Paul Khlebnikov, editor-in-chief of the Russian edition of Forbes magazine, was shot and killed outside his office in Moscow on 9 July.

Khlebnikov, 41, an American of Russian descent, was shot from a passing car about 100 meters from Forbes’ editorial offices in northern Moscow after he left work in the evening. He was hit four times and died in hospital. Police suspect that his murder was a contract killing, linked to his work as a journalist. Formerly a senior editor with Forbes magazine in the United States, Khlebnikov had reported extensively about Russian political developments, corruption and organised crime.

The first issue of the Russian edition of Forbes was published in April 2004. In May the magazine published a list of Russia’s 100 richest people, some of whom later protested that their fortunes were greatly exaggerated. Khlebnikov’s first book “Godfather of the Kremlin: Boris Berezovsky and the Looting of Russia”, was published in 2000. His second book, “Conversation with a Barbarian” (about Chechen rebel fighter Hozh Ahmed Nuhaev), was published in 2003.

“We are very concerned about the developing situation in Russia,” said IPI director Johann Fritz. “This murder comes shortly after the attempted murder of Tagib Abdusamadov, director of GTRK “Dagestan”, in Dagestan on 18 June. At least three journalists were killed in Russia in 2003 because of their work, and eight were murdered in 2002. Many more were violently attacked. Few of the assailants have been found and punished, which sends an unsettling message to the world about the Russian government’s indifference towards press freedom.”

“Khlebnikov’s murder took place against a background of increasing restrictions on media freedom in Russia. Television is coming under increasing government control, and journalists are attacked with impunity, leading to self-censorship. I call on the Russian authorities to carry out a rapid and thorough investigation of this murder, and to do everything in their power to protect journalists in the future.”

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Background Note:
Russia was placed on the IPI Watch List on 23 June 2000. In its Open Letter to President Putin IPI said, “Despite initial comments by Your Excellency that freedom of the press would be encouraged, IPI believes that Your Excellency’s words have not been matched by firm deeds. . The deterioration in press freedom has manifested itself in a series of disturbing incidents including threats to block the renewal of licenses, the government’s attempts to replace independent journalists with obedient political appointees and plans to require licensing of newspapers.”