The European Union External Action Service (EEAS) called on Russia to stop attacks on Novaya Gazeta.
The official statement was published on the EEASwebsite.
“Following an article published in Novaya Gazeta by Elena Milashina disclosing extrajudicial killings in Chechnya, both the journalist and the newspaper have been subject to unacceptable verbal attacks, an ongoing smear campaign and intimidation by the Chechen authorities. The European Union expects the Russian authorities to put an end to these attacks and to investigate the information revealed in the article,” the statement reas.
The European Union considers Ms. Milashina’s report a significant contribution to the “body of credible reports by the media and international human rights organisations detailing the continuing violations of human rights in Chechnya”.
According to the statement, Russia must investigate all the cases of extrajudicial executions, torture and other grave human rights violations committed over the last years and those responsible must be brought to justice.
“The European Union expects the Russian Federation to uphold its international and domestic obligations on human rights and fundamental freedoms. Journalists must be able to work in a safe environment without fear of reprisal. Media freedom and pluralism are fundamental aspects of any democracy, and play a crucial role in informing the population and holding the authorities to account,” the statement concluded.
Reminding, on March 15, an interview with Suleyman Gezmahamayev, a former employee of the Akhmat Kadyrov Regiment under the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Chechen Republic, was published by Novaya Gazeta. During the interview, Gezmahamayev said he personally took part in extrajudicial massacres. After the interview was published, fully equipped troops lined up on the parade ground in order to demand that Russian President Vladimir Putin takes control of this situation and deals with “heinous attacks of the fake publication”.
After a while, the spokesman for the Russian President Dmitry Peskov made a statement and advised Kadyrov's regiment to sue the publication and not to come to Vladimir Putin with complaints.
It should be noted that on the exact day when theinterview was published, unknown persons sprayed the chemical substance near the office of Novaya Gazeta.