asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will make representations to the Government of Russia to arrange fully independent inquiries into the deaths of the journalists Igor Domnikov, Yuri Shchekochikhin and Anna Politkovskaya. [HL633]

We have regular, open discussions on human rights with the Russian authorities. Media freedom and the situation facing human rights defenders have been recurrent themes during those discussions. We also support non-governmental organisations working to promote media freedom and journalist safety in Russia.

Increased risks to the security of journalists continue to undermine media freedom in Russia. As our annual report on human rights will say, Anna Politkovskaya's murder was a tragedy for freedom of speech in Russia. The murders of these reporters have brought renewed attention to the dangers faced by journalists in Russia. The Government continue to raise concerns including individual cases in bilateral, EU and Council of Europe contexts where appropriate, and to press the Russian authorities to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice.