Russian investigators announced on Wednesday that they have initiated a criminal investigation into the assault on journalist Yelena Milashina in Chechnya. The Investigative Committee, responsible for investigating serious crimes, stated that the probe was launched in response to the intentional infliction of “moderate” and “light” bodily harm against Milashina and lawyer Alexander Nemov, according to the AFP news agency.
Yelena Milashina, a renowned investigative journalist working for the Novaya Gazeta newspaper, and lawyer Alexander Nemov were attacked by masked individuals armed with weapons in the Russian region of Chechnya.
The incident took place while Milashina and Nemov were traveling by car from the local airport to attend a court hearing in the Chechen capital of Grozny.
Milashina described the incident as a classic kidnapping, where the attackers forcefully stopped their vehicle, physically assaulted them, and made death threats while brandishing a gun.
“It was a classic kidnapping…They pinned (our driver) down, threw him out of his car, got in, bent our heads down, tied my hands, knelt me down there, and put a gun to my head,” Milashina recounted to Chechen human rights official Mansur Soltayev at a hospital in Grozny.
According to Memorial, a banned human rights group, both Milashina and Nemov suffered severe beatings, including to the face, and were threatened with a gun to their heads. Their equipment was confiscated and destroyed, accompanied by warnings not to report on the incident.
The court hearing that the duo intended to attend was related to the case of Zarema Musayeva, the mother of three exiles who had criticized Ramzan Kadyrov, the Head of the Chechen republic. Musayeva, detained by Chechen forces in January of the previous year, was charged with assaulting a policeman and fraud.
Critics argue that the case against her is retaliatory, targeting her sons and husband who fled the country. Musayeva was found guilty and sentenced to five-and-a-half years in a penal colony.
Milashina suffered broken fingers, bruises all over her body, and occasional loss of consciousness. Images released by the Committee Against Torture show her face covered in green dye, likely thrown by the attackers, and her head shaved. Nemov reportedly sustained a stab wound to the leg.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov informed the media that President Vladimir Putin had been informed about the incident, describing it as a “very serious attack.” He assured that the attack would be thoroughly investigated and appropriate measures would be taken.
This is not the first time that Milashina has faced threats and intimidation due to her investigative work. Last year, she temporarily left Russia after receiving death threats from the Chechen leadership.
Novaya Gazeta, her employer, also had its license revoked. Milashina’s coverage of human rights abuses in Chechnya has been a contentious topic, with Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov denying the allegations.
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