Journalist Tolmachev in Rostov region earlier exculpated on clause "Slander" arrested for accusation of extortion

Alexander Tolmachev, Rostov journalist, Editor-in-Chief of the newspaper "Upolnomochen Zayavit" ("Empowered to State") and journal "Pro Rostov" ("About Rostov") was taken into custody in connection with the case on which he was accused of extortion. This preventive punishment was sanctioned on December, 22, by the court of Novocherkassk. On December, 20, district court recalled the sentence to the journalist on accusation of slander.

Tolmachev was detained on December, 20, when coming out of Oktiabrsky district court of Rostov-on-Don. He was detained according to clause 91 of Code of criminal procedure within the framework of inquiry on a criminal case of extortion.

By that moment Alexander Tolmachev had reported having been shadowed and kidnapped by an unidentified person in the morning of December, 20, on his web-site. It happened before his cassation with a demand to recall the verdict according to part 2, clause 129 of the Criminal code of the Russian Federation (slander spread in mass media) was to be considered in regional court.

Earlier, the "Caucasian Knot" reported that on the same day Rostov regional court recalled the judgment passed in August, 2011, by the magistrate, according to which the journalist was sentenced to a fine of 120 thousand rubles.

The human rights activist had already reported on his web-site that since 07:45 Moscow time he was pursued by two police captains Asadullaev and Ivanov who demanded that he should immediately go to the investigator in Novocherkassk. For the reason that the policemen, in the human rights activist's opinion, placed unlawful demands, Alexander Tolmachev refused to follow them. Besides, the editor had a notification of summons to Rostov regional court were his cassation on one of the cases was to be considered that day.

At 17 o'clock, December, 20, Tolmachev participated in the next in turn trial in Oktiabrsky district court of Rostov. Immediately after the session he was detained by the police and transported on Novocherkassk under escort, web-site "Legal and Informational Center of Alexander Tolmachev" reports.

Members of "Upolnomochen Zayavit" editorial board said that the formal reason for the detention was Tolmachev's refusal to go to the investigator. According to Tolmachev's own version, he had represented the interests of one of the parties in a dispute between two businessmen, however one of the debaters submitted a statement of extortion to the police, "Rosbalt" media agency reports.

The reason for the decision of the journalist's arrest is yet unknown, Viacheslav Altukhov, representative of non-governmental organization "Public Legal Control", said.

"Only today we will receive the act of selection of preventive punishment with the reasoning for taking the journalist into custody which is mandatory. However, yet now I can say that there are three figurants on the case, the other two are now at large. We do not know why the same preventive punishment was not applied to them. Anyhow, the act will be appealed against", Viacheslav Altukhov said.

He added that the standard term of applying this preventive punishment was two months, web-site of Rostov-on-Don reports.