Publication of independent newspaper suspended

The publication of the Chechen Society newspaper has been suspended, the newspaper editor, Timur Aliyev, told the Caucasian Knot correspondent. In his opinion, pressure was put on the direction of the printing house in the town of Nazran, Ingushetia.

"A new number of the Chechen Society was to appear today. But the director of the printing house, Suleiman Kostoev, said he refused to print our newspaper. He explained his refusal by saying that he was under strong pressure from higher authorities. It turns out that he was also summoned to the Ingush Interior Ministry to give evidence. Mr Kostoev wrote an explanatory note and signed a paper that he would not print our newspaper," Timur Aliyev said.

On July 28, the Chechen Society editor himself was summoned to the Interior Ministry of the Republic of Ingushetia, where he was offered to stop the publication of the newspaper. The Ingush police motivated their actions by the bid from the Chechen Interior Ministry to stop the publication of the Chechen Society newspaper. "As I understood, materials about human rights abuse in Chechnya published in our newspaper do not suit security agencies," Mr Aliev said.