Alexander Valov rejects charges of organizing rally in Sochi

Alexander Valov, the editor-in-chief of the website "BlogSochi", who was arrested by a Sochi court for five days after being detained with American journalists, has no claim to the custody conditions at the Matsesta temporary detention centre (known as IVS). He states that there was no rally, of organizing which he had been accused, and is going to appeal against the actions of power agents and the court, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on June 3 Valov was detained, together with Dmitri Saltykovsky, an employee of the American HBO TV Channel, and TV journalists from the United States. In the evening on June 3, American journalists were released. On June 4, a court in Sochi fined Saltykovsky, and sentenced Valov to five days in jail on charges of violating the rules of organizing a rally (Part 3, Article 20.2, of the Russian Code of Administrative Offences).

Today, Alexander Valov, has called, with the permission of the head of the Matsesta IVS, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent and told the details of his detention, arrest and stay at the IVS.

"I'll be released on June 8 at 4:15 p.m.," said Alexander Valov, adding that FSB agents and the court had grossly violated his rights.

"There was no rally or meeting; this was a falsification," Mr Valov said in his comment on the actions of the border guards, who had detained him.

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