German journalist Marcus Bensmann was attacked in Astana yesterday night, and is currently on his way to Germany for treatment to his serious injuries.

Kazakh media said Tuesday that the attackers, who got away, beat him up, robbed him and and dumped him lifeless next to a highway with the temperature 35 degrees below zero Celsius on Saturday or Sunday.

Marcus Bensmann has made his name in the wake of the Andijan tragedy in Uzbekistan in 2005. He was one of the few journalists to witness the scenes on the town’s central square. I was in touch with him a few times, mainly when conflicting reports about what really went on in the Uzbek town sparked heated debates.

Bensmann, highly critical of the Uzbek regime and Western engagement with it, has been one of the most active journalists to provide news from the region, especially for the left-leaning Tageszeitung from Berlin. At the time of the nightly attack, Bensmann was researching for a TV documentary about the economic boom in Kazakhstan.

The Moscow-based news agency said Kazakh police believed he was the victim of a common mugging and was not attacked because of his profession, but central Asian news agencies suggested the Uzbek secret service may have wanted to settle scores with him.

I wish Marcus and his family strength for the coming days - and I hope that his recovery will be swift and complete.

Jamiyat commented on the story as well.