To the director of "Moskovskij Komsomolets" Mr. Pavel GUSEV

Moskovskij Komsomolets

Ul. 1905 Goda, 7

Moscow, Russia

tel. 007 095 2595036

fax 007 095 2594624

Rome, October 18, 1994

Dear Mr. Gusev,

Dear friends,

We are just shocked by the message from Moscow about the yesterday's explosion in the editor's office of your newspaper and about death of journalist Mr. Dmitrij Holodov.

Please accept our deep condolence and express it also to Mr. Holodov's colleagues, friends, and relatives.

Those who killed Dmitrij Holodov, whose articles including publications about illegal weapons' trade and plutonium affairs have troubled so many high-ranked officials in Russian Ministry of Defense, encroach not only on freedom of press, but also on grounds of democracy in your country.

Russia is still waiting for its own "Clean Hands Operation", similar to one that has caused the total revolution in Italian society last year. But in spite of the fact, that it seems to be much more difficult in your country, we are sure that your democratic newspaper and all the democratic forces in Russia will win this struggle.

And please, be sure in our solidarity.

Emma Bonino,

Secretary of Transnational Radical Party,

member of Italian Parliament