Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation
Yurii Yakovlevich Chaika
Prosecutor General’s Office
ul. B. Dmitrovka, d.15a
125993 Moscow GSP- 3
Russian Federation

Fax: +7 495 987 58 41; +7 495 692 17 25

20 April 2014

Dear Prosecutor General,

We are writing as part of the global online campaign ’30 Days for Freedom’ to call for the release of blogger and investigative reporter Sergei Reznik, imprisoned since November 2013.

Mr. Reznik was jailed for 18 months on charges of insulting a public official, bribery, and deliberately misleading authorities. His online articles criticised municipal and regional authorities and alleged widespread corruption and abuses.

Authorities in Rostoz-on-Don filed charges against Mr. Reznik in November 2012, claiming their investigations showed the journalist had staged threats he had reported receiving. He was also charged with insult in connection to a series of articles he posted on his personal blog in which he accused the chairwoman of the Regional Arbitration Court of corruption and nepotism. Mr. Reznik denies all charges against him.

Mr Prosecutor General, we are deeply concerned that Mr. Reznik’s sentencing may be connected to his critical writing and his work as an investigative journalist. We are equally alarmed by a serious attack on Mr. Reznik shortly before he was sentenced, and urge you to investigate and bring to justice those responsible.

We respectfully remind you that criticism of those in power is the job of a journalist, and that by resorting to the application of insult or defamation laws authorities undermine trust in their ability to operate transparently or expose themselves to public scrutiny. We therefore urge you to foster a more positive environment for press freedom in Russia and call on you to release Sergei Reznik and to provide better guarantees for the safety of journalists.

Sincerely,

#FreethePress
The 30 Days for Freedom campaign

Organised by the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) and the World Editors Forum, the ‘30 Days for Freedom’ campaign aims to highlight the plight of imprisoned journalists worldwide in the 30 days leading up to 3 May, World Press Freedom Day.

www.wan-ifra.org / www.worldpressfreedomday.org