Dagestan: former newspaper editor-in-chief convicted for extremism

In Dagestan, the former editor-in-chief of the all-Russian independent newspaper "People's Opinion" was sentenced to 18 months of conditional deprivation of freedom for violation of the Federal Laws "On Mass Media" and "On Counteracting Extremist Activities".

The "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was informed at the Prosecutor's Office of Republic of Dagestan, the editor Nabigula Djavatkhanov had published in his newspaper No. 1 in January 2005 an article entitled "Answer to Zionists". Aidin Balabekov, a resident of Makhachkala, was the author of the article.

The Prosecutor's Office of Dagestan has stated: "According to the conclusion of the social and psychological examination, the text of the article contained statements and comprised the data, which could excite national and religious hostility, hatred against the Jewish ethnos, and humiliation of their national dignity through propaganda of the idea of moral inferiority of Jewish nationals."

Under the application of the Public Prosecutor of the Sovietskiy District of the city of Makhachkala, the district court has ruled that the article "Answer to Zionists" contained attributes of extremism.