Criminal case initiated against "Voice of Beslan" activists in North Ossetia

Today, a criminal case was initiated in North Ossetia against Ella Kesaeva, Svetlana Margieva and Emilia Bzarova - the core members of the "Voice of Beslan" Organization.

The criminal case was initiated by the regional prosecutor's office under several Articles of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation: Articles 116 ("Beatings"), 130 ("Insult") and 318 ("Application of violence against a representative of a power body").

Aslan Badtiev, an inspector of the Investigatory Committee at the Beslan City Prosecutor's Office, has informed today the activists about initiation of the criminal case. Ella Kesaeva, the chair of the "Voice of Beslan" has told about it to "Novaya Gazeta".

"Until yesterday, the decision was in force to refuse to initiate a criminal case. This decision was sent to the Beslan Prosecutor's Office. The City Public Prosecutor cancelled the refusal as 'groundless' and on the basis of the demand of the Republic's Public Prosecutor Shtadler made a new decision - to run an investigation and initiate a criminal case within three days," Ms Kesaeva said.

Yesterday, for several hours the "Voice of Beslan" activists were testifying to Aslan Badtiev, an inspector of the Investigatory Committee at the Beslan Prosecutor's Office. "We tried to prove that we had not beaten these persons. In his turn Badtiev told us that 'no advocates will help, as the case is customized'. He said that the case was 'brought down' from the Prosecutor's Office of the Southern Federal District. The inspector has added that whatever we do, whoever we attract as witnesses, the case is forejudged. According to Aslan Badtiev, we shan't be arrested, but pay a fine or, as a last resort, conditional imprisonment," Ella Kesaeva said.

Now the organization is looking for an advocate and prepares a complaint in the Strasbourg Court on the fact of the pressure exerted by local authorities on "Voice of Beslan" members.