Masked assailants attack journalist and lawyer in Russia's Chechnya province

MOSCOW (AP) — Unidentified masked assailants in the Russian province of Chechnya attacked and beat a journalist and a lawyer on Tuesday, a violent incident that continued a pattern of rampant human rights abuses in the region.

Novaya Gazeta journalist Elena Milashina and lawyer Alexander Nemov had just arrived in Chechnya to attend the trial of Zarema Musayeva, the mother of two local activists who have challenged Chechen authorities.

Just outside the airport, their vehicle was blocked by several cars and they were beaten by several masked assailants, who put guns to their heads and broke their equipment.

Novaya Gazeta said that Milashina sustained a brain injury and had several fingers broken and Nemov had a deep cut on his leg. They were taken to a hospital in Chechnya's main city, Grozny, where Milashina repeatedly lost consciousness, according to her newspaper.

Milashina has long exposed human rights violations in Chechnya and has faced threats, intimidation and attacks. In 2020, Milashina and a lawyer accompanying her were beaten by a dozen people in the lobby of their hotel.

Zarema Musayeva has been in custody in Chechnya since her arrest in January 2022. Her husband, a former judge, and her two activist sons have left Chechnya. Musayeva is charged with violently resisting police, an accusations rights groups have rejected as trumped-up. She could face 5 1/2 years in prison if convicted.

The Kremlin has relied on Chechnya’s strongman leader, Ramzan Kadyrov, to keep the North Caucasus region stable after two devastating separatist wars. International rights groups have accused Kadyrov’s feared security forces of extrajudicial killings, torture and abductions of dissenters.

Kadyrov's clout has risen since the start of Moscow's campaign in Ukraine, where his security forces have taken active part.