Public organisation sued for incitement

The Nazran District Court of the Republic of Ingushetia conducted another hearing of the plea of the Ingush prosecutor's office for declaring information materials of the regional public movement Chechen Committee for National Salvation extremist.

At the hearing, the representative of the plaintiff maintained the Committee's press releases implied that Russian forces and law enforcement agencies committed mass crimes which caused extremely negative attitude of the population towards representatives of state power and encouraged citizens to resist authorities.

The mentioned materials are thus alleged to be extremist and aimed at the incitement of interethnic hatred, as well as other forms of contribution to extremist activities manifested in the condemnation and discrediting of the activities of law enforcement agencies and the justification of the activities of illegal armed groups operating in Chechnya.

Since the burden of proving in civil proceedings is on the claimant, the representatives of the Committee suggested that the plaintiff should present proofs to the court that would confirm the allegations, which was not done for the absence thereof, the Committee says in a press release.

More about freedom of press in Russia's North Caucasus:

• Human Rights Practices in Russia's North Caucasus - 2004