The Russian Union of Journalists has released a new report on journalist attacks, noting an increasing trend towards journalist attacks, with 55 assaults registered last year and ‘nearly none solved‘.  A human rights commissioner from the Council of Europe has presented his own report on violence against journalists in Russia and elsewhere, issuing some strong words against governments’ failures to bring the attackers to justice.  The Kremlin’s drive to privatize regional state assets could affect regional newspapers, and potentially affect their independent legal status.  Journalist Elkhan Mirzoev has gone on hunger strike to protest his arrest and detention following a Day of Anger protest in Moscow.  Vladislav Surkov met with the Nashi youth group earlier this week, blaming corruption on Russia’s liberal opposition. ‘And now those who’ve created this scheme [and] institutionalized corruption are blaming us and preparing anti-corruption reports.‘

The Russian Union of Journalists has released a new report on journalist attacks, noting an increasing trend towards journalist attacks, with 55 assaults registered last year and ‘nearly none solved‘.  A human rights commissioner from the Council of Europe has presented his own report on violence against journalists in Russia and elsewhere, issuing some strong words against governments’ failures to bring the attackers to justice.  The Kremlin’s drive to privatize regional state assets could affect regional newspapers, and potentially affect their independent legal status.  Journalist Elkhan Mirzoev has gone on hunger strike to protest his arrest and detention following a Day of Anger protest in Moscow.  Vladislav Surkov met with the Nashi youth group earlier this week, blaming corruption on Russia’s liberal opposition. ‘And now those who’ve created this scheme [and] institutionalized corruption are blaming us and preparing anti-corruption reports.‘