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Investigation in Beketov attack case passed to SK department

He was found beaten near his house
Photo ITAR-TASS
Photo ITAR-TASS

MOSCOW, January 19 (Itar-Tass) — The criminal case over the attack on chief editor of the Khimkinskaya Pravda newspaper Mikhail Beketov was passed for investigation to highly qualified detectives of the Investigative Committee (SK) and the Interior Ministry, spokesman of the Investigative Committee Vladimir Markin told Itar-Tass on Thursday.

“We decided to pass it (the criminal case over the attack on Beketov – Itar-Tass) for further investigation in the main investigation department of the Investigative Committee to involve the most qualified detectives and operatives from the central staff of the Investigative Committee and the Interior Ministry, which have the experience to expose and find similar crimes,” Markin said.

Markin noted that the investigation in the criminal cases over the attempts on the life of public figures and journalists “is under special control of the leadership of the Investigative Committee.”

In November 2008 the Khimkinskaya Pravda chief editor, which published criticising articles about the work of the Khimki authorities and the project to build a highway through the Khimki forest, where the latter was attacked. He was found beaten near his house. Upon studying the case files, the prosecutor’s office in the Moscow Region concluded that the attackers intended not just to beat up, but kill the journalist. Professional activities of the attack victim are considered among the theories behind the incident.

On January 13, at the end of a ceremony to award governmental prizes in the field of printed media at the governmental house of reception Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin pledged to discuss with Chairman of the Investigative Committee Alexander Bastrykin how to accelerate the investigation in the attack case on Mikhail Beketov. The journalist was also awarded with the prize.

“I will speak compulsorily with Alexander Bastrykin. I believe that we will speed up the investigation in this criminal case,” the prime minister pledged.

Putin hugged Beketov and wished the soonest recovery to him. “I wish you to recover, with all my heart, I wish you all the best. I was watching a TV report, which told about the murder of a French journalist in Syria. Our profession is very dangerous in the modern world,” he underlined.