(RSF/IFEX) – In a letter addressed to Vladimir Kalamanov, Russian government representative for human rights in Chechnya, RSF expressed concern about the arrest of Tassia Issayeva, an independent Chechen journalist, in North Ossetia, close to the Georgian border. “We ask the authorities to reveal the location of and motive for the journalist’s detention,” explained Robert […]
(RSF/IFEX) – In a letter addressed to Vladimir Kalamanov, Russian government representative for human rights in Chechnya, RSF expressed concern about the arrest of Tassia Issayeva, an independent Chechen journalist, in North Ossetia, close to the Georgian border. “We ask the authorities to reveal the location of and motive for the journalist’s detention,” explained Robert Ménard, the organisation’s secretary-general. RSF also asked the Russian authorities to respect the Geneva Convention, which guarantees the security of journalists in conflict zones.
According to the information collected by RSF, Issayeva was arrested on 1 June 2000, during a police inspection in the village of Zaramaga, in North Ossetia. Her video camera and portable computer were seized. The journalist is allegedly accused of working for the official Chechen press agency. According to the Chechen Information Centre in Tbilissi (Georgia), which refutes this information, the young woman allegedly sells her reports to international press agencies.
