Top Russian investigators say they guarantee to pursue 19 cases of murdered journalists presented to them by a delegation from the Committee to Protect Journalists.

The CPJ delegation led by CPJ Chairman Paul Steiger and board member Kati Marton met with the Chairman of the Investigative Committee Bastrykin and other investigators examining the cases.

CPJ representatives met with the Investigative Committee in September 2009 to discuss unsolved cases concerning Russian journalists. This year they returned for an update.

The investigator told CPJ delegation that Alkhazur Bashayev, alleged murderer of journalist Natalya Estemirova is alive. Authorities are trying to locate his whereabouts in Russia. Bastrykin also said he will find and arrest the suspected murderer of Anna Politkovskaya, who has fled in Europe.