FSB shows interest in Zhalaudi Geriev's case

Officers of the FSB Department for Chechnya have twice requested visits to Zhalaudi Geriev, a sentenced "Caucasian Knot" correspondent. That fact was found out during the court hearing on the appeal field against the journalist's sentence, while the Zhalaudi Geriev's advocates were not notified about the requests from the FSB.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on November 15, the Chechen Supreme Court (SC) started to consider the appeal field against the Zhalaudi Geriev's sentence pronounced by the Shali District Court on September 5. On November 16, the defenders challenged Judge Dmitry Gorbovtsov, since they got information that Dmitry Gorbovtsov claimed the position of the Deputy Chairman of the Chechen Supreme Court (SC) and for that he had to "push through" some ordered cases, including the case against Zhalaudi Geriev.

On November 16, at the court hearing, the advocates of Zhalaudi Geriev were looking through the materials of the first instance court. They found two requests for visits to the journalist sent by officers of the FSB Department for Chechnya. In their requests, FSB officers indicated conduct of operational and search activities, in particular, questioning of Zhalaudi Geriev, as a reason for their visits to him, the "Novaya Gazeta" reports.

Igor Kalyapin, the leader of the Committee for the Prevention of Torture, shares the opinion that the key evidence was fabricated. According to him, it is "obvious to any lawyer."

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.