A journalist in Russia's Kalmykia region, which lies north of the North Caucasus region, says he was attacked for carrying out his journalistic activities.
Badma Byurchiyev, a correspondent of the Kavkazsky uzel (The Caucasus Knot) newspaper, said on September 9 that he was attacked late the previous evening by five men in Kalmykia's capital, Elista.
Byurchiyev said that the unidentified attackers knocked him down and continued to beat him, adding that one asked him, "Will you continue to f...ing lie further?"
Byurchiyev said that the attack was linked to his "journalistic or opposition" activities.
His friends say that the attack might be retaliation ordered by the authorities for a recent article placed on Byurchiyev's Telegram channel that criticized Kalmykia's leader, Batu Khasikov.