Solidarity against bandits

Chief editor "Mediazons" Sergey Smirnov - On the attack on journalists in Ingushetia

Late in the evening of March 9, on the border of Ingushetia and Chechnya, about 20 people in masks attacked a minibus in which the employees of the “Committee for Prevention of Torture” and several journalists from Russia, Norway and Sweden were traveling. Unknown people pulled people out of the car and beat them, and then burned a car with all things. That evening, armed people attacked the apartment of human rights defenders in Ingushetia. At the request of Medusa, the chief editor of Mediazons Sergey Smirnov tells about the incident (the journalist of this edition Yegor Skovoroda suffered as a result of the attack).

I learned about the attack on journalists in the subway, reading the editorial chat. Having hoped for Wi-Fi of the Metro, I got on the train, but as luck would have no connection. I went to Chekhovskaya-there is no connection either, but in the next train there should be wi-fi. And again failure: it is disconnected. And soon the train just got up in the tunnel. This is an incomparable feeling of powerless rage that you can’t find out anything.

So the situation became a little cleared up in twenty minutes. Our journalist Yegor Skovoroda burned all things, including charging from the phone and MacBook. It is still impossible to talk normally with him, so I myself do not know everything in the smallest details. The main thing: everything is in order with health, suspicion of a fracture of the hand was not confirmed - just a strong bruise. Our correspondent, like other human rights activists and journalists, attacked the police all night.

What happened is approximately clear: for several days, Igor Kalyapin was monitored for the combined mobile group of the Committee on Prevention of Torture, and on the way to Grozny was attacked, even in the territory of Ingushetia. Bandits - what word is still appropriate to use here? - They cut the minibus, threw all the passengers, beat it, and then they simply burned the car. After that, the bandits left with impunity towards Chechnya. It is noteworthy that the attackers shouted to journalists and human rights activists that they were terrorists.

The next natural reaction after the first shock: what to do in such a situation? We all understand who is actively pursuing the "Committee to Prevent torture." We all understand what the authorities reaction to all these attacks are, everything is repeated from time to time. We know very well that our capabilities are really to influence the situation - so that the guilty people in the gang attack appear before the court - are close to zero.

You can give many examples, just recall the disclosed case of the attempt on Oleg Kashin, but the customer and organizer are not held accountable. We remember the arson of the offices of the Kalyapinsky “committee” in Grozny, they remained unpunished. Writing statements with the words “ask” or even “demand” is absolutely useless and pointless. As if the authorities themselves do not understand what this attack means, how to qualify it.

Nevertheless, it is somehow necessary to answer. In that very feeling of powerlessness as in the subway with the wai-fay disconnected, there is nothing good. Therefore, we will try to make sure that the topic with the attack on journalists does not go into oblivion in a few days, as often happens. We will constantly remind, especially since the statements of officials only help this.

Since the attack also affected our journalist Yegor Skovorod, we decided to go to another step - to announce the creation of a trade union . I will not hide: we already discussed this idea some time ago, including legal aspects; But in general, talking about the creation of a certain organization instead of a muddy union of journalists have been going on for a long time. At the same time, all fears are clear, our trade union is often perceived as a political protest organization. But if you do not create it right now, then when? The only response to gang attacks should be the solidarity of journalists.

Sergey Smirnov