Krasnodar Territory: additional check appointed on beating journalist Rozhkov

The decision of the Kuban Investigatory Committee to reject initiation of a criminal case on the fact of journalist Rozhkov's beating has been cancelled. An additional examination has been appointed. This is the topic of the answer from the State Office of Public Prosecutor of the Russian Federation received to the inquiry lodged by Sergey Obukhov, a State Duma deputy.

The Public Prosecutor's letter dated 20.06.2008 runs that the case materials were sent for organization of additional verification actions "because of incompleteness of investigation of all the circumstances." The journalist is still kept in the Krasnodar SIZO (pre-trial detention facility).

Deputy Obukhov believes that the detention and arrest of the journalist are connected with his public and political activities.

"We see here a reaction to Rozhkov's active civil and political position," Mr Obukhov said to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent. "The journalist was detained on the eve of a protest action. I can't believe that a couple of hours before the rally a person could start drunken fights with militia."

Sergey Rozhkov was studying the topic of falsification of the outcomes of the referendum on unification of the city of Tuapse and the Tuapse District, and he was going to report the results of his study at the protest rally on February 3. However, he was detained by militiamen the day before.

Valentin Sukonnikov, new journalist's advocate, has informed the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that shortly before detention some law enforcement boss had called Rozhkov to his mobile phone and asked not to bring the referendum falsification topic to the rally. "Thus, the militia's actions against Rozhkov can be related to his public work," the advocate concluded.