Journalist Kashin assault suspect could be arrested in St. Petersburg
MOSCOW. June 29 (Interfax) - Media outlets have reported that a suspect in the case over the assault on the journalist Oleg Kashin has been arrested; the Interior Ministry notes that active efforts to resolve the crime are underway.
"The police never stopped working on the case over the assault on the Kommersant newspaper journalist, Oleg Kashin; active efforts are underway," the Russian Interior Ministry told Interfax, when asked to comment on the media reports about the arrest of a man who may have been involved in organizing the assault on the journalist.
Kashin himself wrote on his Facebook page earlier, citing St. Petersburg-based media outlets, that a man had been arrested in the northern capital in connection with three cases, including his (Kashin's). "He has been arrested over three cases, including mine," Kashin said.
At the same time, Kashin admitted it was premature to talk about the case being formally resolved. "Formally, as far as I understand, it is too soon to say that the case has been resolved. But how else can this called?" the journalist wrote.
He added that the report about the suspect's arrest "appears to me moderately good news."
Kashin was assaulted on November 6, 2010. He was brutally beaten by two men outside his house in Pyatnitskaya Street in Moscow. In December the journalist was discharged from hospital and started working shortly afterwards.
A criminal inquiry has been launched into the assault on the charge of "murder attempt by a group of people." The journalist's profession is seen by the Investigative Committee as the chief motive behind the assault. Both Russia's Prosecutor General and Interior Minister have taken charge of the case.
In November 2011, Russian Investigative Committee spokesman Vladimir Markin said there was a prospect for this case to be resolved. The journalist himself expressed doubts that investigators will ever find and punish the people who assaulted him.
Kashin is known as the author of articles on the socio-political life in Russia.