A prominent Russian journalist and a lawyer suffered serious injuries after several masked men in the Russian region of Chechnya forced their car to stop and beat them up mercilessly.
Elena Milashina, a well-known journalist for the Novaya Gazeta newspaper, which has lost its licence in Russia, was travelling to the Chechen capital, Grozny, from the local airport with Alexander Nemov, a lawyer, when they were attacked.
Both are now in hospital in Grozny.
The attackers shaved Milashina’s head, broke several of her fingers and covered her head with green dye, according to human rights group Memorial, which said she had lost consciousness several times.
Milashina's paper Novaya Gazeta, Russia's top independent publication, confirmed the incident.
Milashina and Nemov were travelling to Chechnya to attend the sentencing by a court for Zarema Musayeva, the jailed mother of three self-exiled outspoken Chechen opposition activists.
She has been sentenced to 5.5 years in prison today on charges of fraud and the use of violence against a police officer.
#Elenamilashina #novaya gazeta #Ramzankadyrov ~PR.153~ED.103~HT.96~
