In Russia, Journalists Face Blatant Attacks

After reporting rampant corruption in Khimki, a Moscow suburb, Mikhail Beketov was beaten. In retrospect, the violence was an omen, beginning a wave of unsolved attacks and official harassment against journalists, human rights activists and opposition politicians around the region, which includes the Moscow suburbs, but not the city itself.

Rarely, if ever, is anyone held responsible. One editor was beaten in front of his home, and the assailants seized only copies of his articles and other material for the next day's issue, not his wallet or cellphone. Local officials insisted that he sustained his injuries while drunk. Another journalist was pummeled by plainclothes police officers after a demonstration. It was all captured on video. Even so, the police released a statement saying that he had hurt himself when he was accidentally pushed by the crowd. These types of attacks or other means of intimidation, including aggressive efforts by prosecutors to shut down news media outlets or nonprofit groups, serve as an unnerving deterrent. And in a few cases in recent years, the violence in the country has escalated into contract killings. Corruption is widespread in Russia, and government often functions poorly. But most journalists and nonprofit groups shy away from delving deeply into these problems.