01 March 2008, 13:05
Famous journalist beaten in the capital of Dagestan
On February 29, in Makhachkala, well-known Dagestan journalist and publicist Zaur Gaziev was beaten by unknown persons.
It has become known to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that in the evening of February 29, when Zaur Gaziev arrived in his car with a driver to his house and got out of the car, several persons who arrived in two cars - a "Zhiguli" and a "Mercedes" - attacked him.
Sources in the editorial board of the "Free Republic" newspaper, where the journalist works, have informed that Zaur Gaziev was severely beaten. Hearing the noise, his wife run out of the house and began to call for help, after that, the unknown bandits jumped into the cars and left.
The journalist was rendered the necessary medical aid, now his life is out of danger.
According to the information obtained by the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent from a source in Zaur Gaziev's retinue, the main reason of the attack on the journalist is in his professional activities. Mr Gaziev often criticized leaders of Makhachkala and Dagestan and other bureaucrats in the pages of the newspaper.
One of such articles was published on February 29 in the "Free Republic" newspaper. It contained criticism of the top managers, including the head Gadzhi Abashilov, of the "Dagestan" State Broadcasting Company.
In that very article, Zaur Gaziev also reported about the recent threats that he received by telephone and even published the phone numbers from where he was threatened.
We remind you that it is not the first incident connected with journalists of the "Free Republic" newspaper.
Author: Oleg Ionov, CK correspondent
