OSCE media freedom representative condemns brutal attack on Russian journalist

VIENNA, 8 November 2010 - The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Dunja Mijatovic, condemned today a recent brutal attack on Russian journalist Oleg Kashin and called on Russian authorities to swiftly act and bring its perpetrators and masterminds to justice.

Kashin, a correspondent for the Moscow-based Kommersant daily, was assaulted by two unidentified attackers on 6 November. He was rushed to a hospital with multiple injuries. Investigators and colleagues say they believe the journalist was likely assaulted in connection with his writing.

"I am saddened by this brutal assault, which confirms a worrying trend of continuous violence against journalists," Mijatovic wrote in a letter to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

Mijatovic has on numerous occasions called the Russian authorities' attention to attacks against journalists, including Anastasia Baburova, Mikhail Beketov, Igor Domnikov, Dmitry Kholodov, Paul Klebnikov, Vladislav Listyev, Anna Politkovskaya, Ivan Safronov, Yury Shchekochikhin, Magomed Yevloyev and many others.

She has also raised the cases of five journalists or media executives who were either killed or wounded in attacks this year: Shamil Aliyev, Arkady Lander, Aleksandr Leonenko, Mark Minin and Pavel Netupsky.

"I take note of and welcome the fact that Russian President Dmitry Medvedev instructed the Prosecutor-General's Office and the Interior Ministry to pay special attention to the investigation into the Kashin case," Mijatovic said.

She said she was encouraged by a recent announcement by Aleksandr Bastrykin, the head of the Investigative Committee of the Prosecutor-General's Office, that several cases of murdered journalists would be reopened and further investigated.

"I call on Russian authorities to finally turn their declarations into real action so that they fulfil one of their most important OSCE media freedom commitments, namely to ensure the safety of journalists."

"This wave of violence makes Russian journalists fear for their safety and puts Russia in a bad light as one of the OSCE participating States with the highest number of attacks against journalists," Mijatovic said.