MOSCOW, June 15 - RAPSI. New York-based Human Rights Watch has condemned the detention of five journalists on June 13 for holding an unauthorized rally near the Investigative Committee in Moscow, organisation's website reports.

The rally was held to support Novaya Gazeta newspaper in its conflict with the Investigative Committee.

Dmitry Muratov, the newspaper's editor in chief, published an open letter accusing Investigative Committee head Alexander Bastrykin of intimidating his deputy editor Sergei Sokolov.

Muratov demanded security guarantees from Bastrykin for the newspaper's journalists following a conflict between Bastrykin and Sokolov.

The day after the journalists were detained, Bastrykin met with the paper's staff and apologized to Muratov in public for having a nervous breakdown.

After meeting with Bastrykin, Muratov said the conflict has been resolved and the authorities have guaranteed security for Novaya Gazeta's staff.