Criminal case against Manana Aslamazyan closed

The Investigatory Committee at the Ministry of Internal Affairs has stopped the criminal case opened in relation to journalist Manana Aslamazyan after the Constitutional court of the Russian Federation ruled on May 27 that the challenged legal provision was applied illegally and is non-constitutional.

"Natalia Vinogradova, deputy head of the department of the Investigatory Committee at the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, has stopped the criminal case against my client," journalist's advocate Victor Parshutkin said.

On May 29, unknown persons in Moscow slaughtered Victor Parshutkin, Ms Aslamazyan's advocate. Mr Parshutkin asserts, as quoted by the RIA "Novosti" that one the attackers told him that their "task was to kill the lawyer." The advocate thinks that the attack was connected with the decision passed on Aslamazyan's case.

Meanwhile, as the "Echo Moskvy" reports, Manana Aslamazyan, who is now in Paris, is not going to return home. "Until the criminal case is stopped, and until I've paid the fine, since, as I understand, there is an administrative offence, I'm not going to come back to Russia," Ms Aslamazyan said.