Journalist Milashina leaves Chechnya for fear about her life

Elena Milashina, the author of the materials about the impending wedding of the head of the Nozhai-Yurt ROVD (District Interior Division) in Chechnya to a 17-year-old girl, decided to leave the republic, after she learned that she was looked for by Chechen power agents, said Olga Bobrova, a Milashina's colleague.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on April 30 Elena Milashina reported that Nazhud Guchigov, the head of the above ROVD, threatened the relatives of the minor girl from the village of Baitarki demanding that the girl should marry him on the day of her 17^th birthday.

As reported by Olga Bobrova, the editor of special reports of the "Novaya Gazeta", today, at the entrance to the Nozhai-Yurt District of Chechnya, Elena Milashina had a talk with policemen from Siberia, who were on duty at the post, and who warned her that she was "very much interested by Chechen policemen", advising to take care about her safety. Then, Milashina decided to urgently leave Chechnya, the "Interfax" reports with reference to Bobrova.

On May 13, Djambulat Umarov, the minister of Chechnya for national policy, external relations, press and information, stated that a criminal case should be initiated against Milashina under the law on mass media.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.