Video Portraying Russian Journalist Being Attacked

Added by Annika L. Krugel on November 11, 2010

A video that may have serious repercussions on foreign pressure on Russia for encouraging journalists’ rights was posted online. The video is believed to show a reporter being assaulted to near-death condition has appeared on Russian news site.

The reporter works for a newspaper with active political voice and was beaten with a metal bar for about a minute and a half. That the attack may be a punishment was strengthened by the fact that the fingers of the reporter were broken by the assaulters. The victim suffered concussion, fractures in the jaw, legs and fingers. The reporter is currently in coma.

There were 2 attackers in the video which shows a peek into the violence that Russian journalists have to face. The reporter, Mr. Kashim, remained conscious through the attack and collapsed after the assailants left.

Kremlin responded quickly with promise of rapid action in a country that does not have a judicial system known for its high convictions rates. The President ordered an investigation but it did not seem to have a deterrent effect as another journalist was assaulted on the very next day.

This time, the victim was Anatoly Adamchuk who is a reporter in newspaper Zhukovskii Vesti which operates around 25 miles outside Moscow.