English editor of ORChD interrogatedPRESS-RELEASE #1149 FROM February 9, 2005
Today Roman Putanov, acting investigator in the Nizhni Novgorod Province FSB investigation of the newspaper “Pravo-Zashchita,” called Oksana Chelysheva, editor of the English versions of the information releases, as a witness.
Account by Oksana Chelysheva:
“The interrogation began as an inquiry into the reach and the scope of the English version editor's responsibility. Mr. Putanov received the following explanation: In the first instance, the editor is responsible for the translation of releases of information into English, and for maintaining contact with foreign partners and recipients of information. In addition, the editor's work is within the framework of the information center, and may also include work in the capacity of a journalist, since the information center regularly publishes articles and interviews which are prepared by the English version editor for the website, and also for the newspaper “Pravo-Zashchita.” In the question about the subject matter of the publications, two articles and two interviews published in the paper “Pravo-Zashchita” in 2003 and 2004 were used as examples. These were, specifically, interviews with the Chechen poet Umar Yarichevand and Manash Paysullaevoy, director of studies of a boarding school for deaf children in the republic, a publication about an initiative to bring children from that very school to pass a rehabilitation course in a school in Nizhny Novgorod, and the article “Okraina” (Outskirts) that presents an account of the fate of some residents in Grozny; the Pagulyaevy family. The questions also touched on the presence of orders and directives regarding the make up of the newspaper associates, the nature of the relationship between me and the editor in the chief of the Information Center, as well as on the general work environment at the newspaper.
Then followed a discussion about my business trips in the capacity of editor of the Information Center of the Chechen Republic; the amount of trips and their duration. Regarding the last business trip to the Chechen Republic, which took place in January 2005, the investigator was particularly interested in the routes of my travels in Chechnya, the correspondents and the level of my acquaintance with them, and also about the access to “means of checking the authorship of given information.” To this question, I answered that authorship is established in a very simple manner - the correspondents call the editorial office and give the accurate information. Regarding checking the accuracy of the information, this has nothing to do with establishing authorship. When the investigator Putanov asked if I knew who wrote the texts that allegedly incriminate the newspaper “Pravo-Zashchita,” I answered that I did not know. Putanov was interested in knowing whether I was familiar with the texts of the relevant statements, and what my opinion was regarding the degree of extremism in, and the purpose of, the publication. I answered that I had not noted the statements, which were read to me after the release of these issues, nor had I noted any call for violent acts. Regarding the goal of the publication, I consider any attempt to advance the establishment of peace to be welcome, because “I have tired of the war.” Putanov asked me if I really believe that the newspaper advances the establishment of peace. I explained that I would not want to discuss possibilities that may not come true. The investigator was also interested in the recipients of the postal distribution of the newspaper “Pravo-Zashchita,” in particular in the Northern Caucasus.
The investigator then put forth questions about my international business trips, about their purposes and lengths of stay. He also asked me if I had met with Akhmad Zakayev or with the “self-proclaimed president of the Chechen Republic Ichkeria” Aslan Maskhadov. To this question I responded that no such meetings had taken place. Then he asked about the interview I conducted with Zakayev. Following the advice of my lawyer I refused to answer the question, in accordance with article 51 in the Constitution of the Russian Federation.
As reported earlier, on January 11, 2005, the prosecutor of the Nizhni Novgorod Province opened a criminal case based on part 2, article 280 in the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (public incitement to further extremist acts) in regards to the publication in the newspaper “Pravo-Zashchita” of two appeals, made by Aslan Maskhadov and Akhmed Zakayev, to peaceful negotiations in the conflict. The investigation is conducted by the Nizhny Novgorod province branch of the FSB. “Pravo-Zashchita” is jointly published by the Information Center of the Society for Russian Friendship and the Nizhny Nogorod Society for Human Rights. On January 20 the editor in chief of the newspaper, Stanislav Dmitrievskiy, was called to questioning as a witness in the investigation, and documents were seized in the shared offices of SRCF and NNHRS, specifically the employee contracts of the associates working in Chechnya. In the past few days the police has interrogated a number of other employees of the IC SRCF.
Source: ORChD (Society of the Russian-Chechen Friendship - SRCF).
(Prague Watchdog has not edited the text, except for the headline). (B/T) |
