Russians Charged Against Georgian Journalists
The Security Service of North Ossetia has launched a criminal case against journalists of the television station Rustavi 2, namely Nana Lezhava and the station’s operator Levan Tetvadze, for illegally crossing the Georgian-Russian border. Today the local prosecution officially charged Lezhava and Tetvadze with demands that the two Georgian citizens spend ten days in pre-trial detention. The Georgian journalists are charged with violating border rules and visa regimes.
Nana Lezhava and Levan Tetvadze were detained on 4 September 2004 whilst covering the tragic events in Beslan’s School No. 1 in North Ossetia.
According to the Russian mass media, the Georgian journalists did not have the accreditation of the Russian Foreign Ministry; that is, they possessed no Russian visa, and as such neither Lezhava nor Tetvadze had the right to cross the Russian border. Moreover, the Russian media was reporting that the Georgian journalists had first0hand knowledge about the terrorist act before it happened.
According to “Rustavi 2,” their crew arrived in Beslan nine hours after reporting the news of the terrorist attack. They also state that those journalists are registered in Kazbegi district that gives them opportunity to cross border without a Russian visa.
According to the most recent information, Georgian journalists are kept in the local department of the Vladikavkaz Federal Security Service. Nugzar Grdzelishvili, the representative of Georgian embassy in Russia, has so far been unable to meet them.
The consultations have been held with the governmental bodies of Russia. The Georgian Foreign Ministry hopes that the journalists will soon be released.