BBC News
July 17 2004

Moscow magazine editor murdered

The body of a Moscow magazine editor has been found dead on a city
ring road, Russian media reports.

Prosecutors are treating the death of Payl Peloyan, editor of
Armyanski Pereulok (Armenian Lane), as murder, according to RIA
Novosti news agency.

He was found with knife wounds to his chest and bruises on his face,
a police spokesperson was quoted as saying.

Earlier this month, editor of Russian Forbes magazine, Paul
Klebnikov, was shot dead in northern Moscow.

Mr Klebnikov was an outspoken critic of Russia’s oligarchs
Russian police said the body of Mr Peloyan was found at the side of
the MKAD highway encircling Moscow at 0700 (0300GMT) on Saturday.

They were reportedly not ruling out the possibility his death was
linked to his work at the Russian-language arts and literature
magazine serving the Armenian community.

On July 9, Mr Klebnikov – a US citizen – was shot four times as he
left his office in the north of the Russian capital.

He had been an outspoken critic of Russia’s wealthy oligarchs.

US-based Committee to Protect Journalists said Mr Klebnikov was the
15th journalist to be killed in connection with his work in Russia
since 2000.

The group called on President Vladimir Putin to address what it calls
the “climate of lawlessness and impunity” that has led to the
killings.