A well-known journalist in Daghestan was found shot dead today, RFE/RL's North Caucasus and Russian Services report.
Malik Akhmedilov, a leading correspondent for the daily newspaper "Hakikat" (The Truth) -- which is published in the Avar language -- was found dead in a car on the outskirts of Daghestan's capital, Makhachkala.
"Hakikat" Editor in Chief Ali Kamalov said he is confident that Akhmedilov's killing is connected with his professional activities.
Akhmedilov was also the editor in chief of the monthly "Sogratl" (Mountain Village), which focused on civic and political issues.
He had been recognized for his investigative articles about the unsolved assassinations of high-ranking officials in the volatile Russian republic.
Several journalists have been murdered in Daghestan in recent years, including in September when television moderator Telman Aleshayev was shot and killed.
In March 2008, two journalists were murdered in Daghestan, including a TV correspondent for Russian state television.