Irek Murtazin

Irek Minzakievich Murtazin (Tatar: Ирек Мортазин, romanized: İrek Mortazin: Russian: Ирек Минзакиевич Муртазин; born 5 April 1964, Bogatye Saby) is a Russian journalist and blogger of Tatar descent, specialist of the International Institute of Research in Policy and the Humanities in Moscow [1] and, since September 2008, publisher of the newspaper Kazan News (Russian: Казанские вести). Murtazin previously served as director of the Minsk bureau of the Russian state television station "Russia" (2003–2004), director of the state television station "Tatarstan" (2002–2003), and press secretary of the President of Tatarstan, Mintimer Şäymiev (1999–2002).

Irek Murtazin
Murtazin in 2008
Born
Irek Minzakievich Murtazin

5 April 1964
Bogatye Saby, Sabinsky District, Tatar ASSR, RSFSR, USSR
Occupation(s)journalist, activist, blogger
Children2
Familymarried
Websiteirek-murtazin.livdjournal.com

In September 2008, he posted information to his blog to the effect that Tatar president Shaimiev had died; this information proved to be false. As a result, he was the subject of a criminal investigation into the matter. On 26 November 2009, Murtazin was found guilty of libel and "instigating hatred and hostility" to an ethnic or social group and sentenced to 1 year, 9 months of hard labor.[2][3] Murtazin had previously clashed with local and federal elites in his journalistic work; he resigned his post at "Tatarstan" on 14 November 2003 in the wake of a controversial segment in which program participants criticized Tatar policies and the war in Chechnya.[4] In December 2008, he was attacked and beaten near his Kazan apartment by unidentified persons.[5]

Works

In addition to his work as a newspaper and television journalist, Murtazin has published several monographs.

  • The Last Romantic (Russian: Последний романтик)
  • The Death of a Television Magnate (Russian: Смерть телемагната)
  • The Island of Tatarstan (Russian: Остров Татарстан)
  • Mintimer Shaimiev: Last President of Tatarstan (Russian: Минтимер Шаймиев: последний президент Татарстана) (Cheboksary, 2007)
  • Murtazin's LiveJournal, where the information on Shaimiev's alleged death was first posted, and which is now being used to support Murtazin during his imprisonment.

References
  1. "Информация об ИГПИ :: Сотрудники :: Ирек Муртазин". Международного Института гуманитарно-политических исследований. Retrieved 29 November 2009.
  2. Король, Ольга (26 November 2009). "Экс-пресс-секретарю президента Татарстана Муртазину дали реальный срок". Комсомольская правда. Archived from the original on 15 June 2011. Retrieved 29 November 2009.
  3. "Tatar Blogger Sentenced To Prison Term". Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. 27 November 2009. Retrieved 29 November 2009.
  4. "Reporters Without Borders Annual Report 2003 - Russia". UNHCR – Refworld. 2003. Retrieved 29 November 2009.
  5. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, "Prominent Tatar author, blogger beaten", 30 December 2008. [accessed 29 November 2009]

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