After Akhmednabiev's murder in Dagestan, bill on tougher penalties for crimes against journalists brought to State Duma

After the murder of journalist Akhmednabi Akhmednabiev, the MPs of the Russian State Duma have declared a need to tighten penalties for violence against media people and have already prepared an appropriate draft law. The Prosecutors' Office of Dagestan reports that it has taken under its control the investigation into the murder of Akhmednabi Akhmednabiev and intends also to check the completeness of measures taken to solve the attempt on the journalist committed this January.

Let us remind you that in the morning on July 9, Akhmednabi Akhmednabiev, a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent, was shot dead by unidentified persons in the village of Semender of the Kirov District of Makhachkala; and on the same day the body of the journalist was buried in his native village of Karata of the Akhvakh District of Dagestan. Prior to his murder, Akhmednabi Akhmednabiev received threats.

The draft law that equates journalistic activity by the degree of danger to law enforcement activity and tightens penalties for violence against media professionals has been submitted to the State Duma for consideration. This was reported by the MP Mikhail Serdyuk, one of the authors of the bill.

According to his story, the criminal responsibility for violence against representatives of media will be increased up to 10 years of imprisonment.

The day before, the Prosecutor's Office of Dagestan reported that it took the investigation into the murder of Akhmednabi Akhmednabiev under its control.

Akhmednabi Akhmednabiev had been working for the "Caucasian Knot" for more than seven years. He covered pressing and hot topics: he wrote on gross violations of human rights in Dagestan, crimes committed by law enforcers, persecution of religious communities and individual believers.