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November 5, 1999
His Excellency Boris Yeltsin
President of the Russian Federation
Via Fax: 011 7 095 206 5173 / 206 6277
Your Excellency,
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is gravely concerned by the death of
Supian Ependiyev, a veteran correspondent for the independent Chechnya weekly
Groznenskiy Rabochiy, in a recent rocket attack on the Chechen capital, Grozny
On the evening of October 27, several rockets hit a crowded outdoor market in
central Grozny. About an hour after the attack, Ependiyev went to the scene to
cover the carnage for his paper. As Ependiyev was leaving the site, a new round
of rockets fell about 200 meters from the bazaar. He suffered severe shrapnel
wounds, and died in a Grozny hospital the next morning.
In the past few weeks, heavy Russian artillery fire has forced Groznenskiy Rabochiy
to move its editorial operations to Nazran, in neighboring Ingushetia. The paper
is currently being distributed free of charge to thousands of Chechen refugees
now staying in Ingushetia.
Ependiyev was one of two correspondents who remained in Grozny to cover the
Russian military campaign against Islamist militants in Chechnya. Until his
death, the reporter had been making the dangerous trek between Grozny and Nazran
weekly to file stories.
As a nonpartisan organization of journalists dedicated to defending the rights
of our colleagues around the world, CPJ is greatly troubled by the apparent
Russian military disregard for the security of journalists covering the conflict
in Chechnya. In particular, we are alarmed by what seems to be a deliberate
strategy of targeting civilian areas. Such a strategy places journalists, who
are duty-bound to cover war casualties, at even graver risks in
conflict zones.
We urge you to uphold your international obligation to ensure that all
journalists in the northern Caucasus may practice their profession freely and
safely.
Thank you for your attention to these urgent matters. We await your comments.
Sincerely,
Ann K. Cooper
Executive Director
Join CPJ in
Protesting Attacks on the Press in Chechnya
Send a letter to:
His Excellency Boris Yeltsin
President of the Russian Federation
Via Fax: 011 7 095 206 5173 / 206 6277
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