DISINFO: Attack on journalist in Chechnya is attempt by Western intelligence agencies to discredit Russia
SUMMARY
The activities of Western intelligence services can be traced in the organisation of the attack on journalist Elena Milashina and lawyer Alexander Nemov in Chechnya. It is possible that their goal was to discredit Russia.
[...] in view of the global processes taking place against the backdrop of the special military operation, it cannot be ruled out that the authors of the attack scenario pursued the goal of yet another attempt to discredit our country before the upcoming NATO summit in Vilnius. The characteristic handwriting of Western intelligence services can be clearly seen here.
RESPONSE
This is baseless conspiracy theory.
Elena Milashina was repeatedly threatened by Chechen authorities before being physically attacked and injured on 4 July 2023.
In 2022, the ruler of Chechnya Ramzan Kadyrov publicly threatened Novaya Gazeta's journalist Elena Milashina: "For me, Kalyapin and Milashina are also terrorists, who make money on the topic of the Chechen Republic and the Chechens. If there is a law and law enforcement agencies in Russia, then I appeal to them: detain these accomplices of terrorists".
In 2016, Chechen official Nurdi Nukhazhiev stated that he had asked the Investigative Committee of Russia to initiate a criminal case against the journalist Elena Milashina.
Critical journalist are not allowed in Chechnya.
Kadyrov and his staff have made intimidating statements about critical journalists, declaring them "dogs", “traitors” and “enemies of the people” helping the west “wreak chaos in Russia”.
At the beginning of 2016, a bus carrying a group of reporters and activists was attacked and burnt.
Two months later, a Chechen journalist Zhalaudi Geriev was dragged out of a shuttle bus and taken to a forest. The assailants pulled a plastic bag over his head and tortured him. They forced him to sign a confession that he had been carrying drugs, and he was sentenced to more than three years in prison.
See more conspiracy theories on the Western intelligence being responsible for the Wagner uprising. See also the "Always blame the West" disinformation trend.