III 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. CON. RES. 151 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JUNE 19, 2007 

Received and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 

Noting the disturbing pattern of killings of numerous independent journalists in Russia since 2000, and urging 

Russian President Vladimir Putin to authorize cooperation with outside investigators in solving those murders. 

Whereas Paul Klebnikov, the editor of the Russian version of 

Forbes Magazine, who was investigating suspect business 

dealings and corruption cases in Russia, was shot to 

death in Moscow on July 9, 2004; 

Whereas Mr. Klebnikov’s murder remains unsolved; 

Whereas Anna Politkovskaya, an acclaimed Russian journalist and human rights activist who wrote numerous 


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HCON 151 RFS 

articles critical of Russia’s prosecution of the war in 

Chechnya, of human rights abuses by the Russian government and of Russian President Vladimir Putin was 

shot to death in Moscow on October 7, 2006; 

Whereas Ms. Politkovskaya’s murder remains unsolved; 

Whereas Ivan Safronov, a military affairs reporter for the 

Russian newspaper ‘‘Kommersant’’ who wrote articles 

criticizing the failure of Russian military programs and 

who was planning to report on potential Russian arms 

sales to Middle Eastern countries, including to state 

sponsors of terrorism Iran and Syria, died in mysterious 

circumstances, falling five stories from a window in the 

stairwell of his apartment building in Moscow on March 

2, 2007; 

Whereas, Russian prosecutors subsequently suggested that 

Mr. Safronov may have committed suicide, although he 

left no suicide note and the circumstances surrounding 

his death raised unanswered questions; 

Whereas the cause of Mr. Safronov’s death remains undetermined; 

Whereas, according to Reporters Without Borders, twentyone reporters have been murdered in Russia since March 

2000 and many of those murders remain unsolved; 

Whereas, according to Reporters Without Borders, Russia 

was one of the six most dangerous countries for journalists to work in during 2006; 

Whereas a number of those reporters who were murdered had 

reported on alleged corruption, malfeasance and other 

controversies at the federal, provincial and local levels of 

government in Russia; 


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HCON 151 RFS 

Whereas a number of those murdered had reported on alleged 

human rights abuses by the Russian Government; 

Whereas a number of those murdered had reported on the 

Russian government’s conduct of the war in Chechnya, 

which has involved numerous allegations of gross human 

rights violations and corruption; 

Whereas, if journalists are killed or silenced through undue 

pressure with impunity, a vibrant and participatory civil 

society sector cannot emerge and democratic developments are stalled; and 

Whereas, according to the President of the International 

News Safety Institute, ‘‘murder has become the easiest, 

cheapest and most effective way of silencing troublesome 

reporting, and the more the killers get away with it the 

more the spiral of death is forced upwards’’: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 

2 concurring), That Congress— 

3 (1) recalls the essential role that transparency 

4 and the free flow of information play in creating and 

5 preserving democratic institutions and civil society in 

6 any country; 

7 (2) recognizes the vital contribution made by 

8 independent journalists in Russia in bringing trans9 parency and a free flow of information to readers 

10 after decades of Communist censorship and repres11 sion; 


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HCON 151 RFS 

1 (3) notes the disturbing trend of murders of 

2 independent journalists in Russia over the last dec3 ade; 

4 (4) encourages the President of the United 

5 States to formally offer Russian President Vladimir 

6 Putin and other officials of the Russian Government 

7 United States Government law enforcement inves8 tigative assistance to help identify and bring to jus9 tice those responsible for the many unsolved mur10 ders of journalists in Russia during the past decade; 

11 and 

12 (5) urges President Putin to seek out com13 petent, outside law enforcement assistance in the in14 vestigation of the unsolved murders of numerous 

15 independent journalists in Russia. 

Passed the House of Representatives June 18, 2007. 

Attest: LORRAINE C. MILLER, 

Clerk. 


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