(IPI/IFEX) – The following is a 19 July 2004 IPI Watch List protest to President Vladimir Putin: H. E. Vladimir Putin President of the Russian Federation Administration of the President Staraya Sq. 4 103132, Moscow Russian Federation Fax: + 7 095 206 51 73 / 206 07 66 / 206 35 66 Vienna, 19 July […]
(IPI/IFEX) – The following is a 19 July 2004 IPI Watch List protest to President Vladimir Putin:
H. E. Vladimir Putin
President of the Russian Federation
Administration of the President
Staraya Sq. 4
103132, Moscow
Russian Federation
Fax: + 7 095 206 51 73 / 206 07 66 / 206 35 66
Vienna, 19 July 2004
Your Excellency,
The International Press Institute (IPI), the global network of editors, media executives and leading journalists in over 120 countries, strongly condemns the murder of Payl Peloyan, editor-in-chief of the Russian-language Armyanski Pereulok (Armenian Lane), an arts and literature magazine serving the Armenian community in Moscow.
Peloyan’s body was found on 17 July at the side of the MKAD ring road that circles Moscow. His body bore knife wounds to his chest and signs of beating on his head and face. The police did not rule out the possibility that his murder was linked to his work as a journalist.
Peloyan’s murder comes shortly after the brutal murder of Forbes magazine editor-in-chief Paul Khlebnikov. IPI views this incident as further proof of increasingly dangerous times for journalists in Russia and believes that the media must be allowed to practice their profession free of intimidation and harassment. If the voice of the media is not to be lost then the government must do everything possible to ensure that journalists are allowed to practice their profession free of violence and intimidation.
IPI strongly condemns the murder of Peloyan and calls on Your Excellency to ensure that there is an immediate and thorough investigation and that those responsible are swiftly brought to justice.
We thank you for your attention.
Yours sincerely,
Johann P. Fritz
Director
