New York, September 11, 2017–Russian journalist Yulia Latynina, who writes a column for the independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta and hosts a weekly radio show on Ekho Moskvy, has fled Russia after a series of attacks, according to local and international reports. In the latest incident on September 3, attackers set fire to the journalist’s car, which was parked near the wooden house that she shares with her parents, according to media reports.
“We call on Russian authorities to identify and prosecute those responsible for the attacks against Yulia Latynina and her family, and to ensure the journalist can live and work safely in Russia,” said CPJ Europe and Central Asia Program Coordinator Nina Ognianova. “No journalist should be compelled to leave their home because of threats and attacks over their work.”
Latynina described the latest attack as an assassination attempt during the September 9 broadcast of her radio show “Kod Dostupa” (Access Code), which she co-hosted from an undisclosed location. The arson took place two months after Latynina reported that unknown assailants sprayed a foul-smelling substance through a window of her house. In August last year, an unknown assailant threw feces at Latynina near the Ekho Moskvy offices, according to reports. Russian authorities are investigating the attacks, according to reports.