Journalist Nina Yefimova killed
On 9 May 1996, Nina Yefimova, a 25-year-old Russian correspondent who resided in Chechnya, was found dead from a pistol shot to the back of the head. According to ITAR-TASS, both Yefimova and her mother were abducted from their apartment on the outskirts of Grozny on the night of 8 May. Yefimova’s body was found […]
Update on murder of Nadezdha Chaikova
**Updates IFEX alerts dated 12 and 10 April 1996** According to colleagues of murdered “Obshchaya gazeta” correspondent Nadezhda Chaikova, the office of the Prosecutor General of Russia has not opened an investigation into her death and the local Chechen village prosecutor who originally took up the case is unlikely to go further because of limited […]
Turkish journalists Ali Tekin and Telip Ozcelik reportedly sentenced to three years in prison
**Updates IFEX alerts dated 2 February and 25 January 1996** The CPJ has reported that, according to journalists at the Islamic weekly “Selam”, both Ali Tekin and Telip Ozcelik (also reported as Ozdemir), were sentenced to three years imprisonment for illegal entry into Chechnya under Article 83 of the Russian Criminal Code. Recommended Action Send […]
“Focus” journalist Natalia Aliakina killed
On the evening of 17 June 1995, Natalia Aliakina, a Russian journalist for the German weekly “Focus”, was killed by a Russian soldier. She had just crossed a Russian army barricade at the entry to the southern city of Boudennovsk. She was with her husband, Gisbert Mrozek, who has worked with “Focus” for two and […]
Three journalists arrested by Russian forces on Chechen border & detained in Dagestan
On 3 June 1995, Noel Quidu, a French photographer with the Gamma agency, Laurent Hamida, an independent French cameraman, and United States journalist Stephanie Heymann of the Independent Media agency were arrested by Russian forces while crossing the border between Chechnya and Dagestan. They were again detained in Makhatchkala in Dagestan by the Minister of […]
Update on missing “Nevskoe Vremya” journalists in Chechnya
**Updates IFEX CH alerts dated 17 and 14 March 1995** After exhausting all efforts to find the missing journalists Maxime Chabaline and Felix Tritov through their political channels, the staff of St. Petersburg newspaper “Nevskoe Vremya” organized a third search group, which left for Chechnya on 9 April. The group planned to exhume several graves […]
Alexei Kostin, publisher of Latvian-based paper “Yeshcho” goes to trial
On 22 February 1995 Alexei Kostin, founder and publisher of the Latvian-based newspaper “Yeshcho” goes to trial. Kostin has been incarcerated since February 1994 when he was arrested for producing and distributing pornography. He was arrested despite the fact that “Yeshcho”, the publication deemed pornographic by the prosecutors, was never ordered to cease publication. Kostin’s […]
Russian TV head, Oleg Poptsov, threatened with dismissal
It is rumoured that the head of Russian state television, Oleg Poptsov, will be fired for his organisation’s critical reporting on the conflict in Chechnya, according to unconfirmed reports obtained by IPI. Poptsov could be dismissed because of Russian TV’s supposed lack of objectivity in its coverage of the Chechen crisis. State television employees support […]