(RSF/IFEX) – In a letter to Justice Minister Youri Tchaïka, RSF protested the seizure of the notes and means of communication of Anne Nivat, special envoy in Chechnya for the French dailies “Ouest-France” and “Libération”. The organisation asked for the immediate restitution of the journalist’s materials and urged the Russian authorities to end the harassment […]
(RSF/IFEX) – In a letter to Justice Minister Youri Tchaïka, RSF protested the seizure of the notes and means of communication of Anne Nivat, special envoy in Chechnya for the French dailies “Ouest-France” and “Libération”. The organisation asked for the immediate restitution of the journalist’s materials and urged the Russian authorities to end the harassment of the foreign press in Chechnya. RSF added that: “While the fate of Andrei Babitsky, arrested by the army on 16 February, remains unknown, the Russian government violates once again its press freedom commitments.”
On 10 February 2000, RSF learned that the Federal Security Service (FSB, former KGB) confiscated Nivat’s materials. In addition, the owner of the house where she was staying in Novye Atagui (south of Grozny), was arrested. The FSB proceeded to seize the journalist’s notes, camera, address book, and means of communication, making it impossible for her to contact her editorial offices. At least ten foreign journalists have been arrested or questioned by federal forces since the beginning of the Russian offensive on Chechnya. Among them is Babitsky, arrested on 16 January and held for ten days before being handed over to Chechen rebels in “exchange” for Russian soldiers (see IFEX alerts of 10, 9, 8, 7, 4, 2 and 1 February, 31 and 28 January 2000). As of 10 February, his fate remains undetermined.
