Unidentified individuals wearing masks have attacked and severely beaten Novaya Gazeta journalist Yelena Milashina and lawyer Alexander Nemov in Chechnya [Federal Subject of Russia; Ukrainian parliament recognised it as temporarily Russian-occupied territory of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria]; the girl’s fingers were broken and her head shaved, and the victims’ equipment and documents were destroyed.
Source: Russian oppositional Novaya Gazeta newspaper; Latvia-based Russian media outlet Meduza
Quote: “Journalist of Novaya Gazeta Elena Milashina and lawyer Alexander Nemov were attacked in Chechnya today. Unidentified individuals wearing masks confronted them on their way from the airport to Grozny [the capital of Chechnya – ed.] and severely beat them, destroying their equipment and documents.”
Details: The journalist reportedly arrived in Chechnya on a business trip.
Milashina and Nemov were on their way to a court hearing in the case of Zarema Musayeva, who was abducted by Chechen security forces, in which a verdict will be passed on 4 July.
Lawyer Nemov represents Musayeva’s interests in court.
The car of the journalist and the lawyer was blocked by three cars carrying armed men. Several men wearing masks severely beat Milashina and Nemov with batons and kicks, took away their phones, and destroyed their equipment and documents.
Milashina had several of her fingers broken as the unknown demanded the code for her phone. In addition, her hair was shaved, and her head was poured with brilliant green. Among other injuries, she sustained a stab wound to her leg.
The victims were taken to a hospital in Grozny. According to Sergei Babinets, leader of the Team Against Torture, who is with them, Nemov is in a wheelchair’ and Milashina “cannot even sit.”
The journalist was diagnosed with a closed head injury and fractures of the fingers. Novaya Gazeta reports that the results of the MRI scan that was carried out were not made public. The journalist lost consciousness several times.
Milashina and Nemov refused to testify to the Chechen police, as they “do not see any point in doing so”.
However, Nemov still plans to participate in the trial.
Reports also say that, at the request of the editorial board, Russian Human Rights Commissioner Tatyana Moskalkova intervened in the situation
IRYNA BALACHUK
