11:52, 28 September 2006

Arrest of Lev Ponomaryov caused public protests in Kabardino-Balkaria

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported earlier that a picket was organized on September 3 in Moscow near the Solovki Boulder in memory of Beslan events. An administrative procedure was initiated against one of its organizers - Lev Ponomaryov. Yesterday, a trial took place in Moscow, and the court sentenced Lev Ponomaryov to a three-day arrest. The human rights defender was taken to custody right from the courtroom.

Giving his comments on the fact, Valery Khatazhukov, Chairman of the Kabardino-Balkarian Public Human Rights Centre, called Lev Ponomaryov "a prisoner of conscience." "We find it to be a pure political action," Mr. Khatazhukov said.

"Lev Ponomaryov is one of the brightest figures of the Russian human rights movement, and he has done quite a lot for the maturing of the civil society of the country. The court could have quite well awarded a fine, but they have decided to teach him a lesson," the human rights defender from Kabardino-Balkaria thinks.

Author: Luiza Orazayeva, CK correspondent