GLASNOST DEFENSE FOUNDATION'S DIGEST No.205 (November 15, 2004)

Ukraine - Autonomous Crimean Republic. Reporters disallowed to attend court hearings.

By Mark Agatov, GDF staff correspondent in Ukraine and ARC

Judge Andrei Dolgopolov of the Central District Court of Simferopol announced on November 12 that from now on, judicial investigation of last spring's assault on Russian and Ukrainian TV reporters in Simeyiz will be held behind closed doors. He said the accused had filed a request to that effect in view of "lack of seats" in the courtroom.

In the village of Simeyiz on March 5, 2004, members of the TV crews of Russia's Channel One and Ukraine's Inter Company were attacked by a group of Crimean Tatars attempting to illegally seize land plots in the vicinity of the village.

The criminal proceedings launched in connection with the assault were later added to those conducted under another criminal case opened in the wake of a Crimean Tatar clampdown on visitors of the Cotton Bar in Simferopol.

One of the victims, Channel One cameraman Vadim Telichev, has complained that the judges, witnesses and victims have been under "unprecedented pressure" by the relatives and friends of the accused, as well as Crimean Tatar media. He suggested it would be wrong to close the judicial procedures to journalists as the accused are insisting.

THE GLASNOST DEFENSE FOUNDATION HEREBY POINTS OUT THAT THIS KIND OF JUDICIAL PROCEEDINGS ARE SOCIALLY SIGNIFICANT AND MUST NOT BE CLOSED TO PUBLIC SCRUTINY IN PRINCIPLE.

WE CALL ON THE COURT TO ADMIT JOURNALISTS TO THE COURTROOM.