'Novaya Gazeta' Deputy Editor Beaten In Moscow

Sergei Sokolov, deputy editor of the independent Russian newspaper "Novaya gazeta"

Sergei Sokolov, the deputy editor of Russian opposition newspaper "Novaya gazeta," has reportedly been beaten and robbed in Moscow.

Police sources quoted by Interfax said that Sokolov was attacked while walking home on October 12 and his bag, containing a laptop and a hard disk, was stolen.

The sources said Sokolov was taken to hospital, where he received medical assistance but refused hospitalization.

"Novaya gazeta" editor in chief Dmitry Muratov confirmed the attack.

In 2012, Sokolov reported that he had been threatened by the chief of Russia's Investigative Committee, Aleksandr Bastrykin.

According to the journalist, Bastrikin, unhappy with an article written by Sokolov about him, took the journalist to a forest and threatened to kill him.

The report prompted protests by international media watchdogs.

"Novaya gazeta" is known for its investigative reports into official corruption and abuses.

Based on reporting by Interfax and lenta.ru