16 April 2019, 23:19
Verdict for attacking "Caucasian Knot" correspondent to be all-Russian precedent
The verdict in the case of the attack on the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent is an important precedent, punishments for attacking media professionals in Russia are rare, lawyers have stated.
The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on November 19, 2018, a Makhachkala court found Karim Kasumov guilty of assaulting Patimat Makhmudova, a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent, and sentenced him to 1.5 years of conditional imprisonment. The prosecutor asked for two years in jail, while the maximum penalty under the article of assaulting a journalist is up to six years. The defence appealed against the verdict, but today the Supreme Court (SC) of Dagestan has upheld it.
"I don't remember other cases, when someone was brought to responsibility for obstructing the legal professional activities of a journalist," said Galina Arapova, Director of the Media Rights Protection Centre.
The case on the attack on Makhmudova was initiated only three months after the incident. The defence called this case unique for Dagestan. Earlier, the "Chernovik" journalists, who had also suffered from an attack, were denied a criminal case.
The very fact of initiating a criminal case after an attack on a journalist is a rare case; and the guilty person is punished even less often, Nadezhda Azhgikhina, Vice-President of the European Federation of Journalists, has confirmed.
According to her story, such verdicts will allow journalists to feel protected by the law and boldly carry out their professional duties. She treats the sentence to Kasumov as a triumph of justice, despite the conditional nature of his punishment.
This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on April 16, 2019 at 07:40 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.
Author: Gor Alexanyan Source: CK correspondent
