EHRAC deplores attack against human rights lawyer and journalist in Grozny

Reacting to the news of the recent, thuggish attack on human rights lawyer Marina Dubrovina and journalist Elena Milashina in a hotel lobby in the Chechen capital of Grozny, EHRAC Director Philip Leach said:

“We were shocked and saddened to receive the horrific news of the brutal assault on Marina Dubrovina and Elena Milashina in Grozny last week. We have worked with Marina for many years in the context of her close cooperation on human rights cases with our partners at HRC Memorial. She has worked tirelessly to defend human rights in Russia and Ukraine.

The attack on Marina and Elena is an alarming reminder of the precarious position of human rights defenders in Chechnya. The Chechen authorities have effectively declared the region a no-go zone for activists.

An immediate and independent investigation is required to establish the facts of what happened to Marina and Elena, and to bring their attackers to justice.”

Marina Dubrovina and Elena Milashina were set upon by a gang of more than 15 people – men and women – in the lobby of the Kontinent hotel in Grozny. The pair were both treated by doctors, and they have reported the incident to the police. Human rights activists and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) have called upon the authorities to investigate the attack.