The independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta reports that their editor-in-chief, Nobel Prize winner Dmitry Muratov, has been attacked in Russia.
The attack is said to have taken place on a train from Moscow to Samara on Thursday night Norwegian time.
“An unidentified person attacked the editor-in-chief of Novaya Gazeta and Nobel laureate Dmitry Muratov in a train compartment.” writes the newspaper on Twitter.
❗️An unknown person attacked the editor-in-chief of Novaya Gazeta and Nobel Peace Prize winner Dmitry Muratov right in the train car pic.twitter.com/xrhR62zJts
— Novaya Gazeta. Europe (@novayagazeta_eu) April 7, 2022
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“It burned terribly”
Avisa has also shared two photos. They show Muratov soaked in red paint inside what appears to be the toilet on the train, and the train compartment, which has also been soaked in red paint.
He (the attacker, journ.anm.) Threw oil paint with acetone into the passenger compartment. It burned terribly in the eyes, Muratov told Novaya Gazeta.
The editor-in-chief says that the attacker shouted at him when he threw paint.
– “Muratov, this is for you for your boys”, says Muratov.
Muratov further says that the entire compartment smells of oil, and that the train departure to Samara, which is located along the banks of the Volga in southern Russia, “has already been delayed by 30 minutes”.
– I try to wash off (the paint, journ.anm), says Muratov.
WINNERS: Philippine grave journalist Maria Ressa and editor-in-chief of the Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta, Dmitry Muratov, have been awarded the 2021 Peace Prize. view more
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Censored and persecuted
Novaya Gazeta is an independent, but by Russian standards, small Russian newspaper, which since its inception in 1993 has been one of Russia’s most important media.
Avisa is partly owned by Mikhail Gorbachev, the last general secretary of the Soviet Union, and has thus had a everything protection against the censorship and means of power of the Russian authorities.
Avisa has nevertheless paid dearly for its investigative journalist. As many as seven of the newspaper’s journalists have been killed since the year 2000. That same year, Vladimir Putin won his first presidential election.
At the end of March, the newspaper decided to cease its activities as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, after receiving a warning from the Russian authorities.
