III 

109TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 526 

Condemning the murder of United States journalist Paul Klebnikov on July 

9, 2004, in Moscow, and the murders of other members of the media 

in the Russian Federation. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JUNE 29, 2006 

Mrs. CLINTON (for herself and Mr. BROWNBACK) submitted the following 

resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

RESOLUTION 

Condemning the murder of United States journalist Paul 

Klebnikov on July 9, 2004, in Moscow, and the murders 

of other members of the media in the Russian Federation. 

Whereas, on July 9, 2004, United States journalist Paul 

Klebnikov was murdered by gunmen as he exited the 

Moscow offices of Forbes Magazine; 

Whereas no person has been convicted of any offense in connection with the murder of Mr. Klebnikov; 

Whereas Mr. Klebnikov is survived by his wife Helen and his 

3 young children; 

Whereas 12 journalists have been murdered in the Russian 

Federation since 2000 and Mr. Klebnikov was the first 


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•SRES 526 IS 

and only citizen of the United States among those journalists; 

Whereas the Office of the Russian Prosecutor General arrested and tried Musa Vahaev and Kazbek Dukzov for 

the murder of Mr. Klebnikov; 

Whereas Musa Vahaev and Kazbek Dukzov were acquitted on 

May 5, 2006, of the charges of murdering Mr. Klebnikov; 

Whereas the Government of Russia has stated that the murder of Mr. Klebnikov was ordered by Khozh-Akhmed 

Nukhayev, a fugitive Chechen criminal gang leader, but 

has not publicly released any evidence of the complicity 

of Mr. Nukhayev; 

Whereas it remains unclear who ordered the murder of Mr. 

Klebnikov or if any party will be convicted of that crime; 

Whereas the attorneys that represented the Klebnikov family 

have alleged that numerous procedural violations occurred during the trial; 

Whereas a group of investigative journalists from the United 

States has launched an independent inquiry into the 

death of Mr. Klebnikov; 

Whereas the 2005 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices published by the Department of State indicated that 

the Government of Russia had continued to weaken the 

independence and freedom of expression of the media industry of Russia, particularly among the major national 

television networks and regional media outlets of that 

country; and 

Whereas, on June 4, 2006, President Putin told a conference 

of the World Association of Newspapers that ‘‘A progressive state requires a free press.’’: Now, therefore, be it 


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•SRES 526 IS 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) condemns— 

3 (A) the murder of United States journalist 

4 Paul Klebnikov on July 9, 2004, in Moscow; 

5 and 

6 (B) the murders of other members of the 

7 media in the Russian Federation; 

8 (2) commends the Office of the Russian Pros9 ecutor General for its continuing investigation of the 

10 murder of Mr. Klebnikov; 

11 (3) urges the Government of Russia— 

12 (A) to continue its inquiries to determine 

13 all parties involved in the murder of Mr. 

14 Klebnikov; and 

15 (B) to bring those parties responsible for 

16 the murder of Mr. Klebnikov to justice; 

17 (4) urges the Government of Russia to accept 

18 offers of assistance with the investigation of the 

19 murder of Mr. Klebnikov from— 

20 (A) the United States; and 

21 (B) other concerned governments; 

22 (5) urges the Government of Russia, upon re23 quest, to extend appropriate assistance to investiga24 tive journalists who have started to conduct inde25 pendent inquiries relating to the death of Mr. 


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•SRES 526 IS 

1 Klebnikov, to the extent that such assistance con2 forms with the privacy safeguards and the laws of 

3 Russia; and 

4 (6) urges the Government of Russia to take ap5 propriate action to protect the independence and 

6 freedom of— 

7 (A) the media of Russia; and 

8 (B) all visiting members of the media. 

Æ 


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