The other day our Russia correspondent Grigory Pasko had a very grim piece about the assault case of Mikhail Beketov, the journalist who was beaten by attackers so severely that he was left in coma and had to have one leg amputated. Beketov's investigative journalism into the local authorities had provoked numerous death threats, criminal cases, and even a car bombing.Today, a notice from Reporters without Borders indicates that Beketov's lawyer, Stalina Gurevich, has found it necessary to post a 500,000 ruble reward for information leading to his attackers, because "nobody has been doing anything" to move the investigation forward at the procuracy.
RSF states: "The impunity enjoyed by those who assault and murder journalists is one of the key threats to press freedom in Russia. It is vital for the authorities to show that this contempt for the law and for human life can no longer be tolerated."
