- Sputnik International
Russia
The latest news and stories from Russia. Stay tuned for updates and breaking news on defense, politics, economy and more.

Izvestia photographer hospitalized after Moscow opposition rally

© RIA Novosti . Michail Fomichev / Go to the mediabankOpposition rally in Moscow
Opposition rally in Moscow - Sputnik International
Subscribe
A photographer with Russia's respected Izvestia daily has been hospitalized following an opposition rally in downtown Moscow on Sunday.

A photographer with Russia's respected Izvestia daily has been hospitalized following an opposition rally in downtown Moscow on Sunday.

Anatoly Zhdanov was hospitalized with a double fracture of his collarbone. He was injured while attending a sanctioned opposition rally dedicated to Constitution Day, celebrated in Russia on December 12.

"I am now at Botkin Hospital awaiting surgery because I have a double fracture," Zhdanov told RIA Novosti.

"Everything was going on peacefully but at the exit people were met by OMON [special police forces] who immediately started pressing those gathered and were acting aggressively even though the participants were calm and peaceful. They started picking people out of the crowd and putting them in police buses," Zhdanov said.

"I was standing at a parapet and I was approached by the Left Front movement leader (AKM) [Sergei Udaltsov]," the journalist said.

Zhdanov said he was given a heavy blow to his shoulder as he started taking pictures. "At that second there was a strong push and I fell off the parapet from the height of 1.5 meters," he said.

Zhdanov said he could have been attacked by a police officer as he saw out of the corner of his eye someone "in a helmet."

He said he has not yet decided if he will file a complaint against the police. "I will not concern myself with it, there is an editorial office, they should decide," he said.

Izvestia deputy editor-in-chief Ilya Kiselyov said Zhdanov could have been hit by accident and not on purpose. "There was a crowd. When everybody ran he was standing on a cornerstone. He was hit and he fell," Kiselyov said.

Moscow police said the officers started using force at the rally near Pushkin Square at the moment when a group of its participants attempted to stage an unsanctioned event.

The leader of Russian opposition movement Left Front, Udaltsov, was detained by police during Sunday's rally after calling on activists to nail their demands on the doors of City Hall. He was later released.

Police spokesman Viktor Biryukov said Zhdanov was not wearing a press vest indicating that he was from a media outlet. He said the vest could have eased the photographer's work at the event.

Several other Russian journalists were injured on Saturday as thousands of football fans and nationalists clashed with police on Moscow's Manezh Square next to Red Square over the death of a soccer fan in a street brawl a week ago.

RIA Novosti cameraman Rustam Buzanov was beaten by a group of attackers who broke his camera. A correspondent with the Kommersant business daily was also injured in the riots.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has said on his Twitter that all those involved in organizing mass riots in downtown Moscow on Saturday will be brought to account.

MOSCOW, December 13 (RIA Novosti)

Newsfeed
0
To participate in the discussion
log in or register
loader
Chats
Заголовок открываемого материала