murder Archives - Page 7 of 12 - Index on Censorship

Kyrgyzstan: journalist dies after brutal attack

A Kyrgyz opposition journalist, Gennady Pavlyuk has died in Kazakhstan today, nearly a week after he was thrown out of sixth-floor window with his hands and feet bound. He had been in a coma since the 16 December incident and died without regaining consciousness. Pavlyuk was a leading critic of Kyrgyzstan’s President Kurmanbek Bakiyev and officials in both countries said a criminal investigation had been opened. Kyrgyzstan has repeatedly come under attack for human rights violations after a series of deaths or beatings of opposition journalists in the country. Read more here

Suspect charged over Philippines massacre

A member of a powerful clan has been charged after the massacre of at least 57 people including journalists and politicians last week. Andal Ampatuan Jr, a mayor from lawless Maguindanao province, surrendered last week and has denied involvement. The government announced that the entire police force of his home province could be replaced because of its possible complicity in the killings. Those killed were trying to file nomination papers for a candidate challenging Mr Ampatuan in next year’s gubernatorial elections. Read more here

Russia: calls to investigate reporter’s death

Friends and colleagues have called for an investigation into the death of a Russian TV journalist, Olga Kotovskaya who plunged from the 14th storey of a building one day after winning a major legal case. She was a prominent journalist on Kaskad regional TV channel which broadcasts in the western enclave of Kaliningrad. The channel had a reputation for objective news reporting, live broadcasts, and studio guests who were sometimes critical of regional leaders. The death was originally considered to be suicide however Solomon Ginzburg a deputy in Kaliningrad’s regional parliament told the Guardian: “I have no doubt at all that this was a political killing.” Read more here

Croatia: Eight indicted over Pukanić murder

Investigations conducted in Croatia and Serbia have led to the indictment on 26 October of eight individuals accused of murdering Ivo Pukanić, the owner of political weekly Nacional. Sreten Jocić, a wealthy Serbian businessman indicted for two other murders, is the most prominent individual to be named. Pukanić, along with colleague Niko Franić, was killed by a car bomb in Zagreb on 23 October 2008.