Russian journalist and Nobel Peace Prize winner Dmitry Muratov was attacked on a train

Russian journalist Dmitry Muratov, the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize winner, was attacked today by a stranger, who threw paint in his face as he was about to take a long-distance train.

“When I was in the compartment they threw paint at me. My eyes itch a lot,” he wrote on the Telegram channel of the newspaper Novaya Gazeta, which Muratov has been running since 1993.

Muratov explained that, due to the strong smell of paint in the car, the departure of the train to Samara, in the south of the country, has been delayed.

“I will try to wash myself,” he wrote in his commentary, which is accompanied by a selfie in which he appears with a completely red face and hair, as well as his arms and clothes, and also the table and bed in his compartment.

According to the journalist, the attacker shouted: “Muratov, take for our boys.”

The assailant allegedly referred to Russian soldiers who have died in the Russian military campaign in Ukraine since its inception on February 24.

Those casualties would be “significant,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov acknowledged today, who described it as a “tragedy”, although the Ministry of Defense has so far reported only 1,351 deaths.

In early March Muratov called for an “unconditional” ceasefire and admitted the threat of nuclear war between Russia and NATO, after which he announced the award of the Nobel Peace Medal to a foundation for aid to Ukrainian refugees.

Novaya Gazeta, Russia's last independent media outlet, announced its temporary closure at the end of March due to warnings from the Russian communications regulator, pressures that had caused it to give up coverage of the contest weeks earlier.

The shutdown of the media is linked to a new Russian law, which banned the spread of “fake news” about its army. The law seeks to reproduce news aimed at 'discrediting' the Armed Forces for defending the interests of the country and its citizens.

Journalists who publish information from other media outlets that disrespect the State, its Constitution and public institutions are also punished, as well as calls to organize and participate in unauthorized demonstrations.

The bill, an amendment to the media law, also prohibits the collection of pronouncements in favor of sanctions against the Russian Federation and its citizens.

The head of the Kremlin, Vladimir Putin, passed a law on March 4 that punishes with severe fines and up to 15 years in prison the dissemination of “false information” about the Russian army and calls for sanctions against the country.

That is, all media are prohibited from using the words “war”, “invasion” or “aggression” to refer to the current “special military operation” in Ukraine.

Some international news agencies, channels and newspapers suspended their services and others stopped reporting from Moscow until further notice.

(With information from EFE)

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