National Press Club Wants Justice After Killing of Journalist in Ukraine

WASHINGTON, July 20, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Press Club urged Ukrainian authorities to swiftly solve Wednesday's murder of a prominent journalist in that country.

Pavel Sheremet, 44, was killed by a car bomb in Kiev as he prepared to head to the Vesti radio station, where he was to have anchored his morning talk show, according to news accounts.

Sheremet also worked for Ukrainska Pravda, the nation's top online news web site.

A possible motive for his killing was not immediately clear. He had irked authorities in his native Belarus and in Russia before coming to Ukraine in 2014 to work.

"In the former Soviet states, it is increasingly difficult to practice independent journalism," said Thomas Burr, president of the National Press Club. "The repressive tactics used against reporters are many and varied, and murder is sometimes one of them. Far too many of these killings go unsolved and unpunished. Sheremet's case must be different."

The National Press Club is the world's leading professional organization for journalists. Through its Press Freedom Committee, the Club works to promote freedom of expression and transparency at home and abroad. The National Press Club Journalism Institute, a non-profit affiliate, equips news professionals with the skills to innovate, leverages emerging trends, recognizes innovators and mentors the next generation.

Contact: John M. Donnelly, chairman, NPC Press Freedom Committee: 202 746 6020; [email protected].

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SOURCE National Press Club