H.E. Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin
President
Office of the President
The Kremlin
Moscow
Russian Federation
Fax: (011.7.095) 206-6277/ 5173
Your Excellency:
We have often written — most recently on June 22, less than a month ago — to deplore the deterioration of press freedom in Russia, and to call your attention to the widening gap between your promise, on taking office, to defend the press, and your actions ever since in harassing the media and tolerating a rising tide of violence against journalists. Now, with the murder of Paul Klebnikov, editor-in-chief of Forbes Russia,
the situation has reached the point of crisis.
As you know, Klebnikov@quot;s courageous and penetrating reporting of the business scene in Russia, and particularly his coverage of the billionaire oligarchy, contributed greatly to making Russian markets more open and transparent. His work also made him many enemies who could not bear having their maneuvers exposed. When Klebnikov was gunned down by four bullets as he left his office last Friday, it was a notable victory for the enemies of press freedom. It was a defeat for those trying to defend the free media. Since it was the fourteenth assassination of a journalist after you became Russia@quot;s President, and no one has been brought to justice for any of these killings, Klebnikov@quot;s death casts further doubt on your claim to be among the defenders of press freedom.
We are told that the investigation into the murder is being handled by the office in charge of Russia@quot;s highest-priority crimes, and is being personally supervised by the country@quot;s top prosecutor. A car said to have been used by the gunman has reportedly been found. All this is reassuring. Yet in the past, investigations that seemed equally urgent have been allowed to dwindle into oblivion. We hope you understand that if this case follows that route, you will be hearing frequently from press freedom organizations around the world. Like Daniel Pearl of the Wall Street Journal, who was abducted and savagely killed in Afghanistan, Paul Klebnikov will not be easily forgotten.
Your Excellency, murders happen in all societies, and press freedom is threatened nearly everywhere.
But Klebnikov@quot;s killing comes in a country where journalists are routinely threatened, assaulted, beaten and killed, almost always without consequence to their attackers. It is a country where press freedom in general has steadily deteriorated, with your government intimidating independent reporting, repressing coverage of the conflict in Chechnya and forcing NTV, the only independent TV outlet, to knuckle under to state control. On the very day that Klebnikov was murdered, the new general director of NTV cancelled the weekly show, “Svoboda Slova” — “Freedom of Speech.” Last month, NTV was forced to fire the prominent journalist, Leonid Parfyonov, and cancel “Namedmi,” its popular news program. In addition, the Federal Security Service (FSB) has been harassing and intimidating independent journalists for reporting on government corruption and for reporting the FSB@quot;s actions.
(more)
Our non-partisan organization, which has defended press freedom around the world for more than 60 years, urges you to reverse this policy of media repression. An honest, speedy and transparent investigation of Klebnikov@quot;s murder, with prompt justice for his killers, would be an excellent beginning, and would go far to quiet the rising misgivings around the world about your government@quot;s true intentions. Beyond that, as we have previously suggested, this is an ideal time for Russia, as a member of the United Nations, to afford your citizens a broadened opportunity to enjoy the freedom of expression and the press as established in Article 19 of the U.N.’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights. All these moves would help build recognition for Russia as a country that respects and enhances the dignity and potential of its people.
Thank you for your attention. We would appreciate a reply.
Respectfully yours,
Alexis Gelber, President
Larry Martz Kevin McDermott Norman A. Schorr
Co-chairmen, Freedom of the Press Committee
cc: Yuriy Victorovich Ushakov Mikhail Mikhaylovich Kasyanov
Ambassador of Russia to the U.S.A. Premier
Embassy of the Russian Federation Government Offices
2650 Wisconsin Avenue, NW Krasnopresnenskaya
Washington, DC 20007 2 Moscow
Fax: (202) 298-5735 Russian Federation
Fax: (011.7.095) 206-4622
Ambassador Sergey Victorovich Lavrov Igor Ivanov
Permanent Representative Foreign Minister
Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation Ministry of Foreign Affairs
to the United Nations Moscow 121200
136 East 67th Street Russian Federation
New York, NY 10021 Fax: (011.7.095) 230-21
Fax: (212) 628-0252
Glasnost Defence Foundation
Fax: (011.7.095) 201-4947
Alexander R. Vershbow
U.S. Ambassador to Russia
Embassy of the United States of America
8 Bolshoy Devyatinskiy Pereulok
Moscow 121099
Russian Federation
Fax: (011.7.095) 728-5090