Krasnodar UVD refuses to search the person who threatened to kill "Caucasian Knot" correspondent

The Department of Internal Affairs (UVD) of the Zapadny District of Krasnodar has refused to try to establish the person who called to the office the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent Evgeniy Titov with a threat of murder. The journalist has been informed today about it by a militiaman who presented himself as Yaroslav Naryshkin. The correspondent thinks that the murder threat is connected with his professional journalistic activity.

On July 3, at about 1:00 p.m. an unknown person called up Mr Titov's office and said that the journalist should "be murdered for his publication." When asked what particular publication he meant, the man hanged up.

The correspondent was explained at the Krasnodar UVD that the telephone number of the calling party can be identified, but to this end he should file an application to the UVD head of the Zapadny District of the city Sergey Tebenkov. Evgeniy Titov did it on July 4.

On July 17, Evgeniy Titov came to local militia station No. 3. To the question whether the number of the calling party has been identified, the militiaman who presented himself as Yaroslav Naryshkin answered: "Nobody will establish anything."

The call of the unknown person on July 3 coincided in time with the period when the Investigatory Department for the Krasnodar Territory of the Investigatory Committee at the Prosecutor's Office of the Russian Federation refused to open a criminal case against the journalist as claimed by the employee of the Regional department of the State Drug Control Agency ("Gosnarkocontrol") Mr Drokin.

Drokin asserted in his claim that the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent, when describing the beating of the members of the Kurmanch community Rashid Gurzhiev and Anatoly Dursunov, admitted slanderous phrases in the address of "Gosnarkocontrol" officials. However, the Investigatory Department passed a decision to refuse to initiate a criminal case against the journalist "for absence of essential elements of offence."

Evgeniy Titov thinks that the threat can be related to this publication.