[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 33 (Thursday, March 17, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2990-S2991]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             PAUL KLEBNIKOV

 Mrs. CLINTON. Mr. President, I will take some time today to 
tell the Senate about a New Yorker named Paul Klebnikov. Paul Klebnikov 
was an American journalist who was shot and killed in Moscow on July 9, 
2004, as he left his office after work. The most plausible reason for 
his killing appears to be his investigative journalism, which has 
explored the connections between business, politics, and crime in 
Russia. The stilling of Paul Klebnikov's voice represents a direct 
challenge to independent journalism, democracy, and the rule of law in 
Russia. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, CPJ, in the 
last 5 years, 11 journalists in Russia, including Paul Klebnikov, have 
died in ``contract-style'' killings.
  Mr. Klebnikov's murder illustrates in tragic terms one of several 
threats faced by the press in today's Russia. Observers have described 
these threats as including the lack of accountability for the killing 
of journalists and government restrictions on the media.
  It is in the broader context of the challenges to press freedom in 
Russia that the importance of Paul Klebnikov's murder has been brought 
home to me in a very personal way by his family, which has long ties to 
New York. Paul, with family roots in Russia, grew up in New York, and 
his wife and their children still reside in New York. At the time of 
his death at age 41, Paul Klebnikov was working in Moscow as the 
editor-in-chief of Forbes Russia, after having served as a senior 
editor at Forbes.
  Paul Klebnikov's contributions to press freedom have received special 
recognition since his death. He was a recipient of the CPJ 2004 
International Press Freedom Award. He was also a recipient of the 2004 
Knight International Press Fellowship Award for achievements in the 
face of threats.
  At the CPJ 2004 International Press Freedom Awards ceremony, Paul's 
widow Musa underlined Paul's deep sympathy for the plight of the 
Russian people and the way in which he chose to translate his ideals 
into action: ``Being surrounded by criminality, greed and misuse of 
power has made people suffer from apathy and hopelessness. Paul wanted 
to help ordinary Russians find courage. He was thrilled to edit a 
magazine for Russians, and use it to expose economic and moral 
corruption, and offer positive models instead.''
  As Paul's widow Musa makes clear, a free press is an essential 
component of the effort to enhance transparency. A free and vital press 
helps to keep citizens informed and knowledgeable regarding the most 
important issues in their lives. Without accurate information on the 
most pressing public issues of the day, people are hindered in the 
exercise of their other rights, as well as in the conduct of the many 
other civic activities that are essential to the healthy functioning of 
a democracy.
  That is why I have been seeking ways to bring attention to the 
contract-style killing of Paul Klebnikov at the highest levels of 
government. I have joined with a bipartisan group of my colleagues on 
the US Helsinki Commission, on which I serve, in writing to President 
Putin urging him to ensure the case is aggressively investigated and 
all those responsible are brought to justice.
  And I wrote to President Bush to ask him to raise the issue of Paul's 
murder with President Putin during their meeting in Bratislava, 
Slovakia on February 24th. That meeting with President Putin presented 
an opportunity to make clear that all those involved in instigating, 
ordering, planning and carrying out the murder should be prosecuted to 
the full extent of the law.
  I expressed to President Bush that his personal involvement would 
contribute enormously to the effort to bring all those responsible for 
Paul's murder to justice. And that such a result, in turn, would help 
to move Russia along the path to freedom and democracy, and strengthen 
Russian civil society.

[[Page S2991]]

  Recent comments by Secretary Rice encourage me in my hope that the 
administration will emphasize, both in public to the world, as well as 
in private to Russian officials, the vital role a free press has to 
play in Russia. During Secretary Rice's February fifth visit to Warsaw, 
she underlined that it ``is important that Russia make clear to the 
world that it is intent on strengthening the rule of law, strengthening 
the role of an independent judiciary, permitting a free and independent 
press to flourish. These are all the basics of democracy.''
  And around the same time as the Bratislava meeting between President 
Bush and President Putin, we learned of encouraging news reports. 
According to these reports, two suspects in the murder of Paul 
Klebnikov, who had been arrested in Belarus, were extradited to Russia; 
and one of them was charged in connection with Paul's murder.
  Nonetheless, under the current state of affairs in Russia, I am 
convinced that if all those responsible for this crime are to be 
brought to justice, it is absolutely essential for President Bush and 
senior members of his Administration personally to raise Paul's case 
with senior officials of the Russian Government, including President 
Putin. It is my hope that if consistent pressure is applied in a 
determined manner by the U.S. Government, the Russian government will 
have the strongest incentive to follow through on the investigative 
efforts already begun, and pursue the leads in this case wherever, and 
however high, they reach.
  It is vital that all those responsible for the murder of Paul 
Klebnikov be held accountable. Bringing those involved in his murder to 
justice will help to end any perception that those perpetrating 
violence against journalists in Russia are immune from the reach of the 
law. A free press, not threatened by violence or coercion, will aid the 
Russian people immeasurably in their quest for freedom and democracy. 
It is our obligation to continue to impress on the Russian Government 
the importance of bringing to justice those responsible for Paul 
Klebnikov's murder, both for Paul's sake and to strengthen the rule of 
law and a free press in Russia.

                          ____________________