Hearings on beating lady-journalist Kirij in North Ossetia postponed

Today, the court of Promyshlenny District of Vladikavkaz, the capital of North Ossetia, has indefinitely postponed the hearing of the case on beating Olga Kirij, First Channel journalist. Vladimir Gevorkov, victim's advocate, explained that the decision was made on the defence's request because Ms. Kirij is on business trip to Kabardino-Balkaria, the RIA "Novosti" reports.

The "Caucasian Knot" reported earlier that on the case of beating journalist Olga Kirij charges were presented to Senior Lieutenant Georgiy Totoev, 33, employee of the Iriston District Interior Department. He is accused under two Articles of the CCRF: 286 (abuse of power with use of violence) and 144 (hampering professional activities of a journalist).

The accused Totoev, now in custody, does not admit his guilt. At the preliminary hearing, his advocate petitioned before the court to alter the restriction measure to a written undertaking not to leave the place, which was denied by the court.

Olga Kirij was beaten on February 3 at the Central Hospital of Vladikavkaz, capital of North Ossetia, when she was filming the persons injured in explosions in gambling halls of the city. In her words, the video group was stopped by militiamen who were alcohol intoxicated and banned filming in the territory of the hospital. Olga Kirij refused to leave the hospital, and then Totoev kicked her several times with his feet. The journalist was diagnosed brain concussion.

Militia worker Georgiy Totoev was at the hospital not for his duties. His brother suffered severely from an explosion and was brought heavily wounded to the central Hospital. It became known to the "Caucasian Knot" that Totoev's relatives and the witnesses of the accident addressed with a letter to Teimuraz Mamsurov, head of North Ossetia, asking him to stop the criminal case. In their words, when the incident with Ms. Kirij happened, Totoev was in the state of shock, as he was waiting for the doctors' news about his brother who was at deaths door.