Advocates to challenge refusal to investigate attack on “Caucasian Knot” correspondent in Ingushetia

In Ingushetia, investigators refused to institute a criminal case on an attack on Alyona Sadovskaya, a journalist of the “Caucasian Knot”, in October 2023.

The “Caucasian Knot” has reported that on October 25, 2023, journalist Alyona Sadovskaya and her colleague Lilian Rubtsova were attacked in Ingushetia when they arrived in the republic to prepare a story about Marina Yandyeva’s escape from domestic violence. The journalists were then detained by the police and released after questioning.

Advocate Irina Biryukova from the organization “Public Verdict”* also received a resolution on the refusal to institute a case and prepared a complaint against it.

Activists from the organization “Public Verdict”* explained their interest in Alyona Sadovskaya’s case by the current state of affairs with the rights of journalists.

“Right now, we face big problems with freedom of speech ... It is quite difficult to prepare materials that go against the official line. Independent journalists face great risks ... Highlighting events in Northern Caucasus is a very brave act,” emphasized a member of the organization “Public Verdict”*. The activist also noted that Alyona Sadovskaya’s case became the first case of such kind in their organization’s practice.

*Included by the Russian Ministry of Justice (MoJ) into the register of foreign agents.