BBC reporters 'badly beaten' in southern Russia

http://news.msn.com/world/bbc-reporters-badly-beaten-in-southern-russia ^ | 18 Sep 14 | Unknown

[elhombrelibre]

A team of BBC journalists was beaten and their camera smashed in southern Russia, where they were looking into reports of Russian soldiers killed while on secret deployments near Ukraine, the broadcaster said Thursday.

The three reporters were working in the southern city of Astrakhan when they were "assaulted by unidentified men in a coordinated attack," the BBC said in a statement.

"Our staff were badly beaten, their camera destroyed and then taken," the statement said.

BBC spokesman James Hardy added separately: "All are OK."

[elhombrelibre]

Here is more evidence of Putin exporting his brand of government to a neighboring country. Reporters of news he does not want are beaten and stories of Russian soldiers dying are repressed by Putinista thugs. Of course, coercion and violence in the defense of Putinism is approved of by the fans of autocracy.

[Calvin Locke]

I'm surprised BBC reporters aren't beaten up more, even in the UK, even when a fellow-traveling government of their liking is in power.

I remember the BBC being kicked out of Zimbabwe about a decade or so ago, for doing actual reporting, not their usual faerie dust utopian propaganda, and having to use CBC reports for their broadcasts on whatever troubles Mugabe was causing to stay in power that particular election cycle.

[Dagnabitt]

Thuggery in Putin’s Russia? Say it ain’t so!

[AppyPappy]

Beaten for not following the narrative.

[PGR88]

Don’t care

[BeadCounter]

Do Care.

[annalex]

Suppression of journalism is a signature of Putin’s regime.

[Jewbacca]

“Suppression of journalism is a signature of Putin’s regime.”

Obama does a pretty good job, too. More subtle.

[bigbob]

who were they playing?

[McGruff]

Breaking News? Really?

[aimhigh]

Is the KGB still called the KGB, or do they have a new name?

[McGruff]

Suppression of journalism is a signature of Putin’s regime.

People who live in glass houses...

[MeganC]

Here is more evidence of Putin exporting his brand of government to a neighboring country. Reporters of news he does not want are beaten and stories of Russian soldiers dying are repressed by Putinista thugs.

Sad to say, but similar things happen in the USA all the time with cops arresting, beating, and sometimes even shooting people who are video-recording or photographing them. There are hundreds of documented incidents (most with video) on a site called "Photography is not a crime".

I'm not providing cover for Putin here, just saying that if this behavior offends you then you might also be interested in what happens in our own backyard.

[GeronL]

Mad Vlad is recreating the Evil Empire

[MeganC]

The Evil Empire never went away. It just withdrew and regrouped.

[Rome2000]

Putin knows how to keep the press in line

They are his enemy, and he neutralizes them.

[GeronL]

bump

[annalex]

Putin got dozens of journalists murdered and independent news outlets closed. Even with America at its worst, there is no comparison.

[elhombrelibre]

It’s the FSB now.

[elhombrelibre]

Yes, it is breaking news because for people like you who are in denial about Putin it’s important that we expose his totalitarianism.