Russian Journalist Brutally Attacked in Chechnya, Sustains Serious Injuries

According to recent reports, a well-known investigative reporter from Russia has been subjected to a brutal assault resulting in severe injuries, including a brain injury and multiple fractures. The incident occurred in the province of Chechnya, where the journalist, Elena Milashina, and her accompanying lawyer, Alexander Nemov, were violently attacked by unidentified assailants. The purpose of their visit was to attend the trial of the mother of two Chechen dissidents. As they arrived at the airport, their vehicle was suddenly surrounded by three cars and a group of masked attackers, who proceeded to beat them mercilessly with clubs and even threatened them at gunpoint. Following the assault, both Milashina and Nemov were swiftly evacuated to Moscow for immediate medical attention.

Milashina’s examination revealed the extent of her injuries, which included a brain injury, 14 fractures in her hands, and various other wounds. Disturbing images released by Novaya Gazeta, the newspaper Milashina works for, depicted her hands bandaged, her face injured, and her back covered in bruises as a result of the brutal beating.

During the attack, the assailants demanded that Milashina unlock her phone and threatened to harm her fingers if she refused. Tragically, they proceeded to beat her fingers with a plastic tube, causing excruciating pain. Milashina described the sensation as akin to a burn. In addition to the physical assault, the attackers forcibly shaved her head and doused her with green antiseptic. Strangely, they ignored her cash and valuables, solely targeting their equipment.

The assault has garnered attention from various Russian government agencies, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov labeling it a “serious assault” that necessitates immediate action from law enforcement. President Vladimir Putin has been briefed on the incident. The head of Russia’s top state criminal investigation agency, Alexander Bastrykin, has ordered an investigation, while the Chechnya branch of the Investigative Committee has initiated its own inquiry.

Ramzan Kadyrov, the leader of Chechnya supported by Moscow, referred to Milashina as a “terrorist” in the past. However, he has now claimed that regional authorities are actively investigating the incident and are committed to apprehending the perpetrators. The swift and resolute response from Russian government bodies stands in stark contrast to previous attacks on Milashina and other journalists and human rights activists in Chechnya, which received little official attention.

Milashina has long been an advocate for exposing human rights abuses in Chechnya, particularly those under Kadyrov’s leadership, making her a target for threats, intimidation, and violence. She was previously assaulted alongside her lawyer in a hotel lobby by a group of individuals in 2020. Last year, due to threats from Chechen authorities, she was forced to temporarily leave Russia.

Kadyrov has been relied upon by the Kremlin to maintain stability in the North Caucasus region following two separatist wars. However, international human rights organizations have accused his security forces of engaging in extrajudicial killings, torture, and abductions of dissidents. Unfortunately, Russian authorities have consistently dismissed calls for investigations and the cessation of abuses in Chechnya.

In response to recent events, the Kremlin deployed Chechen fighters to protect Moscow during a mutiny led by mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin. Some analysts have cautioned that Kadyrov’s ambitions could pose a potential threat to federal authorities. Despite receiving support from the Kremlin, Kadyrov reportedly has strained relations with certain Russian law enforcement agencies. The strong reaction from officials and lawmakers connected to the Kremlin, who have called for decisive action, may indicate an intention to rein inTitle: Prominent Russian Journalist Brutally Attacked and Injured in Chechnya

A well-known investigative journalist from Russia has been subjected to a violent assault, resulting in severe injuries, including a brain injury and multiple fractures. The incident took place in Chechnya, where the journalist, Elena Milashina, and her lawyer, Alexander Nemov, were viciously attacked by unidentified assailants. The purpose of their visit was to attend the trial of the mother of two Chechen dissidents. Upon their arrival at the airport, their vehicle was surrounded by three cars, and a group of masked attackers, armed with clubs, proceeded to carry out the assault. Guns were also brandished, adding to the terror of the situation. Following the attack, both Milashina and Nemov were swiftly evacuated to Moscow for urgent medical treatment.

Novaya Gazeta, the newspaper Milashina works for, released a statement revealing the extent of her injuries, which include a brain injury, 14 fractures in her hands, and various other wounds. Disturbing images accompanying the statement depicted Milashina with bandaged hands, a bruised face, and visible bruises covering her back—a grim testament to the severity of the beating.

During the assault, the attackers demanded that Milashina unlock her phone and resorted to threatening her fingers if she refused. In a video released by the Russian rights group Team Against Torture, Milashina described the excruciating pain caused by the assailants striking her fingers with a plastic tube, comparing it to a burn. Additionally, her attackers forcefully shaved her head and doused her with green antiseptic. It is noteworthy that they ignored her cash and valuables, focusing solely on confiscating their equipment.

The attack has garnered significant attention from various Russian government agencies, prompting Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov to describe it as a “serious assault” warranting immediate action from law enforcement. President Vladimir Putin has been informed about the incident. The head of the Investigative Committee, Alexander Bastrykin, has ordered an investigation, with the Chechnya branch of the committee initiating its own inquiry.

Ramzan Kadyrov, the Moscow-backed leader of Chechnya, who previously referred to Milashina as a “terrorist,” has announced that the regional authorities are actively investigating the incident and will make every effort to apprehend the assailants. This swift and decisive response from Russian government bodies stands in stark contrast to previous attacks on Milashina and other journalists and human rights activists in Chechnya, which received minimal official attention.

Milashina has long been an advocate for exposing human rights violations in Chechnya, particularly under Kadyrov’s rule. As a result, she has become a target for threats, intimidation, and violence. In 2020, she was assaulted alongside her lawyer in a hotel lobby by a group of individuals. Last year, due to threats from Chechen authorities, she was forced to temporarily leave Russia.

The Kremlin has relied on Kadyrov to maintain stability in the volatile North Caucasus region following two separatist wars. However, international human rights organizations have accused his security forces of engaging in extrajudicial killings, torture, and abductions of dissidents. Regrettably, Russian authorities have consistently dismissed calls for investigations into these abuses in Chechnya.

In response to recent events, the Kremlin deployed Chechen fighters to protect Moscow during a mutiny led by mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin. Some analysts have raised concerns about Kadyrov’s ambitions potentially posing a threat to federal authorities. Despite receiving support from the Kremlin, Kadyrov reportedly has strained relations with certain Russian law enforcement agencies. The strong reaction from officials and Kremlin-connected lawmakers, who have called for a robust response, suggestsTitle: Russian Journalist Brutally Attacked in Chechnya, Suffers Severe Injuries

A well-known Russian investigative journalist has been subjected to a brutal assault in the province of Chechnya, resulting in serious injuries, including a brain injury and multiple fractures. The journalist, Elena Milashina, and her lawyer, Alexander Nemov, were attacked by a group of unidentified assailants upon their arrival in Chechnya to attend the trial of the mother of two Chechen dissidents. The assailants, wearing masks, blocked their vehicle with three cars and proceeded to violently beat them with clubs while holding guns to their heads. Later that day, Milashina and Nemov were evacuated to Moscow for medical treatment.

Milashina’s injuries were assessed through a medical examination, revealing a brain injury, 14 fractures in her hands, and various other wounds. Disturbing images released by Novaya Gazeta, the newspaper Milashina works for, showed her with bandaged hands, a bruised face, and extensive bruising on her back as a result of the assault.

During the attack, the assailants demanded that Milashina unlock her phone and threatened to harm her fingers if she refused. In a video released by the Russian rights group Team Against Torture, Milashina described the intense pain caused by the attackers hitting her fingers with a plastic tube, likening it to a burn. Additionally, they forcefully shaved her head and doused her with green antiseptic. Strangely, they ignored her cash and valuables, only focusing on seizing their equipment.

The assault has drawn significant attention from Russian government agencies, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov describing it as a “severe assault” that requires prompt action from law enforcement. President Vladimir Putin has been informed about the incident. The head of Russia’s top state criminal investigation agency, Alexander Bastrykin, has ordered an investigation, and the local branch of the Investigative Committee in Chechnya has opened its own inquiry.

The leader of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, who has previously labeled Milashina a “terrorist,” stated that the regional authorities have initiated an investigation and are determined to apprehend the attackers. This strong response from Russian government bodies stands in contrast to previous attacks on Milashina and other journalists and human rights activists in Chechnya, which received minimal official attention.

Milashina has long been an advocate for exposing human rights violations in Chechnya, particularly under Kadyrov’s leadership, making her a target for threats, intimidation, and physical assaults. In 2020, she and her lawyer were beaten by a group of individuals in a hotel lobby. Last year, due to threats from Chechen authorities, she temporarily left Russia.

The Kremlin has relied on Kadyrov to maintain stability in the North Caucasus region following two separatist wars. However, international human rights groups have accused his security forces of extrajudicial killings, torture, and abductions of dissidents. Despite repeated demands, Russian authorities have refused to investigate or address these abuses in Chechnya.

Recently, Chechen fighters were deployed to protect Moscow during a failed mutiny led by mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin. Some analysts have raised concerns that Kadyrov’s ambitions could potentially pose a threat to federal authorities. Despite receiving support from the Kremlin, Kadyrov reportedly has strained relations with certain Russian law enforcement agencies. The forceful reactions from officials and Kremlin-affiliated lawmakers, calling for a strong response, may indicate an intention to rein in Kadyrov’s power.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Assault

More about Assault

• Novaya Gazeta: Link
• Team Against Torture: Link
• Human Rights Watch: Link