Russia is one of the most dangerous countries in the world for journalists, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.

19 have been murdered since 2000.

In the past week 4 have been attacked, and that has generated what some say is an unprecedented wave of outrage and media solidarity.

The most serious attack–reporter Oleg Kashin of Kommersant newspaper was beaten outside his apartment building–here is cctv footage of someone helping him to his feet.

He suffered fractures to the skull and legs and a finger was partially severed–he had to be put in an induced coma.

Then Monday another reporter, Anatoly Adamchuk of Zhukovskie Vesti was beaten outside of his apartment.  Police say they caught the attackers who claimed Adamchuk paid them to do this–something Adamchuk denies.

“I do not want to blame anyone but there are forces who might gain from such a destabilisation.  I hope–touch wood–this will be the last action of such a kind, but I can assume there will be more extremist actions.”

Both journalists wrote about the controversy surrounding plans to build a highway which would lead to the destruction of Khimki forest.  The construction industry is said to be one of the most criminalized in Russia.

Oleg Kashin had criticized the activities of the young guard, the youth wing of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s United Russia Party.  Its website called Kashin a traitor who should be punished.  The group denies it meant physical punishment.

President Dmitri Medvedev has vowed to bring the attackers to justice. 

“Journalists are the people who, as i have already said, are in the risk zone, and the state should be more attentive to their professional activity, because the task of the journalist is to tell the truth.”

But when Anna Politkovskaya tried to tell the truth about human rights abuse in Russia’s Chechen republic she was gunned down.

Journalist Alexander Nekrassov says press rights in Russia should be at the top of the international agenda.

“The west is to blame for that as well because there is no strong message coming from Washington, London, Paris to stop this.  Stop attacking journalists otherwise we won’t deal with you.”

Nekrassov continues, “freedom of the press is the basic freedom of any civilized society.  If you don’t have freedom of the press, you don’t have a free market, you don’t have a functioning democracy, you don’t have functioning political institutions.  In Russia at the moment, we are witnessing a total crackdown on the media.  So to expect Russia would have a proper economy, and proper political system is just in vain.”

The U.S. State Department claims to take this all very seriously.  P.J. Crowley said,

“Freedom of the press is a fundamental right in the United States and other countries, and we are committed to uphold the international and regional commitments.”

Though Medvedev has called for justice, many are skeptical that will happen.  According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, 18 of the 19 murders of journalists since 2000 remain unsolved.