Guns for Russian reporters

Alexander Lebedev, co-owner of Russia’s Novaya Gazeta newspaper, has requested the Federal Security Service (FSB) issue firearms to journalists at the paper. The highly unusual request comes after Anastasia Baburova, a 25 years old journalist with the Gazeta, was murdered earlier this week. The paper previously employed Anna Politkovskaya who was also gunned down in 2006,

“We will address an unusual request to the Federal Security Service: If you are unable to ensure our security, let our journalists have firearms,” Alexander Lebedev said
He added that the newspaper had already made a similar request of the Federal Security Service, but it was denied.
“Unfortunately, I am now unable to ensure security of our journalists,” Lebedev said. link

The ex-KGB billionaire Lebedev bought the London Evening Standard newspaper yesterday for the rock bottom price of £1.

Photograph of Novaya Gazeta staff taken by Sergey Kuznetsov/AFP/Getty Images found at DayLife