The head of police in the West Siberian...
The 47-year-old journalist, whose name has not been disclosed due to the ongoing investigation, spent almost two weeks in a coma after the January 4 assault before losing his fight for life on Wednesday.
A police officer has been charged. 26-year-old Alexei Mityayev said the stress of his complicated personal life prompted the attack, which came after the victim had been on an extended drinking binge as part of New Year celebrations.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev ordered Interior Minister Rashid Nurgaliyev to dismiss Viktor Grechman from his post over the incident, just one in a number of recent cases of police brutality in Russia.
Medvedev last month ordered extensive reform of the Interior Ministry in an effort to deal with police brutality.
The reputation of the Russian police force hit a new low in November 2009, when the country"s Interior Minister stated that citizens had the right to defend themselves if attacked by law enforcement officers.