OSCE Media Representative appalled by murder of Russian Forbes magazine editor

VIENNA, 12 July 2004 - The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Miklos Haraszti, said on Monday he was appalled at the murder of magazine editor Paul Khlebnikov in Moscow.

"I am horrified at this brutal killing and call on the Russian authorities to carry out a rapid and thorough investigation," Mr Haraszti said.

Khlebnikov, a 41-year-old U.S. citizen of Russian descent, was shot four times near his office in Moscow on Friday, 9 July. He had started the Russian-language edition of Forbes in April and was the author of the international best-seller, the Godfather of the Kremlin. Formerly a senior editor with Forbes Magazine in the United States, he had reported extensively about political developments, corruption and organized crime.

Several NGOs, including the Committee to Protect Journalists and Reporters without Borders, have suggested that Khlebnikov's murder might be connected with his critical journalistic work.

The OSCE Media Representative will be closely following the investigation and will be in contact with the Russian authorities on this matter.