MOSCOW, September 18 (RIA Novosti) -The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has called on Russian authorities to thoroughly investigate an attack on its staff in the Russian city of Astrakhan, the statement, published on the company's website on Thursday said.
"We deplore this act of violence against our journalists and call on the Russian authorities to conduct a thorough investigation and to condemn the assault on our staff," the statement reads.
The incident took place on September 16 in a local cafe. As the journalists were leaving the cafe, they were attacked by unidentified individuals, presumably three people, who beat them up and stole their camera.
Local police are now looking for the attackers. Their identities have not yet been confirmed.
According to BBC correspondent Steve Rosenberg, in Astrakhan, the journalists were investigating reports of Russian servicemen being killed near the border with Ukraine.
The BBC staff is now safe and back in Moscow.
