Azernews.Az

Agunman has shot dead a prominent journalist in Daghestan, the latest murder of a leading public figure in the troubled Russian Caucasus region, Radio Liberty reported.

Khadzhimurad Kamalov, the editor and publisher of the Daghestan weekly newspaper "Chernovik," was killed on the night of December 15 outside the newspaper's office in the city of Makhachkala.

Speaking in Makhachkala, Biyakai Magomedov, editor-in-chief of "Chernovik," told reporters that he believed Khadzhimurad was murdered to intimidate others.

"Khadzhimurad was such a courageous person that even after he was shot he managed to grab the killer's leg and tried to bring him down," he said. "But he couldn't, so [the killer] continued to kill him. I think the killing took place so openly in front of the newspaper's office because they wanted to scare our staff."

Kamalov's newspaper "Chernovik" has reported extensively on police abuses in the fight against an Islamist insurgency originating in neighboring Chechnya which has spread across the Caucasus.

The Organization for Security and Cooperation In Europe (OSCE) condemned the killing and urged authorities to protect journalists. The pan-European rights watchdog's media representiative, Dunja Mijatovic, said she was "alarmed" by the murder.

Daghestan endures regular attacks, which officials blame on militants seeking to create an Islamic state across the region.