Adam Tepsurgayev (ca. 1976 — November 21, 2000) was a Chechen freelance

cameraman A camera operator, or depending on the context cameraman or camerawoman, is a professional operator of a film camera or video camera as part of a film crew. The term "cameraman" does not imply that a male is performing the task. In filmmakin ...

who was shot and killed in the village of Alkhan-Kala, in Chechnya,

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...

Career

Tepsurgayev began his career in journalism as a driver and a fixer for foreign journalists during the First Chechen War (1994–1996) between Russian troops and Chechen separatist guerrillas. Later he contributed to

Reuters Reuters ( ) is a news agency owned by Thomson Reuters Corporation. It employs around 2,500 journalists and 600 photojournalists in about 200 locations worldwide. Reuters is one of the largest news agencies in the world. The agency was esta ...

on an irregular basis and provided outlets with footage he shot from the front lines of the conflict. Reuters' shots of Chechen field commander

Shamil Basayev Shamil Salmanovich Basayev ( ce, Салман ВоӀ Шамиль ; russian: Шамиль Салманович Басаев; 14 January 1965 – 10 July 2006), also known by his kunya "Abu Idris", was a senior military commander in the Cheche ...

having his foot

amputated Amputation is the removal of a limb by trauma, medical illness, or surgery. As a surgical measure, it is used to control pain or a disease process in the affected limb, such as malignancy or gangrene. In some cases, it is carried out on indiv ...

were taken by Tepsurgayev. Prior to his death, Reuters had not published his work for six months.

The Kremlin The Kremlin ( rus, Московский Кремль, r=Moskovskiy Kreml', p=ˈmɐˈskofskʲɪj krʲemlʲ, t=Moscow Kremlin) is a fortified complex in the center of Moscow founded by the Rurik dynasty. It is the best known of the kremlins (Ru ...

Second Chechen War The Second Chechen War (russian: Втора́я чече́нская война́, ) took place in Chechnya and the border regions of the North Caucasus between the Russian Federation and the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, from August 1999 ...

aide, Sergei Yastrzhembsky, commented that Tepsurgayev had not been accredited by the Russian authorities.

Death

Chechen-speaking masked gunmen shot him in the thigh and groin; he subsequently bled to death. Adam's brother Ali Tepsurgayev said that Adam had been killed as punishment for his work as a journalist.Global Journalist
He himself was wounded in the leg during the attack.

Reactions

A Russian government

spokesman A spokesperson, spokesman, or spokeswoman, is someone engaged or elected to speak on behalf of others. Duties and function In the present media-sensitive world, many organizations are increasingly likely to employ professionals who have receiv ...

blamed Chechen guerrillas for the murder, but local residents said the rebels had no reason to kill the cameraman.

References

External links

Hunt for journalists in today's Russia
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tepsurgayev 1970s births 2000 deaths Chechen journalists Chechen murder victims Deaths by firearm in Russia Journalists killed while covering the Chechen wars Russian war correspondents People murdered in Russia Russian people of Chechen descent War photographers killed while covering military conflicts