(GDF/IFEX) – The following is a GDF press release: Moscow, October 29, 1999 On October 28, 1999, Anthony Loyd, a military correspondent with The Times newspaper, and Tyler Hicks, a freelance journalist contributing to The New York Times newspaper, were detained at a Federal forces checkpoint on the border between Chechnya and Ingushetia. They were […]
(GDF/IFEX) – The following is a GDF press release:
Moscow, October 29, 1999
On October 28, 1999, Anthony Loyd, a military correspondent with The Times
newspaper, and Tyler Hicks, a freelance journalist contributing to The New
York Times newspaper, were detained at a Federal forces checkpoint on the
border between Chechnya and Ingushetia. They were attempting to get into
Chechnya with an Islamic peacemaking group. After an examination of their
documents, the peacemaking group was forced to return to Ingushetia and the
journalists were detained at the checkpoint. Representatives of the Federal
forces explained the detention by stating that Anthony Loyd and Tyler Hicks
were lacking the documents necessary to permit entrance to Chechnya.
According to the military, a journalist’s accreditation to Mozdok, at the
military base of the Russian Federal forces, may be one of the necessary
documents. By 2:00 p.m. today, there was no information available on the
possible release of the journalists.
The Glasnost Defense Foundation deems illegal the demand of accreditation
for journalists travelling to Chechnya since a state of emergency or
military operations have yet to be declared in this republic. The demand of
accreditation does not comply with legislative standards of the Russian
Federation.
