Criminal case opened against analyst of separatists' "Chechenpress" agency

A criminal case has been initiated in relation to Andrei Novikov, independent journalists from the city of Rybinsk, Yaroslavl Region, and permanent author of materials in the web site "Chechenpress" of non-recognized Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, under point 1, Article 280 of RF Criminal Code, for "sending two electronic letters with "extremist," in the opinion of prosecution, materials to local newspapers." Vladimir Krapivinskiy writes about in "Chechenpress" web site.

Mr. Krapivinskiy reports that Andrei Novikov told him by the phone that he was arrested on last December 5. He was deprived of all his manuscripts and the system block of his home computer. Then, according to the court ruling, he was sent to Yaroslavl for forensic-psychiatric examination.

Mr. Novikov spent 43 days in custody. The "Chechenpress" notes that he was kept "together with criminals and culprits charges of grave bodily injuries." These days, his freedom restriction measure was changed for signing not to leave until the trial. Krapivinskiy writes that Andrei Novikov is in a "terrible" condition and under a threat of a repeated examination and forced treatment at a mental hospital for at least 6 months.

"Should the public fail to exhibit interest and attention to this case, the prosecutors and the court will easily clap him into a nuthouse, and nobody will even notice it," Alexander Maisuryan, a member of the Moscow Democratic Union, told the correspondent of the "Caucasian Knot."