French Embassy in Georgia rejected the Shengen visa application submitted by Said Khachukaev, the Editor-in-Chief of the Chechen Times.

Mr. Khachukaev was heading to Netherlands on a business trip. He had obtained all the necessary documentation for this purpose along with the proper invitation from Holland.

As Mr. Khachukaev claims he was denied a personal audience by the French Ambassador in Georgia and the French Consul.

The Chechen Times has been issued in Georgia since December. The paper is distributed in the Great Britain, Germany, and Netherlands. 500 copies of the paper have also entered Georgia, without encountering any serious impediments from the Georgian authorities yet.

The paper distribution is supported and financed by the Chechen Democratic Association in Netherlands. Presentation of the Chechen Times was held in Holland a couple of months ago. The paper is printed in the Georgian printing-house and is provided free to any Georgian citizen.

Eka Kadagishvili, Georgian Times, 14 December 2002

Webauthor's note: This is the continuation of the "visa refusal policy" we have alkready seen. See the link.