Dagestan: independent journalist beaten

Today, in Makhachkala, the capital of Dagestan, in the editorial office of the popular independent weekly "Novoe Delo" (Res Nova), an attempt was made on Gadzhimurat Sagitov, deputy editor-in-chief for development and organizational work.

At the moment, when the newspaper was being prepared for printing, two young men rushed into the office and set upon Sagitov with fist blows. As a result, he received multiple bruises of his face and body.

Later, the deputy editor-in-chief together with the weekly's lawyer addressed the Sovietskiy ROVD (District Interior Department) of Makhachkala, Republic's forensic medical examination and reception ward of the Republic's Clinical Hospital. A criminal case was initiated on the fact of the attack, and according to doctors, Sagitov's state of health is satisfactory, he refused from hospitalization.

Marco Shakhbanov, editor-in-chief of the weekly, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that he sees no reasons for the attack on his colleague: "The tomorrow's issue of the weekly has no problem materials, and Sagitov himself was in charge of dissemination of the edition; he never wrote any resonant articles."

The "Novoe Delo" is highly popular in the Republic; its circulation is close to 20,000 copies. Periodically, the journalists of the weekly had problems with local authorities because of certain critical materials; in summer, the editorial board was audited by the militia.

From October 2008, the weekly's leaders are at litigation with Abdurakhman Guseinov, Deputy Mayor of Makhachkala, who had accused "Novoe Delo" journalists of complicity to militants.