NEW YORK As many as 24 journalists were killed while discharging their professional duties in 2000. This was reported on Thursday by the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists, which records every case when media workers were killed.

Included in the annual list of journalists, who were killed while discharging their duties, were only those cases which had been completely investigated. At present, the committee is looking into the cases of twenty more journalists, who were also killed in 2000.

The report notes that three journalists were killed in Russia last year. They include ITAR-TASS photo reporter Vladimir Yatsina, who was captured by Chechen bandits on July 19, 1999, and killed on February 20, and photo reporter of the Tyumen newspaper ****Our Time***** Alexander Yefremov, who was killed in Chechnya on May 12 when his car was blown up by Chechen militants.

Moreover, an attempt on the editor of the Special Projects Department of the newspaper *****Novaya Gazeta***** Igor Domnikov was committed in Moscow last May. He died of wounds on July 16 without regaining consciousness.

(IRNA)