(CJES/IFEX) – On 20 March 2006 at about 9:00 p.m. (local time), Marina Litvinovich, the chief editor of Internet site Pravda Beslana and coordinator of the opposition movement “Joint Civil Front”, was beaten. The attack took place near the Joint Civil Front office at Makarenko street. Litvinovich told the Eho Moskvi radio station that unidentified […]
(CJES/IFEX) – On 20 March 2006 at about 9:00 p.m. (local time), Marina Litvinovich, the chief editor of Internet site Pravda Beslana and coordinator of the opposition movement “Joint Civil Front”, was beaten. The attack took place near the Joint Civil Front office at Makarenko street. Litvinovich told the Eho Moskvi radio station that unidentified individuals attacked her from behind and hit her several times on the head, causing her to lose consciousness. Her purse, cell phone, money, and laptop were not taken. When she regained consciousness, she asked for an ambulance to be called to the scene. She received medical attention at the hospital. Two of her teeth were knocked out and she suffered injuries to her face and ribs in the attack.
In an interview with Eho Moskvi, Litvinovich said the attack was related to her role in the investigation of a series of terrorist attacks in Russian cities.
“I am inclined to see this attack as related to my investigation of the terrorist attacks in Nord Ost and Beslan,” she said. “There are new and interesting facts that are serious enough and important. It seems to me most regrettable that this upsets some people.”
At the same time the editor does not rule out that some of her other activities could be the reason for the attack. In particular, Litvinovich, along with others, signed appeals to the president asking for the resignation of Defence Minister Sergey Ivanov.
“The attack is another attempt to intimidate the opposition” said Joint Civil Front leader Garri Kasparov to Eho Moskvi radio. “There is nothing surprising. The authorities are resorting to any method of intimidating those who struggle, who really are in opposition,” stated Kasparov in a broadcast by Eho Moskvi.
