12:29, 18 March 2008

Russian SC cancels liquidation of the Board of Elders of the Balkar People

The "Gazeta.Ru" reports that today the Judicial Panel on Civil Cases of the Supreme Court (SC) of the Russian Federation has satisfied the cassation of the Board of Elders of the Balkar People and cancelled the decision of the Kabardino-Balkarian SC to ban the activity of the Board, having ruled to send the case to re-consideration.

The "Novaya Gazeta" writes that the decision to satisfy the Board's complaint was made by Victor Knyshev who chaired the board of three judges and failed to hear any reasons and explanations from the prosecution - the public prosecutor of the General Prosecutor's Office on what the extremism of the organization was, and why the Supreme Court of Kabardino-Balkaria had decided to close it. Besides, it became clear at the trial that Oleg Zharikov, the Public Prosecutor of Kabardino-Balkaria who had ruled to stop the Board of Elders, did not find time even to hold a linguistic examination of its materials.

Finally, the Judge of the Supreme Court decided not to support the prosecution and ruled in favour of the public organization.