08:27, 11 August 2018

Witnesses tell about attack on "Caucasian Knot" correspondent

Participants of an anti-corruption rally in Makhachkala. June 12, 2017. Photo by Murad Muradov for the "Caucasian Knot"

Karim Kasumov, a resident of Dagestan, accused of attacking a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent during a rally in Makhachkala, knew that he was interfering with making a video by a media professional, one of the witnesses told the court, refuting the version of his defence.

Kasumov has confessed to breaking the reporter's video camera, but asserts that did not know that it belonged to a journalist.

According to investigators, on June 12, 2017, Kasumov demanded from the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent to stop recording a rally of supporters of the oppositionist Alexei Navalny in Makhachkala and damaged the journalist's video camera.

The court session was held on August 8. The court interrogated Shamil Khadulaev, a deputy head of the Dagestani Public Oversight Commission (POC), and Andrei Melamedov, a journalist of the "Novoe Delo".

The defendant tries to avoid a more severe punishment, Ahmed Elmurzaev, a lawyer, has suggested, explaining: "A deliberate destruction of one's property is a minor crime, the maximum penalty for which is up to two years of imprisonment, while hindering the journalistic activity is a grave crime, the maximum penalty for which is six years in prison."

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on August 10, 2018 at 05:03 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.

Author: Rasul Magomedov

Source: CK correspondent