(CJES/IFEX) – The first trial sitting on the case of the beating of First Channel television journalist Olga Kiriy was postponed in Vladikavkaz, capital of the republic of North Ossetia, on 5 April 2006. The defendant, Senior Lieutenant Georgiy Totoev, a Ministry of Internal Affairs employee, assaulted Kiriy on 3 February at the central clinic […]
(CJES/IFEX) – The first trial sitting on the case of the beating of First Channel television journalist Olga Kiriy was postponed in Vladikavkaz, capital of the republic of North Ossetia, on 5 April 2006. The defendant, Senior Lieutenant Georgiy Totoev, a Ministry of Internal Affairs employee, assaulted Kiriy on 3 February at the central clinic hospital of Vladikavkaz, where she arrived with her television crew to film a report about the victims of explosions in Vladikavkaz game clubs. As a result of the attack the journalist sustained a concussion and numerous other injuries.
Totoev is being accused of abuse of authority with use of violence, an offence under part 3 of Article 268 of the Criminal Code, and of preventing the legal activity of journalists, an offence under part 2 of Article 144 of the Criminal Code.
Kiriy’s lawyer, Vladimir Gevorkov, informed CJES that the court hearing was postponed because of the non-attendance of one of the defendant’s lawyers. The defendant had used his right to have a second lawyer, whose non-attendance was explained as being motivated by a desire to familiarize himself more thoroughly with the case.
The victim’s lawyer described it as a “tactical move by the defence”. Anyone can have an unlimited number of lawyers, but non-attendance of a lawyer does not mean anything, since the presence of the first lawyer who attended the preliminary hearing and is familiar with the materials of the case would be enough. The decision of the judge is clear, he is being over-cautious so that no one can accuse him of supporting one of the sides. He started the process very correctly,” Gevorkov added.
CJES has also been informed that the relatives of the defendant shouted insults at the journalists covering the trial. Earlier, in an interview with “Kommersant” newspaper, Kiriy stated that she was being pressured by Totoev’s relatives, who repeatedly asked her to withdraw her claim from the court, and also threatened her. “We are not such blood-thirsty people, we just want the employees of the law-enforcement agencies to understand that journalists also have the right to fulfill their professional responsibilities, we want the law on the mass media to be observed,” said Kiriy.
The next hearing of the court will take place in Vladikavkaz on 10 April. The special attention that journalists are giving this trial is explained by the fact that, in Russia, journalists very rarely manage to institute court proceedings against those who prevent them from fulfilling their professional responsibilities.
