Advocate points to violation of the rights of journalist Nasibyan by law enforcers

Law enforcers asked Bella Nasibyan about her links with Ilya Ponomaryov, a former Russian State Duma MP, and examined the contents of her phone, but did not allow the advocate, Pavel Sadovnikov, to be present during the interrogation, the latter has complained.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that in Rostov-on-Don, law enforcers conducted a search of the home of Bella Nasibyan, an activist and journalist. She also discovered that her bank accounts had been blocked, the human rights project "OVD-Info"* has informed. She was taken for questioning and then released, after informing her that she was a witness in the case of Ilya Ponomaryov.

According to sources, the searches conducted at journalists' residences in several Russian regions had to do with the case initiated against Ilya Ponomaryov. Law enforcers believe that the latter, arrested in absentia and accused of fake news about the Russian Army, continues "his destructive activities against Russia on the Internet" from abroad.

According to the advocate, during the search of Nasibyan's home, law enforcers "asked questions about her links with Ponomaryov, examined the contents of the phone," and then seized all the equipment and phones of those living with the journalist.

Five million roubles were withdrawn from Nasibyan's bank card, but she was not explained why.

In the Telegram channel "We Can Explain", Ilya Ponomaryov himself called the journalists who were searched on September 8 within his case of spreading fakes about the army as occasional people.