(CJES/IFEX) – On 21 June 2005, a court official detained Eugeniy Novozhilov, a freelance correspondent for Radio Freedom, near the regional court building in the city of Krasnodar, Krasnodarsk region. On that day, the regional court was hearing the high-profile case of Cossack chieftain Nikolay Drozdov, 56, who was accused of killing two Turkish women […]
(CJES/IFEX) – On 21 June 2005, a court official detained Eugeniy Novozhilov, a freelance correspondent for Radio Freedom, near the regional court building in the city of Krasnodar, Krasnodarsk region.
On that day, the regional court was hearing the high-profile case of Cossack chieftain Nikolay Drozdov, 56, who was accused of killing two Turkish women with a hunting rifle in December 2004. The case was heard by a jury. Seeking to find out the jurors’ opinions, the Radio Freedom correspondent approached several jurors in the street after the verdict had been announced, which angered the judge.
Novozhilov was approached by the court marshal, who accused him of making an unauthorised recording on court premises. He escorted the journalist to the courtroom, where he inspected his tape recorder and illegally confiscated the tape, according to Novozhilov. Judge Nikolay Karpenko also threatened “to put [the journalist] behind bars.” The journalist’s passport was inspected, and he was then released. Novozhilov told CJES he was the only journalist covering the hearing.
“The judge threatened to initiate a criminal case against me because I allegedly violated the secrecy of the courtroom. I tried to explain that, first of all, I talked to the jurors outside the court building, not inside; and secondly, I talked to them when formally they had already announced the verdict and had ceased to be jurors. I think my reasoning did not convince [the judge]. I believe he was afraid the jurors would tell me how he made them change their decision. That is exactly why he confiscated my tape,” Novozhilov said.
The journalist added that he was concerned a criminal case could still be launched against him. He said he was the only journalist in Krasnodarsk region who was not subject to the authorities’ influence. Novozhilov also reports on local and regional human rights issues.
The journalist has been the subject of previous harassment in 2005. Militia members repeatedly visited him in March and April, making absurd claims and once accusing him of “elevator arson.” Novozhilov said his telephone is tapped, and his correspondence from abroad routinely arrives already opened, with envelopes marked as “received already damaged”.
