“Assault against the Vremya Novostey journalist is an attempt to discredit leadership of South Ossetia”: Kokoity

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“Some forces today make their utmost to destabilize the situation in South Ossetia and set up provocations to discredit the republican authorities,” the newly elected president of South Ossetia Eduard Kokoity said Nov 13 while commenting on the incident of assault against correspondent of Vremya Novostey daily Ivan Sukhov. Kokoity refuted point blank assertions that the assault against Sukhov was performed by South Ossetian intelligence after he had visited a Georgian village.

The authorities of South Ossetia are open to journalists, Kokoity pointed out. The beating of Sukhov, he says, was an attempt of a provocation in order to discredit South Ossetia’s authorities in the eyes of the world community. The president called the journalists to be careful and alert, and once again warned of the necessity for them of staying together and not leaving security officers assigned to them.

As REGNUM reported earlier, unknown people assaulted Nov 12 correspondent of Moscow Vremya Novostey daily Ivan Sukhov. He is reported to feel dizzy, nauseous, half of his face in bruises, and wanting to go to a hospital. The assailants stole the journalist’s backpack in which he had his documents. Sukhov, however, has his Russian passport with him. Sukhov’s colleagues intend to take him home today or tomorrow.