JournalismPakistan.com | Published October 26, 2017
Join our WhatsApp channel
MOSCOW: Editors of Russia's opposition newspaper Novaya Gazeta said Thursday they were planning to give their employees weapons training and arm them with "traumatic" or less-lethal weapons to protect themselves against possible attacks.
The decision comes amid a spike in violence against dissenters in Russia, including this week's attack on a radio journalist who was stabbed in the neck at the offices of the liberal Echo of Moscow radio.
"If the state is not ready to protect us, we will protect ourselves," Sergei Sokolov, a deputy editor at Russia's top opposition newspaper, told on Thursday.
"When journalists find themselves helpless in the face of lawlessness in the streets and indiscipline of law enforcement agencies there is no other way."
Novaya Gazeta editor Dmitry Muratov said on Wednesday that a number of employees would undergo arms training and the newspaper would purchase traumatic weapons.
The use of fire arms is tightly regulated in Russia. The so-called traumatic weapons that use rubber bullets can be used for self-defense but can also inflict lethal damage.
"I will arm the newsroom," Muratpv said on Echo of Moscow radio.
"We will also supply journalists with other security means that I don't want to talk about."
"We will conclude an official agreement with the Russian interior ministry," he added. "I have no other choice."
Contacted by AFP, Muratov said he could not provide details of the plan over security concerns.
"Our security experts have asked me to refrain from comments before we take concrete steps," he said.
Pavel Kanygin, a Novaya Gazeta special correspondent, said he was ready to use non-lethal weapons to defend himself.
"I don't see anything bad in our situation," he told in written comments, adding that potential criminals may be deterred by the knowledge that Novaya Gazeta reporters carry weapons.
"This too is defense."
President Vladimir Putin's spokesman said Thursday he saw no reason to provide extra security for journalists.
"Unfortunately, every one of us can become a target of a madman," Dmitry Peskov told reporters, adding Novaya Gazeta was free to adopt any measures as long as they were in line with existing laws.
Over the past two decades, Novaya Gazeta has lost several journalists to contract-style killings, including investigative reporter Anna Politkovskaya who was gunned down in the entrance to her Moscow apartment in 2006.
Earlier this week Tatyana Felgenhauer, a 32-year-old Echo of Moscow presenter, was stabbed in the neck by a mentally unstable man.
Many commentators have blamed the authorities for fomenting hatred against dissenters and creating an atmosphere in which such attacks became possible. - AFP
April 11, 2025: Sindhi journalist AD Shar was brutally murdered in Khairpur, Sindh. His body was found dumped on Handiyari Link Road. PFUJ has declared a three-day mourning period and demanded justice.
April 10, 2025: The Azad Jammu and Kashmir government has filed a case against The Daily Jammu & Kashmir and its staff for alleged fake news, drawing condemnation from PFUJ and IFJ, who demand immediate withdrawal of the FIR and an end to media repression in Pakistan.
April 08, 2025: Journalist Arzoo Kazmi alleges that Pakistan's state agencies, including the FIA, have blocked her CNIC, passport, and bank account while threatening her. She calls it a direct attack on journalism.
April 07, 2025: The Islamabad High Court has directed IG Islamabad to produce journalist Ahmad Noorani’s missing brothers, as the Ministry of Defence denies custody. SIM activity was traced in Bahawalpur, and investigations into their suspected abduction continue.
April 07, 2025: Journalist and Raftar founder Farhan Mallick has been granted bail by a Karachi court in a case concerning anti-state content aired on his YouTube channel. He still faces separate charges related to an alleged illegal call center and data theft.
April 03, 2025: Veteran journalist Ghulam Abbas Shah has joined Discover Pakistan Television as the Head of Programming. With 25 years of experience in leading news organizations, he looks forward to contributing to quality storytelling and content.
April 02, 2025: The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has strongly condemned the visit of a group of Pakistani journalists to Israel, calling it a violation of journalistic ethics and a betrayal of press freedom and human rights. PFUJ demands a transparent investigation into the matter.
March 30, 2025: Dawn criticizes Pakistan’s plan to use TV dramas against extremism, highlighting financial and digital challenges. Can media alone solve deep-rooted issues?
April 03, 2025 The International Press Institute (IPI) and International Media Support (IMS) invite nominations for the 2025 World Press Freedom Hero and Free Media Pioneer Awards. Recognizing courageous journalists and innovative media, the awards will be presented at IPI’s 75th-anniversary World Congress in Vienna. Submit your nominations by April 30, 2025.
April 01, 2025 Photojournalist Suresh Rajak was burned alive while covering a violent protest in Kathmandu. The IFJ and its affiliates condemn the attack and call for an urgent investigation to hold the perpetrators accountable.
April 01, 2025 Assam Police arrested digital journalist Dilwar Hussain Mozumder for covering a protest against alleged corruption at Assam Co-Operative Bank. Media organizations have condemned the arrest, calling it an attack on press freedom.
March 29, 2025 A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration’s attempt to dismantle Voice of America (VOA), ruling that the move likely violated legal procedures. The decision protects over 1,200 journalists and media staff.
March 28, 2025 Turkey deports BBC journalist Mark Lowen over 'public order' threat and fines opposition TV channels covering Istanbul Mayor's arrest. Critics condemn crackdown on press freedom amid rising political tensions.