Human Rights Watch: indignant with detention of journalists and human rights activists in Ingushetia

 The Human Rights Watch believes the detention of journalists and human rights activists during the rally in Nazran (Ingushetia) on January 26 to be an encroachment on independent coverage of events.

Holly Cartner, Human Rights Watch (HRW) Director for Europe and Central Asia: "The authorities of Ingushetia try to suppress dissent by hampering journalists to execute their professional duties."

Said-Hussein Tsarnaev, photographer of the RIA "Novosti", and Mustafa Kurskiev, correspondent of two Moscow newspapers, were among the detainees. The HRW reports that they were detained by the militia when they filmed a burning building. According to an employee of the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial", who also happened to be there, Mr Kurskiev was severely beaten. Both detainees were kept for the whole night at the city OVD (Interior Department) of Nazran. According to the HRC "Memorial", an advocate was not allowed to meet them, and they got no food and no water. Mustafa Kurskiev was in need of medical care, but no doctor was ever invited.

In the morning on January 27, the journalists were removed to the city's Temporary Isolation Facility, where they were threatened with charges of an arson. In the evening they were brought back to the OVD and then released at about 9:00 p.m. after resolute protests of Russian and international human rights organizations and mass media.

In the course of dispersal of the rally in the Concord Square in Nazran, power agents detained and sent to the GUVD (Chief Interior Administration) another group of Russian media. Among them, there were special reporters of "Echo Moskvy" Radio, including Vladimir Varfolomeyev, first deputy of the editor-in-chief, and journalists of the "5th Channel", "Radio Liberty" and "Novaya Gazeta". The journalists were kept by militia till evening, and then deported to Vladikavkaz.

The militia also detained Ekaterina Sokiryanskaya and Timur Akiev, employees of the "Memorial", the latter was beaten. They were interrogated as witnesses of mass disorders in Nazran and released at about 9 p.m.