12:20, 2 July 2007

Two Russian journalists, Yuri Bagrov and Fatima Tlisova, were granted a political asylum in the US

In the course of a press-conference in Washington, Fatima Tlisova, chief editor of the North Caucasus IA Regnum, and Yuri Bagrov, Radio "Liberty" observer in Vladikavkaz, claim that the reasons for their escape are "numerous threats and persecution on the part of FSB and impossibility to freely do one's work," writes "Commersant".

The "Caucasian Knot" reported that on June 1 it became known that two Russian journalists, Yuri Bagrov, Radio "Liberty" reporter, and Fatima Tlisova, "Regnum" agency correspondent - were granted a political asylum in the US. Both the journalists have been residing and working in the North Caucasus.

Yuri Bagrov, resident of Vladikavkaz, spoke about a possible role the FSB territorial departments play in kidnapping people in Ingushetia and cited his own data on federal forces' losses in Chechnya. In 2004, the North Ossetia FSB department confiscated his Soviet time passport and accused Bagrov of forging documents.