AP itw with CJES and RSF after Uzbek journalist shot dead

Описание: (25 Oct 2007)
Moscow, Russia
1. Set-up of director of the Centre for Journalism in Extreme Situations (CJES), Oleg Panfilov
2. CJES website with still of journalist Alisher Saipov on left side of screen
3. Close-up of picture of Saipov on website
4. SOUNDBITE: (Russian) Oleg Panfilov, director of the Centre for Journalism in Extreme Situations (CJES):
"This newspaper became so popular that it started to annoy the government of Uzbekistan and Alisher received many threats recently from various people who said that this newspaper is annoying people, that people who live in Uzbekistan do not need this newspaper and that is why we always thought that Alisher lived in very inconvenient conditions and that he needed to be careful. That is why the only motive that comes to my mind is that it was a murder that is connected with his profession and that representatives of the Uzbekistan government ordered it."
5. Cutaway of poster showing Josef Stalin and Russian President, Vladimir Putin
6. SOUNDBITE: (Russian) Oleg Panfilov, director of the Centre for Journalism in Extreme Situations (CJES):
"Journalists are threatened in many ways, including through family relations. Murder is a last resort, but unfortunately they kill the best."
7. Framed picture of murdered Russian investigate reporter, Anna Politkovskaya
8. Wide of Panfilov
Paris, France
9. Tilt down from Reporters Without Borders (RSF) logo to people at computers
10. Set-up of member of RSF Europe and post-Soviet countries department, Elsa Vidal
11. Vidal looking at still photo of Saipov
12. Close-up of still of Saipov
13. SOUNDBITE: (English) Elsa Vidal, RSF Europe and post-Soviet countries department:
"Alisher Saipov is a prominent journalist who is known for his work about the way the Uzbek authorities are leading the country. He has a history of critical articles that he has written. He has also been attacked by a guard on the frontier, on the border, a few years ago because he had exposed corruption cases within the staff of the border patrol. He was also known to have contributed to many independent media in the region."
14. Pan from window to Vidal looking at map of Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan on computer
15. Close-up of map on computer screen
STORYLINE
A prominent independent journalist with close ties to the opposition in neighbouring tightly controlled Uzbekistan was shot to death in southern Kyrgyzstan on Wednesday, an official said.
An unknown gunman fired three shots at Alisher Saipov at close range as he was leaving his office in the city of Osh, Osh regional Governor Jantoro Satybaldiyev told The Associated Press.
Saipov died on the spot, he said.
The director of the Centre for Journalism in Extreme Conditions, who knew Saipov personally, told Associated Press Television in Moscow he believed the shooting was directly connected to Saipov's profession.
"We always thought that Alisher lived in very inconvenient conditions and that he needs to be careful. That is why the only motive that comes to my mind is that it was a murder that is connected with his profession and that representatives from the Uzbekistan government ordered it," Oleg Panfilov said.
Saipov, 26, was a founder of the Uzbek-language Siyosat, or Politics, newspaper that focused on political affairs in Uzbekistan.
"This newspaper became so popular that it started to annoy the government of Uzbekistan," Panfilov said.
Kyrgyzstan's Osh region borders Uzbekistan and has a large ethnic Uzbek population.
Karimov, who has been in power for 18 years, is expected to seek another seven-year term.

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