Russia opens criminal case into Moscow's journalist beating

Russia opens criminal case into Moscow's journalist beating

2011-05-02 23:03:37 GMT+7 (ICT)

MOSCOW (BNO NEWS) -- Russian police on Monday opened a criminal case into the violent beating of a local journalist in northern Moscow, RIA Novosti reported.

Dmitry Andryushchenko, a journalist working for Russian business radio station Kommersant FM, was beaten by a group of men late Saturday following a heated argument with one of the attackers.

According to the journalist, a drunken man got into an argument with him. The man smashed his car and Andryushchenko called the police. However, before help arrived, the attacker summoned some friends and beat the reporter.

The radio reported sustained a mild brain concussion and multiple bruises. He refused to be hospitalized. Russian police were able to arrest one of the attackers but his identity has not been revealed.

Last Thursday, two Russian nationalists were convicted for the 2009 murders of human rights lawyer Stanislav Markelov and journalist Anastasia Baburova. The two victims were gunned down in January 2009 in central Moscow.

Nikita Tikhonov and Yevgenia Khasis, both linked to a banned ultranationalist group called Russky Obraz, were found guilty of the murders. Markelov was killed shortly after he gave a news conference devoted to the release of a Russian army colonel who allegedly killed a Chechen woman in 2000.

The two attackers got married while in custody and were also convicted of forming an illegal group and arms possession. Tikhonov attempted suicide on Tuesday, and Khasis made a similar attempt on Wednesday. They will be sentenced on May 5.

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