曾经以敢于针砭时弊著称的俄罗斯记者米哈伊尔.别克托夫星期五被判无罪，法庭认定对他的诽谤罪指控不成立。别克托夫两年前几乎被打死，目前要依靠轮椅行动。
俄罗斯国际文传电讯社报导说，别克托夫上个月被控诽谤当地市长，并被判处罚款。别克托夫现在因暴力致残而赢得了上诉。2007年，担任《希姆基真理周报》记者兼编辑的别克托夫指责该市市长卷入了炸毁他汽车的事件。一年之后， 这名记者遭到野蛮袭击，使他几乎无法说话，并导致脑部残疾。
别克托夫曾经报导关于穿过希姆基地区受保护的森林修建公路的颇具争议的计划。另外几名俄罗斯记者也因为报导同一事件而受到袭击。自从2008年遇袭之后，别克托夫接受了8次手术治疗，被迫截去几根手指和一条小腿。
今年，俄罗斯已有8名记者被杀。只有一件案子的凶手被逮捕。 在别克托夫的遇袭案中，没有人受到指控。在11月出现一系列记者遇袭事件后，俄罗斯总统梅德韦杰夫呼吁加强国家对记者的保护。
Once outspoken Russian journalist Mikhail Beketov, who was nearly beaten to death two years ago and is now confined to a wheelchair, was acquitted of slander Friday.
Russia’s Interfax news agency reports that Beketov, who was charged and fined last month for slandering a local mayor, has won his appeal because of his physical and mental disabilities sustained from the violent assault. In 2007, the reporter and editor of Khimkinskaya Pravda weekly accused the mayor of being involved in blowing up his car. A year later the journalist was savagely attacked, leaving him barely able to talk and brain-damaged.
Beketov had reported on controversial plans to build a road through Khimki’s protected forest, the same issue covered by several other Russian journalists who have been attacked. Since his attack in 2008, Beketov has undergone eight operations. Some of his fingers were amputated, as was one of his lower legs.
Eight journalists have been killed in Russia this year. Only one case has resulted in an arrest. No one has been charged in Beketov’s case. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev called for greater state protection for reporters following a string of attacks in November.