Burned eyes – Russian journalist after paint attack in hospital

Doctors in the Volga city of Samara diagnosed Russian journalist Dmitry Muratov with chemical burns to the eyes and conjunctiva. The cornea remained intact, the editor-in-chief of the Kremlin-critical newspaper Novaya Gazeta said on Twitter on Friday. He posted a picture of himself in bed.

As reported, the 60-year-old journalist was allegedly attacked by two men on a train from Moscow to Samara on Thursday evening. According to the Russian Interior Ministry, they broke into the train at the Kazan station in Moscow under a pretext and then poured red oil paint over Muratov in his sleeping compartment. “My eyes burn terribly. An attacker shouted, ‘Muratov, take this for our boys,'” reported the attacked editor-in-chief.

First arrest
A militaristic-nationalist group has already claimed responsibility for the attack and published a short video of the attack on its Telegram channel “Z der Fallschirmjäger Club”. She spoke of a “revenge for the Russian soldiers who died in Ukraine”. However, the item and video were later removed. According to the Interfax agency, a 37-year-old man has been arrested and the second suspect is still being sought. Both men are said to be former soldiers who reject Muratov’s criticism of the war against Ukraine.

Journalists criticizing the government have been repeatedly targeted by attacks in Russia. Muratov had always insisted not to be intimidated. Under pressure from the Russian authorities, he temporarily suspended the newspaper until the end of the war. Previously, reports of the suffering of the people were published in “Novaya Gazeta”.