15 October 2009, 18:00
Driver of REN TV film crew was beaten by relative of former Ingush President
Threats began to reach journalists of REN TV after the group started videoing, within their film about Ingushetia, the house of the family of Murat Zyazikov, former President of the republic in Barsuki village. One of the journalists - Leonid Kanfer, who has already returned to Moscow, told about it.
The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on October 14, the film crew of the REN TV Channel planned to make a film on struggle with corruption, launched by the incumbent Ingush President Yunus-Bek Evkurov.
After shootings filming the house of the Zyazikovs, the group returned to the hotel.
Further, according to the journalists, the story looked like a detective. After they returned to hotel "Assa", the driver hired by Leonid Kanfer for transporting the group began receiving calls from number 8-988-814-0000. Later, it turned out that it was the mobile phone of Rustambek Zyazikov - cousin of the former President, as reported by the website "Ingushetia.Org".
"The driver gave me the phone, I presented myself and asked who the calling party was; in response I heard threats; the essence being like that: 'If you show our houses on TV, we'll wipe you up'," said the journalist.
On October 14, at about 10 in the morning, journalists were ready to go on filming. The driver who was waiting for them saw three cars approaching the hotel. A man in colonel's uniform got out of the "Mercedes" and made his way to the driver surrounded by his securities.
The driver received several blows on his face and body, and his face became unrecognizable. Rustambek Zyazikov could not reach the journalists, as they were under guard in their room. According to the hotel employees, the persons who were beating the driver demanded to tell them, where the journalists were.
After the attack, driver Muslim filed an application to the GOVD of Nazran, his beating was evidenced in hospital. The journalists gave their evidences on the case.
Kaloy Akhilgov, press secretary of the incumbent President of Ingushetia Yunus-Bek Evkurov, said that he appeared in the place of the incident at once after he learnt about it.
The TV journalists already had their air tickets in hand; and they left the republic immediately after talking to the press secretary.
