect to him.

Author: Grigory Bochkaryov, expert of the Center for Journalism in Extreme Situations

Source: Center for Journalism in Extreme Situations (Moscow)