Russian President Dmitry Medvedev again on Wednesday waved off calls to handle the case of an attack on a prominent reporter two weeks ago, saying it was not his business.
Oleg Kashin, who focused on social issues for the influential newspaper Kommersant, was brutally beaten by assailants outside his home in the early hours of November 6. The 30-year-old was also a prolific blogger and frequent critic of Russian officialdom.
"The authorities' responsibility doesn't consist of delivering incantations or repeating what has been already said," Medvedev said after talks with the Slovenian president.
"I have already spoken about the incident. It is not the Russian president's business anymore, it's the business of law enforcement agencies," he said.
Last week, Medvedev ordered an investigation into the attack, vowing that whoever was behind it "will be punished regardless of their position, place in society or accomplishments."
There have been dozens of beatings of journalists in recent years, including most notoriously the 2008 assault on Mikhail Beketov, a campaigner against the destruction of a forest to make a new road between Moscow and St. Petersburg. Almost none of the perpetrators have been caught by police.
MOSCOW, November 17 (RIA Novosti)
