Investigation Launched After Award-Winning Journalist Yelena Milashina Attacked in Chechnya
In a troubling turn of events, Russian investigators have opened a criminal investigation following the severe beating of journalist Yelena Milashina in Chechnya. Milashina, known for her coverage of human rights abuses in the region, was attacked alongside lawyer Alexander Nemov earlier this week.
Milashina, who works for Novaya Gazeta, Russia’s top independent newspaper, is currently in a difficult condition at a Moscow hospital, according to her editor Dmitry Muratov. The Investigative Committee, responsible for handling serious crimes, has launched a criminal inquiry into the intentional infliction of moderate and light bodily harm.
The decision to investigate this incident is notable, as official investigations into rights abuses are rare in Chechnya. International media advocates and rights groups have expressed concern over the attack, which reportedly involved Milashina being battered and held at gunpoint. Novaya Gazeta published a video of Milashina in the hospital, showing her with a shaven head and bandaged hands, while Nemov sustained a knife wound.
In a video interview, Milashina revealed that around 10 to 15 attackers used plastic pipes to assault her. She claimed that authorities in Chechnya routinely employ this weapon against detainees. The attackers demanded her phone password and threatened to break her fingers during the assault. Milashina believes that the attack was connected to her work with Nemov, stating that the assailants criticized Nemov for defending too many people in the region. They also forcibly shaved her head and poured a green-colored dye over her.
The Kremlin and Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov have both emphasized the need to identify and apprehend those responsible for the attack. Vladimir Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, stated that a full investigation would take time, but assured reporters that the investigators were diligently carrying out their work.
This incident highlights the dangers faced by journalists and human rights advocates in Russia. Novaya Gazeta, in particular, has a tragic history with six of its journalists and contributors being killed since 2000, including the high-profile assassination of investigative reporter Anna Politkovskaya.
As the investigation unfolds, there is hope that justice will be served and steps will be taken to ensure the safety of journalists and defenders of human rights in the region.