(RSF/IFEX) – RSF is protesting the sentencing of journalist Ruben Arutiunian to imprisonment, in Moscow. On 15 April 1999, during a ten minute audience, and with no other witnesses present than three police officers who assaulted him the previous day, Arutiunian, a reporter with the human rights weekly “Express Chronicle”, was sentenced by the Tverskoy […]
(RSF/IFEX) – RSF is protesting the sentencing of journalist Ruben
Arutiunian
to imprisonment, in Moscow.
On 15 April 1999, during a ten minute audience, and with no other
witnesses
present than three police officers who assaulted him the previous day,
Arutiunian, a reporter with the human rights weekly “Express
Chronicle”, was
sentenced by the Tverskoy (Moscow) court judge, Dmitry Gavrilin, to a
ten-day prison term for “hooliganism.” On 14 April, Arutiunian was
stopped
outside the same court by three police officers while taking
photographs for
a report on the justice system. Accused of having sought to enter the
court
with his camera, the journalist was taken by the police officers to a
room,
forced to the ground and beaten. His materials and film were seized.
Recommended Action
Send appeals to the Justice Minister:
the
openness of the justice system and that, according to Article 47 of
the
Russian media law, journalists have the right to access all areas in
the
context of their work
against him
Appeals To
Mr. Krasheninnikov
Minister of Justice
Moscow, Russia
Fax: +95 916 29 03
Please copy appeals to the source if possible.
