08:26, 15 November 2018

Attacker on "Caucasian Knot" correspondent refuses to admit guilt

Karim Kasumov, who is accused of assaulting a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent at a rally of Alexei Navalny's supporters in Makhachkala, has refused to plead guilty. In his turn, he has accused the victim and her colleagues of lying, insisting that he had no idea about their professional status.

According to Kasumov's defence, he did not know that Patimat Makhmudova was a journalist, when he attacked her and broke her video camera. This argument was refuted by the witness and the victim.

According to investigators, on June 12, 2017, a man demanded from the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent to stop filming the rally of Navalny's supporters in Makhachkala and attacked her.

"On that day, I was walking around with my friend ... Many people gathered; I approached them; and the victim began filming me with her video camera. I asked not to film me. She moved away, but then came back and started filming again. I again asked not to film me; and when she began doing it for the third time, I freaked out and hit the camera," said Kasumov.

According to the edition named "Chernovik", all the three provocateurs at the rally – Surkhai Magomedov, Karim Kasumov and Gairbek Akhmedov – were members of an unofficial group of supporters of the then head of Dagestan, Ramazan Abdulatipov, and put pressure on Dagestani oppositionists.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on November 14, 2018 at 11:40 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.

Author: Rasul Magomedov

Source: CK correspondent