"It is estimated that 21 journalists have been killed since Russian President Vladimir Putin came to power in March 2000. In the great majority of cases, no one has been convicted and sentenced for the murders," said the WAN Board in a resolution issued during the World Newspaper Congress and World Editors Forum in Cape Town, South Africa.

The resolution said:

"The Board of the World Association of Newspapers, meeting at the 60th World Newspaper Congress in Cape Town, South Africa, from 3 to 6 June 2007, calls for an end to the impunity enjoyed by those who order or carry out the execution of journalists in Russia.

"The brutal murder on 7 October 2006 of Novaya Gazeta journalist Anna Politkovskaya, known for her critical reporting on the conflict in Chechnya in which she sought to expose human rights abuses, was yet another reminder to Russian journalists that violence awaits those who investigate or criticise.

"It is estimated that 21 journalists have been killed since Russian President Vladimir Putin came to power in March 2000. In the great majority of cases, no one has been convicted and sentenced for the murders.

"WAN thus calls on the Russian authorities to investigate all acts of violence against journalists, to search for persons alleged to have committed, or to have ordered to be committed, a crime against journalists, and to bring such persons to justice. "

The Paris-based WAN, the global organisation for the newspaper industry, defends and promotes press freedom world-wide. It represents 18,000 newspapers; its membership includes 77 national newspaper associations, newspaper companies and individual newspaper executives in 102 countries, 12 news agencies and 10 regional and world-wide press groups.

Inquiries to: Larry Kilman, Director of Communications, WAN, 7 rue Geoffroy St Hilaire, 75005 Paris France. Tel: +33 1 47 42 85 00. Fax: +33 1 47 42 49 48. Mobile: +33 6 10 28 97 36. E-mail: lkilman@wan.asso.fr.