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Alert

Journalist killed

(IPI/IFEX) - The following is an IPI letter to Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko:

H.E. Aleksandr Lukashenko
President
Office of the President
Minsk
Republic of Belarus

Fax: +375 17 222 35 03

Vienna, 21 October 2004

Your Excellency,

The International Press Institute (IPI), the global network of editors, media executives and leading journalists in over 120 countries, strongly condemns the murder of journalist Veronika Cherkasova.

According to information before IPI, Cherkasova, a journalist with the independent newspaper Solidarnost ("Solidarity") was stabbed to death on 20 October. Her body, which received almost 20 knife wounds in the attack, was found in her Minsk flat on the evening of 20 October. Cherkasova was on a trip to Myadelsky district and was to return to work on 20 October. When she did not come back to the office, colleagues and relatives contacted the police.

Police do not exclude the possibility of Cherkasova being killed for her work as a journalist, as she was collecting material for an article on the work of religious sects in Belarus.

Cherkasova is the fifth journalist to be physically attacked in Belarus this week. IPI is deeply concerned about the media situation in Belarus and urges Your Excellency to ensure that there is an immediate and thorough investigation into this murder and that those responsible are brought to justice. We further urge the Belarusian authorities to take all possible steps to stop the harassment of journalists and the alarming impunity that accompanies these crimes.

We thank you for your attention.

Yours sincerely,

Johann P. Fritz
Director