14 October 2009, 22:00
REN TV film crew leaves Ingushetia because of threats
The film crew of the REN TV Channel, which was subjected to threats in Ingushetia, managed to safely leave the republic owing to the help of the units of President Yunus-Bek Evkurov and oppositionist Maksharip Aushev.
The "Caucasian Knot" once reported that two years ago, on November 25, 2007, a group of the REN TV Channel was already kidnapped in Ingushetia. Then, the journalists were kidnapped together with Oleg Orlov, Chairman of the Board of the HRC "Memorial". They all were beaten.
"The situation was indeed rather serious. But thanks to the opposition and the new authorities of the republic, we saw a happy end. Now our correspondent and operator are already in flight back to Moscow," said Marianne Maksimovskaya, author of the REN TV Programme "Nedelya" (Week), as reported by the "Interfax".
She said that the group was preparing a report, in particular, on the fight with corruption, announced by the incumbent President of Ingushetia. "Among other things, they videoed the objects, connected with the people from the so-called 'Zyazikov's clan'. This could become the reason of threats," Ms Maksimovskaya has assumed.
She asserts that "journalist Leonid Kanfer was threatened personally by Rustambek Zyazikov, security head of the former President of Ingushetia Murat Zyazikov; and the driver who transported the journalists across the republic was beaten."
