OSCE equals Evloev's death to Politkovskaya's murder

The death from militia's hands of Magomed Evloev, owner of the website "Ingushetia.Ru", can be compared with the murder of lady-journalist Anna Politkovskaya; it evidences aggravation of the situation with the freedom of press in Russia, said Miklosh Charasti, OSCE representative on media freedom.

In his opinion, Evloev's murder became the culmination of the campaign unleashed by Ingush authorities with the aim to liquidate "the only critical voice in the region."

The OSCE spokesman has demanded that Russian authorities carefully investigate Evloev's murder and punish the culprits.

Meanwhile, the opposition in Ingushetia plans to go on with protest rallies. Magomed Khazbiev, head of the organizing committee of the nationwide protest rally, who is quoted by the "Echo Moskvy" Radio, said: "We'll go on rallying but avoiding any bloodshed."

Earlier, the Ingush opposition made the statement that despite the recent dispersal of the action with truncheons and firearms, the rally in memory of Magomed Evloev, owner of "Ingushetia.Ru", will continue in the same place, at the bus station in Nazran.

The message of the organizers of the rally published by "Ingushetia.Ru" urges President of Ingushetia Murat Zyazikov to resign. The opposition also demands either to appoint Ruslan Aushev the President of the Republic or to give residents the right to elect the head of Ingushetia.

Meanwhile, the Prosecutor's Office of Ingushetia has refuted the information about use of force to participants of the Nazran rally.