A journalist in Kazakhstan suffered from concussion after suffering a brutal beating by four men on Tuesday (20 August), reports Human Rights Watch (HRW).
Igor Larra, a journalist with the independent newspaper Svododa Slova, has written articles critical of local government officials and on other sensitive issues.
He was hit over the head with a crowbar and kicked him in the face during the attack as he left a friend's apartment building in Aktobe, a city in western Kazakhstan.
His attackers took two mobile phones a sum of money, about £130. He was later treated for head injuries and cuts to his face and body.
Adil Soz, a media watchdog in Kazakhstan, issued a statement saying: "This was not a random act of hooliganism, but a deliberate attack on a journalist for his professional activities."
This is not the first time Larra has been attacked. In March 2010, three men assaulted him near his home, breaking his nose and jaw.
Adil Soz reported that there were nine attacks on media workers in the first half of 2013. The authorities often fail to investigate such attacks.
Source: HRW
