16:10, 7 March 2009

Moscow holds picket for release of Zara Murtazalieva

Today in Moscow, a picket was held with a demand to set free Zara Murtazalieva, a native of Chechnya, convicted on accusation of preparing a terror act, and to release other women-political prisoners.

The action, organized by the Union for Solidarity with Political Prisoners, was attended by 25 persons. The picketers assert that the investigation on Murtazalieva's case was prejudiced, and her guilt was not proved.
They kept shouting: "Medvedev, release women!", "Stop torturing women!", "Freedom to Murtazalieva!", "Freedom to Bakhmina!" and others. In their hands, they held posters: "Our freedom - your bad work?" and "Freedom to political prisoners!" as the Internet edition "Kasparov.Ru" reports.

Zara Murtazalieva, 26, is in prison for five years already. On January 17, 2005, the court sentenced Murtazalieva to 9 years of general custody colony, having found her guilty of preparing a terror act in Moscow and involvement of others to preparation thereof. Later, the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation relieved the term by 6 months.