From: love_caucasus
Official reason for journalists’ detention in Nalchik – shooting of special object
Film crew of the independent agency “CMI production” (CMI) from the Great Britain and IА REGNUM chief-editor across the Northern Caucasus Fatima Tlisova detained in the morning on Sunday of September 10th in Nalchik during interviewing, are released at 18.00 by Moscow time. As IА REGNUM correspondent reported, the official reason for detention was shooting in the Nogmov’s street where the town department of inner affairs building # 2 is located. Shootings of the interview was made about 10.30 a.m. in the crowded place in the town centre, the CMI correspondent together with Tlisova went on the sidewalk and talked, the operator was shooting the interview with the video-camera. In the end of their conversation from the building of the department of inner affairs # 2 situated near an employee of militia went out and demanded from the journalists their documents. He informed that one of the journalists should go to the building of the department of inner affairs # 2 for explanation of the reasons for shooting in that street. Together with the militiaman the journalist from London Nicolas Stardy entered the building. Other participants of the shooting had to wait him in the street at the entry of the militia building. 3 hours later another employee of militia went out and informed the other participants of the group, the driver accompanied them together with the interviewed Tlisova should come in the building of the department of inner affairs for giving explanations.
During the interrogation it was found out that the CMI employees had the official accreditation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, as well as the accreditation of the parliament of Kabardino-Balkaria for illumination of the celebratory actions in connection with the 85th anniversary of the republic. However those documents appeared to be not sufficient basis to let journalists get back their passports and continue working. In the cabinet where interrogation took place, representatives of various power structures replaced each other several times. Every time all the journalists’ documents corresponded anew. Among the most often questions were such as: “Have you a special sanction to shooting in Nalchik?”, “With whom particularly did you meet in Nalchik and whom did you interview?”, “With what purpose did you shoot in Kabardino-Balkaria?” and some others. Operative employees were eager to know, what questions had they asked the president of Kabardino-Balkaria Arsen Kanokov during the interview taken place before.
CMI journalist Nicolas Stardy managed to call the head of the Kabardino-Balkarian president press-service Djamilia Hagarova. After her involvement the journalists were assured that everything was all right and they were about to be released, but instead of that the film crew was taken away from the building of the department of inner affairs # 2 in a premise of the passport office in the Kirov’s street. There the journalists were informed that they would receive their papers and could be free only if they demonstrated all the made shooting video information to the employees of the special services (people, demanded to give the video-cassettes introduced themselves that way).
Six hours after the detention the journalists agreed to show the video materials made within two-days’ work in the territory of Kabardino-Balkaria. While watching the cassettes the employees demanded to erase Tlisova’s interview during which were seen separate parts of the building of the Nalchik department of inner affairs # 2. Right after that the members of the film crew received their documents and were released.
IА REGNUM
http://www.adygeanatpress.net/stat_e.php?id=1906
