13:22, 18 June 2020

North-Ossetian journalist treats case on fake as political persecution

A court in Vladikavkaz has begun considering the case initiated against the journalist, Alan Mamiev, accused of spreading fake news about coronavirus. Mamiev treats his case as politically motivated.

Alan Mamiev told the "Caucasian Knot" that the case was timed to the mass protest in North Ossetia on April 20. In his opinion, this is the way law enforcers inform him that should he go on with social activeness, he will be criminally prosecuted.

In Vladikavkaz, law enforcers dispersed several hundred opponents of the self-isolation regime, demanding resignation of the government, parliament and the head of North Ossetia. After the spontaneous protest action, policemen announced 69 detainees.

"They accuse me that based on my video clip posted on the Internet, I allegedly stated that coronavirus is of artificial origin. And because of this, they accuse me of spreading fake news. And, as an argument, the clip has been added to my case file," Mamiev said.

"According to information on COVID-19 available on the website of the World Health Organization (WHO), coronavirus cannot be of artificial origin," the police report asserts.

In modern practice, even one's expressed opinion can be treated as dissemination of fake information issued under the guise of true information, despite all the absurdity of the situation, said Svetlana Kuzevanova, a lawyer for the Media Rights Protection Centre.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on June 18, 2020 at 03:15 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.

Author: Magomed Tuayev

Source: CK correspondent