Investigators start checking reports of threats against “Novaya Gazeta”

The Investigating Committee of the Russian Federation (ICRF) is checking the information about threats to journalists of the “Novaya Gazeta” in connection with their publications about the oppression of gays in Chechnya.

The “Caucasian Knot” has reported that in response of the statements of the editor-in-chief of the “Echo Moskvy” in support of his colleagues from the “Novaya Gazeta”, the Chechnya's Mufti Salakh Mezhiev and Shamsail Saraliev, the State Duma MP from Chechnya promised to punish the journalists.

According to Elena Milashina, a journalist of the “Novaya Gazeta”, on April 11, the international human rights group named “Agora” lodged a complaint to the Moscow Basmanny Court about the "inaction of the ICRF." The TASS was told at the Court that they had not received the complaint.

Meanwhile, the members of the Human Rights Council (HRC) under the President of the Russian Federation failed to adopt a statement regarding the publications of the “Novaya Gazeta” about gays in Chechnya, said Mikhail Fedotov, the Chairman of the HRC.

Djambulat Umarov, the Chechen Minister for National Policy, External Relations, Press and Information, has stated that he is ready to meet the “Novaya Gazeta” staff. However, he has noted that the Chechen party insists on apologies from the newspaper staff.

In Finland, Sweden and Germany, people raise money to help the people of Chechnya, who are being harassed because of their sexual orientation, the “Deutsche Welle” reports.

In her turn, Tatiana Vinnichenko, the head of the board of the “Russian LGBT-Network”, said that the embassies of three European countries "are ready to provide an expedited procedure for issuing visas for Chechen homosexuals."

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