(GDF/IFEX) – The following is a 9 February 1999 GDF letter to Russian Justice Minister Pavel Krasheninnikov protesting the beating of a journalist: February 9, 1999 Pavel Krasheninnikov, Minister of Justice of the Russian Federation Dear Minister, We express our deepest sympathy to you with regard to the quality of personnel in charge of places […]
(GDF/IFEX) – The following is a 9 February 1999 GDF letter to Russian
Justice Minister Pavel Krasheninnikov protesting the beating of a
journalist:
February 9, 1999
Pavel Krasheninnikov,
Minister of Justice of the Russian Federation
Dear Minister,
We express our deepest sympathy to you with regard to the quality of
personnel in charge of places of detention under your authority.
Major-General V. P. Krasnoputsky, chief of a department located in
Saransk, is using the forced labour of prisoners to build private
residences for himself and other department officials in the Yavas
settlement, and he stopped an attempt by a journalist to take a photo of
his mansion, beating him with his own hands, spoiling his film, and
confiscating his camera. In addition, his assistants (I’d like to call
them yes-men) detained the journalist for more than five hours in the
local militia station, threatening him with administrative arrest and
other troubles.
We believe that quality raise of penitentiary agencies must begin with
teaching their chiefs simply to observe Russian laws. Would you consider
it possible to launch an official investigation into the matter and to
punish the general who went too far?
The incident took place on February 6 of this year in the Yavas
settlement. The beaten journalist’s name is Mikhail Razgadov, and he is
the chief correspondent of the Western bureau of the “Stolitsa-S” weekly
published in Saransk (Mordovia).
Our request for the initiation of a criminal case against your
subordinate has already been sent to the prosecutor of Mordovia.
Sincerely yours,
Alexei Simonov
President, Glasnost Defense Foundation
Recommended Action
Similar appeals can be addressed to:
Appeals To
Mr. Pavel Krasheninnikov
Minister of Justice of the Russian Federation
Fax: 7 095 9162903
Please copy appeals to the source if possible.