20 October 2020, 10:57
Journalists explain authorities' role in debates on Charlie Hebdo and teacher's murder
Experts believe that secular and religious authorities are much more responsible than journalists for statements about crimes with mentioning criminals' nationality. This is the way they have commented on Ramzan Kadyrov's reaction to the murder in France of a teacher who had shown caricatures on Prophet Muhammad to his pupils.
The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on October 16, in a Paris suburb, the teacher Samuel Paty was beheaded; during a lesson on the freedom of expression, he had shown caricatures on Prophet Muhammad to his pupils. During his detention, the alleged killer shouted "Allahu Akbar!" and was shot by the police. He managed to post a photo of the severed head on the Twitter. According to the French Prosecutor's Office, this is an 18-year-old Russian citizen of Chechen origin, who had received refugee status in France.
In this situation, nationality has nothing to do with the crime itself, says Margarita Lyange, a deputy chair of the Council of the Assembly of Russian Nations.
In her turn, Nadezhda Azhgikhina, a human rights defender and Director of PEN-Moscow, has objected by saying that in this case, it is justified to indicate the alleged killer's ethnicity. "Such radical views are supported by some part of religious figures and officials," she has stated.
This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on October 19, 2020 at 08:54 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.
Author: Gor Alexanyan Source: CK correspondent
