[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 526 Introduced in Senate (IS)]








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 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
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) condemns--
                    (A) the murder of United States journalist Paul 
                Klebnikov on July 9, 2004, in Moscow; and
                    (B) the murders of other members of the media in 
                the Russian Federation;
            (2) commends the Office of the Russian Prosecutor General 
        for its continuing investigation of the murder of Mr. 
        Klebnikov;
            (3) urges the Government of Russia--
                    (A) to continue its inquiries to determine all 
                parties involved in the murder of Mr. Klebnikov; and
                    (B) to bring those parties responsible for the 
                murder of Mr. Klebnikov to justice;
            (4) urges the Government of Russia to accept offers of 
        assistance with the investigation of the murder of Mr. 
        Klebnikov from--
                    (A) the United States; and
                    (B) other concerned governments;
            (5) urges the Government of Russia, upon request, to extend 
        appropriate assistance to investigative journalists who have 
        started to conduct independent inquiries relating to the death 
        of Mr. Klebnikov, to the extent that such assistance conforms 
        with the privacy safeguards and the laws of Russia; and
            (6) urges the Government of Russia to take appropriate 
        action to protect the independence and freedom of--
                    (A) the media of Russia; and
                    (B) all visiting members of the media.
                                 <all>