Crime & Justice

Prominent Russian investigative journalist beaten up in Chechnya

Moscow, Jul 4 (EFE).- Prominent Russian journalist Elena Milashina has been beaten by masked men in Chechnya while she was traveling to court, her colleagues said Tuesday.

Milashina, who was with attorney Alexander Nemov when the attack occurred, is an investigative reporter for Novaya Gazeta, one of the leading independent Russian media before it was outlawed last year in the wake of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

“Several masked people severely beat Elena and Alexander, took their phones, demanding they unblocked them, destroyed their equipment and documents,” Novaya Gazeta said in a statement.

“They beat them with batons and kicked them with their feet. Elena Milashina has a closed head wound and several broken fingers on her hands”, the statement said, adding that she has been in and out of consciousness.

Nemov was beaten and stabbed with a knife, but “he still plans to attend the court hearing,” Novaya Gazeta said.

Russian Ombudsman Tatiana Moskalkova spoke to Milashina over the telephone and promised that the attack would be “thoroughly” investigated. “Those responsible must be punished,” she said.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said President Vladimir Putin had been informed about the attack, saying it was “very serious” and required “strong measures”.

Milashina had traveled to Chechnya to attend the sentencing of Zarema Musaeva, the mother of Chechen activists, on charges of assaulting a police officer.

The journalist of “Novaya Gazeta”, specialized in human rights issues, has not lived in Russia since February 2022, when she left the country due to threats from the Chechen authorities. EFE

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