Norwegian Journalist Was Attacked in His Flat

Initially policemen tried to resolve the problem among each other and only after that started to interrogate the victim

Several days ago, Norwegian journalist Ragnar Skre was attacked by masked people in his flat. The attackers did not demand anything from the journalist – neither money nor other things. The only thing the harassers took from his house is a bag with a photo-camera, Dictaphone and wallet in it. The journalist did not have much money in the wallet, only 60 GEL.

Ragnar Skre applied to the Human Rights Center for help. He was sitting at the table and was telling his story in a low voice. He was speaking at such a low voice that people could suppose that he did not want to speak about his problem publicly. He is afraid of being attacked again.

“It was 10:00 pm when there was a knock on the door. My neighbors often visit me and I did not think that I could face some problem and opened the door. Five masked people were standing in front of me. One of them put a gun on my and tried to get into my flat. I tried to lock the door but I was late; they were already inside. After that I grabbed their gun and we started quarrel. For some time I got hold of the gun but they pushed me down to the floor and the gun fell down. I saw the second attacker was pointing at me,” recalled the Norwegian journalist. During the quarrel he tried to cry out and call the neighbors for help but the attacker with mask and black glove hashed him. The attackers did not say anything to him but spoke with each other in strange language. The journalist thinks that they were speaking in Russian.

Nobody witnessed the incident; the neighbor learned about his problem only after Ragnar Skre knocked at his door and asked for help. “I did not see anything. Ragnar knocked at my door; he was worried and told me that somebody had attacked him. He had bruises on his face and his lip cut. We called police,” said Maia Arsenishvili.

A criminal case was launched on the fact. Norwegian journalist states that many policemen arrived at his place and two of them had some disagreement with each other. “Initially they raised their voice and then started beating each other. I do not know what was going on. But later my neighbor told me that two different groups of patrol policemen arrived at my place and they could not find out which of them had to take up my case,” said Ragnar Skre.

The journalist does not know how the policemen agreed; the only thing he knows is that after the disagreement the law enforcers took him the police station and Ragnar was giving testimony to them till the morning.

Norwegian journalist thinks that the attackers did not want to rob him. Skre supposes that it is connected with his journalistic activities. He has information that production of biological weapon is planned in Georgia. He is carrying out journalistic investigation regarding the fact though he does not have any proofs yet. “Even if the production of biological weapon does not start in Georgia, the government does not appreciate to expose the information that there is reserve of biological bacteria in the country,” said Skre.

Ragnar Skre started his journalistic activities in 1994. He has been living in Georgia for 16 months already and carries out journalistic surveys for Norwegian newspapers.