Suspect detained after attack on Kazakh journalist
AKTOBE. Aug 23 (Interfax) - A 27-year-old resident of the town of Alga has been detained on suspicion of attacking Igor Larra, a journalist with the independent newspaper Svoboda Slova, in Aktobe, western Kazakhstan, on August 20.
The suspect told the police that he and his four acquaintances decided to rob a seemingly drunk man, the Aktobe region police department said in a press release on Friday.
"The suspect caught up with the journalist and punched him in the face, after which another attacker started to kick him. At this moment, the others ran up to them and began to search his pockets. The attackers fled the scene after robbing the journalist," the police department said.
Police are currently hunting for the other suspected assailants.
Larra's mobile phone was confiscated as a piece of evidence.
A doctor examining Larra concluded that the journalist was moderately drunk and sustained bruises to his face during the incident.
"Since he was under influence, he was unable to explain what happened in writing, and investigators themselves compiled a report using the journalist's words. The journalist testified that he was punched in the face, after which he fell down and the attackers started to kick him. He did not say that he had been hit over the head with a crowbar," it said.
Policemen do not think that the attack was related to the journalist's work.
