The term of arrest of Stomakhin, author of the "Caucasus-centre" Chechen separatists' site, extended

On May 20, the Ostankino district court of Moscow extended until June 21 the term of arrest of Boris Stomakhin, author of the "Caucasus-centre" Chechen separatists' site and editor of the "Radikalnaya politika" newspaper, charged with public calls for extremist activity and with stirring religious hatred, said Evgeni Frumkin, activist of the public group to defend Stomakhin and member of the Democratic Union, to the correspondent of the "Caucasian Knot."

According to Frumkin, Stomakhin is still held in the prison hospital of the Moscow pre-trial prison "Matrosskaya Tishina." His state of health gradually improves but no results of the medical examination have been disclosed to him.

For reference, B.Stomakhin was detained on March 21 this year by militiamen of the North-Eastern sector (NES) of Moscow in connection with the criminal case initiated in December 2003. In April 2004 he was charged under art. 280, para. 2 (public calls for extremist activity, using mass media) and 282, para. 1 (stirring religious hatred, publicly or using mass media) of the RF CC. After S.Kolobova, investigating officer of the NES prosecutor's office, turned down Stomakhin's request to invite an expert from the Independent Association of Psychiatrists in order to conduct a psychiatric expert examination which she had appointed, B.Stomakhin left for Ukraine and asked for political asylum there but was refused. According to his friends, last year he returned home to Moscow.

When the militiamen who came to detain Stomakhin in March 21 demanded that he should open the door, B.Stomakhin, trying to escape through the window, fell down from the 4th floor and broke the cannon-bone of his right leg and processes of two dorsals.

The international group for supporting Stomakhin reports that he is accused of "interpreting in his publications, while giving a negative emotional colouring, information on the domestic events connected with combat operations conducted in the Chechen-Ingush Republic, calling for changing the existing state regime by way of overthrowing the current state officials." The support group includes the Ikhiad Idigov, former head of the Committee of Foreign Affairs of the unrecognized Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, Nadezhda Banchik, human rights activist from the USA, and Mairbek Taramov, director of Chechen human rights centre in Azerbaijan. The group of Moscow defenders of Stomakhin has opened the zaborisa.narod.ru site to protect the journalist.

"We call on all good-will people with an appeal to render assistance to the human rights activist who has become yet another victim of the Putin's terrorist regime. Stomakhin needs money for treatment and legal aid. He needs support of many people who are prepared to protest against arbitrariness. He needs assistance of volunteers who could render practical assistance in Moscow. We invite everyone who can and are willing to help with action, money or speech to do what they can," state the group for Boris Stomakhin's support.