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Russian soldiers in Georgia. (Nir Kafri)
Last update - 21:24 14/08/2008
Two Haaretz journalists robbed by armed Russian troops in Georgia
By Anshel Pfeffer, Haaretz Correspondent in Georgia
Tags: Gori, Israeli journalists 

GORI - Four Israeli journalists, including Haaretz correspondent Anshel Pfeffer and photographer Nir Kafri, were robbed at gunpoint by Russian soldiers in the Georgian city of Gori on Thursday.

None of the Israelis was injured in the incident, which occurred as a number of foreign journalists gathered near a Russian checkpoint stationed at the entrance to the city. The Russian troops opened fire on the journalists without warning, trying to disperse the crowd.

Meanwhile, a Russian soldier armed with a Kalashnikov rifle approached the vehicle in which the Israeli journalists were traveling.
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He shot at the ground next to reporter Tzur Sheizaf, of Yedioth Ahronoth's online site Ynet, and ordered the other three journalists - which included Channel Two's Carmel Luzzati - to exit the car and leave the site.

The four journalists escaped unharmed to Georgian forces stationed 300 meters away. The rifle-toting Russian soldier, meanwhile, took the reporters' car and joined his comrades.

Sheizaf told Ynet: "As I was taking pictures around Gori, a Russian soldier approached me and started shooting his weapon in the air.

"People were running scared and our driver had disappeared. Suddenly a soldier appeared, I didn't know if he was an Osstetian or a Chechen. He pointed his weapon at me and screamed, 'Where are the car keys?'

"I approached the driver's side of the car and saw that the keys were in the ignition. I tried to get into the car and run, but the soldier pushed me and then he fired a round which nearly hit my foot, it actually hit the tip of my sandal," he said.

Sheizaf told Ynet that he and the other journalists began running from the scene, concerned because their passports were in the stolen car.

Sheizaf went on to say that after 20 minutes or so the soldier returned with the car, with the journalists' belongings intact. "Fortunately, the theft happened in view of Russian army commanders who would not stand up for that sort of behavior," Sheizaf told Ynet.

Related articles:
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  • Georgia president denies Israel halted military aid due to war
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      1.   Israel helping Russia`s enemies 13:50  |  Steven 14/08/08
      2.   Steven 14:52  |  ChanahS 14/08/08
      3.   Shock, outrage at Silence 14:53  |  Josef 14/08/08
      4.   How does it feel? 14:59  |  Guy From NYC 14/08/08
      5.   Guy from NYC 15:26  |  Avi 14/08/08
      6.   Fabricated Lies 15:35  |  MiddleStanian 14/08/08
      7.   Looting by troops must be disciplined 15:35  |  Axel 14/08/08
      8.   now you know 16:01  |  wh 14/08/08
      9.   Helping 16:13  |  Ali 14/08/08
      10.   I can`t say that Steven #2 is not entirely correct! 16:25  |  S 14/08/08
      11.   ROBBED 16:25  |  THE TEACHER/INSTRUCT 14/08/08
      12.   WOW so much propaganda and antisemitism 16:26  |  Levi 14/08/08
      13.   Two Haaretz journalists robbed 16:27  |  Ralph 14/08/08
      14.   Should start taking pictures of yourself from upstairs 16:39  |  Sal 14/08/08
      15.   BBC, Guardian, Observer et al, where are the op-eds??? HYPOCRITES 16:52  |  George 14/08/08
      16.   Robbery? 17:04  |  luky 14/08/08
      17.   Well, SURPRISE! SURPRISE! SURPRISE! 17:13  |  JordanisPalestine 14/08/08
      18.   So now they steal cars... 17:14  |  fb 14/08/08
      19.   Dear Guy from NYC - 4 17:16  |  JordanisPalestine 14/08/08
      20.   They were lucky. Reuters Cameramen werent 17:26  |  Guy From NYC 14/08/08
      21.   To Axel, #7 - Poetic Justice 17:28  |  David 14/08/08
      22.   Nonsense 17:30  |  Nick 14/08/08
      23.   Guy in NYC 16 17:41  |  ChanahS 14/08/08
      24.   Are these troops underpaid? 18:16  |  Brod 14/08/08
      25.   Five journalists killed by the Russians WAR CRIME WAR CRIME 18:20  |  x-ray 14/08/08
      26.   Guy from NYC ... oh yeah...now journalists tortured? 18:23  |  x-ray 14/08/08
      27.   guy in nyc 18:25  |  Marc 14/08/08
      28.   Nick #22 18:32  |  exseapoint 14/08/08
      29.   Time to change the headline, ain`t it? 19:03  |  Axel 14/08/08
      30.   And that 19:08  |  Axel 14/08/08
      31.   Just another Pallywood production 19:28  |  BBSNews 14/08/08
      32.   #4 Guy from NYC 19:43  |  H 14/08/08
      33.   my talkback: Because I`m writing from 20:26  |  dov epstein 14/08/08
      34.   Jouralists robbed 20:33  |  Edwin 14/08/08
      35.   I am very sorry 20:36  |  KUTW 14/08/08
      36.   20 minutes "robbery" 20:50  |  Jan 14/08/08
      37.   to Guy Form NYC#20 and neither was Spanish Cameraman 20:50  |  Ilya 14/08/08
      38.   ugly, but predictable - and less ugly than in the past 20:52  |  frenz 14/08/08
      39.   exseapoint 28 20:52  |  ChanahS 14/08/08
      40.   Axel, Bullshit News, etc - you`re still not getting it... 21:00  |  ChanahS 14/08/08
      41.   Two Haaretz journalists 21:17  |  Ralph 14/08/08
      42.   What "robbery" ChanahS? 21:30  |  BBSNews 14/08/08
      43.   No robbery. Wrong headline 21:52  |  Jan 14/08/08
      44.   BSnews - Have no fear, it can`t happen to you 22:12  |  * BEN JABO 14/08/08
      45.   ChanahS # 40 22:28  |  Philippe 14/08/08
      46.   re #3 `Shock, outrage at silence` 22:40  |  Colin Wright 14/08/08
      47.   At Least Russian Commanders Did Not Turn a Blind Eye Like IDF 22:45  |  Lev Bronstein 14/08/08
      48.   #3 Josef 22:59  |  Johan Odin 14/08/08
      49.   #27 Marc 23:19  |  Guy From NYC 14/08/08
      50.   CNN also reported that the Russian tank crews that they 23:28  |  Steve -nyc 14/08/08
      51.   Guy from NYC -lives in a different part of NYC than I live in. 23:30  |  Steve -nyc 14/08/08
      52.   axel#7 23:40  |  birgit 14/08/08
      53.   # 45 birgit 00:39  |  Axel 15/08/08
      54.   #29 Axel (OXel) Time to post the list of Wars 00:51  |  * BEN JABO 15/08/08
      55.   Brave Ha`aretz Journalists 00:55  |  Keep up the goodwork 15/08/08
      56.   #40 chanah, now you get it, yessiree!! 01:01  |  ballistic 15/08/08
      57.   #23 Say Chanah, speaking of realities 01:06  |  ballistic 15/08/08
      58.   #5 Yes KUTW 01:08  |  ballistic 15/08/08
      59.   Why Haaretz? 01:33  |  Jan 15/08/08
      60.   I dare say Ballistic loud mouth 02:01  |  ChanahS 15/08/08
      61.   Nothing new my parents had their watches stolen in Europe 02:15  |  PETER SM 15/08/08
      62.   Hmm... 02:22  |  Magnus Kragset 15/08/08
      63.   Thugs and Journalists 02:26  |  Tony Price 15/08/08
      64.   So many experts in all things military 02:45  |  * BEN JABO 15/08/08
      65.   KARMA strikes back 02:50  |  VIPER 15/08/08
      66.   #55, JAN, it`s called freedom of speech 02:56  |  VIPER 15/08/08
      67.   Do you see what I see? 05:22  |  Rachel in USA 15/08/08
      68.   to Axel#52 05:35  |  Ilya 15/08/08
      69.   #7 Axel - so much time on your hands 08:32  |  * BEN JABO 15/08/08
      70.   What did you expect? IDF kids with moral dilemmas? 19:53  |  Alain 15/08/08
      71.   journalist as targets 05:43  |  fair 16/08/08
      72.   Who robbed? 13:17  |  lxndr78 16/08/08
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