H.E. Dmitri Medvedev
President
Russian Federation
Fax: (011.7.495) 206-6277/ 5173
H.E. Vladimir Putin
Prime Minister
Russian Federation
Fax: (011.7.495) 206-4622, 205-4219
Your Excellencies:
We write to condemn the brutal murder of yet another Russian journalist, and to urge you to ensure that the investigation into his death is thorough and transparent.
As you must know, Abdulmalik Akhmedilov, an editor known for his critical commentary on local law-enforcement, was fatally shot on August 11 in his car on the outskirts of Dagestan’s capital, Makhachkala. He was deputy editor of the daily Hakikat (The Truth) and a chief editor of the political monthly Sogratl¬. Both newspapers are published in Avar, the language of the largest ethnic group in the southern republic.
Colleagues said that in his columns, Akhmedilov had sharply criticized federal forces and local law enforcement for suppressing religious and political dissent under the guise of an “anti-extremism” campaign. He was also known for his investigative reporting into the recent assassinations of Dagestan officials. Though he had not reported receiving threats, neighbors said that a Lada sedan with tinted windows and no license plates had been parked near Akhmedilov’s home for at least two days. When he left home in his car shortly after noon on August 11 for an errand, the Lada followed and at least one gunman fired.
Under these circumstances, your Excellencies, the presumption must be that this was a planned assassination having to do with Akhmedilov’s journalistic activities.
We call on you to make sure that the regional authority, the Dagestan Investigative Committee, probes all the facets of this case. Since 2000, the year Mr. Putin came to power, at least twenty five journalists have been murdered. Investigators have explained away at least ten other deaths with implausible theories of suicide, accidental falls, and even skin disease. As far as we can discern, no one has ever been punished for any of these killings.
For far too long, impunity has been the rule in the killing of Russian journalists. As we have often written you, it is long past time for you to keep your often-repeated promises to protect the journalists of Russia as they go about their business of reporting the news to your people.
Thank you for your attention. We would appreciate a reply.
Respectfully yours,
Larry Martz
Kevin McDermott
Co-chairmen, Freedom of the Press Committee
cc:
H.E. Sergey V. Lavrov
Foreign Minister
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Moscow 121200
Russian Federation
Fax:(011.7.495) 244.3448
Ambassador Vitaly Churkin
Permanent Representative
Permanent Mission of the Russian
Federation to the United Nations
136 East 67th Street
New York, NY 10021
Fax: (212) 628.0252
Aleksey K. Simonov
President
Glasnost Defense Foundation
4 Zubovskiy Boulevard., # 432
Moscow 119021
Russia
Fax: (011.7.495) 637.4947
Andrew McChesney
Editor-in-Chief
The Moscow Times
Ul. Polkovaya, 3, Bldg. 1
Moscow 127018
Russia
E-mail: mcchesney@imedia.ru
H.E. Yuriy V. Ushakov
Ambassador of Russia to the U.S.A.
Embassy of the Russian Federation
2650 Wisconsin Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20007
Fax: (202) 298.5735
Dmitri Peskov
First Deputy Spokesman of the
President of the Russian Federation
c/o Embassy of the Russian Federation
2650 Wisconsin Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20007
Fax: (202) 298-5735
H.E. William J. Burns
U.S. Ambassador to Russia
Embassy of the United States
8 Bolshoy Devyatinskiy
Pereulok, Moscow 121099
Russia
Fax: (011.7.495) 728-5090
Andrey Vitalyevich Vasilyev
Editor-in-Chief
Kommersant Daily
4 Vrubelya Street
Moscow
Russia
E-mail: kommersant@kommersant.ru