H. E. Leonid Kuchma
President
Kiev
Ukraine

Vienna, 12 August 1997

Your Excellency,

The International Press Institute (IPI) strongly condemns the killing of Boris Derevyanko, editor-in-chief of Vechernya Odessa (Evening Odessa).

On Monday, 11 August 1997, Mr. Derevyanko was shot twice point blank in the heart and stomach by an unidentified gunman near the Press House in the port city of Odessa, where his newspaper’s editorial offices are located. Mr. Derevyanko was a veteran journalist who served 24 years as editor of Vechernya Odessa, a popular and influential newspaper which is published three times a week.

We are informed that his colleagues believe that Mr. Derevyanko’s killing is related to his editorial position and to his newspaper’s opposition to policies of Odessa Mayor, Eduard Gurvits, and that they have cited previous attacks on journalists working for Vechernya Odessa as evidence of their belief. On 31 March 1997 Vechernya Odessa journalist Vitali Chechik was hospitalized for several days after a man broke into his apartment, beat him, and warned him to stop criticising the local authorities. On 3 August 1995, Sergei Lebedev, another journalist with Vechernya Odessa known for his articles on sensitive political subjects, was shot and wounded by a gunman on a motorbike.

IPI, he global network of editors and media executives from newspapers, magazines, broadcasting organisations and news agencies in over 100 countries, shares the fear that Mr.
Derevyanko’s murder was related to his activities as a journalist. We welcome the fact that the chief regional prosecutor, Vasily Ivanov, has launched an official investigation, and urge that everything be done to ensure that those responsible for this heinous crime are brought to justice. We further urge that any findings with regard to his murder are disclosed.

We thank you for your attention.

Yours sincerely,

Johann P. Fritz
Director