The public in Sochi is very concerned about the attack on Arkadi Lander, chief editor of the "Mestnaya" newspaper which took place on April 26. Some supporters of the victim, who do not trust the investigation, have involved private investigators, former militia officers, into the search for the crime organizers and executors. The Sochi communists' leader and part of Lander's colleagues claim his beating to be politically motivated.

The private detectives mainly concentrate on the analysis of the materials of the "Mestnaya" newspaper by which Lander could seriously tread on the corruptive connections and interests of persons running for seats in the Sochi city assembly from the "United Russia" party, the activity of whom was described in the revelatory materials prepared and disseminated in the course of the election campaign.

Yuri Dzagania, leader of the CPRF local branch, thinks that the attack on Lander is politically motivated. According to Dzagania's assumption, the attack on Ludmila Shestak, deputy of the Sochi city assembly from the CPRF, who fought with corruption in the authorities linked with illegal allocation of public resort areas to private developers, is politically motivated, too. "The signs are the same", opines the communist, "the incidents, both in the case of Lander and Shestak, occurred during the daytime at the entrance into the house. Shestak was traced and struck with a heavy object on the head, just like Lander. No offender has been identified in both cases".

He thinks that the law enforcement officers have no civil manhood to acknowledge that politically motivated crimes are committed in the country.

The newspaper has suspended its regular issue in view of the incident with its chief editor. The editing board staff intend to request that the law enforcement agencies should ensure safety of mass media representatives.

On April 27, the following day after the attack, the Sochi internal affairs press service refused to give any comments on the beating of the journalist, but mentioned, however, that militia do not connect the attack with politics or with the journalistic activity of Lander. They also gave no information on whether or not a criminal case was initiated on the fact of an attempt on the life and beating of the chief editor of the "Mestnaya" newspaper.

See earlier reports: "Editor-in-chief of local newspaper heavily beaten in Sochi," "Karastelyov: at confrontation attacker said that he wanted to help," "Arkhipov links attempt on him with his defence of rights of Matveevka residents in preparation for Sochi Olympiad."

Author: Svetlana Kravchenko; Source: CK correspondent