RUSSIAN JOURNALIST KILLED, OR MAYBE HE JUST DIED

Ilya Zimin was found dead on Sunday in his apartment north of Moscow.

Last April he was beaten outside his apartment building. And maybe a more-severe version of the same thing happened over the weekend, but damned if we can figure it out from the news reports. The Russian Herald reports:

Prosecutors said he died after being severely beaten by unknown assailants. They said his death was not connected to his reporting work.

Before moving to Moscow in 2000, Zimin headed NTV's Far East bureau. He also worked for the TV6 and TVS television channels.

The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists has listed Russia among the world's 10 most-hazardous countries for reporters.

They don't know who beat Zimin, but they know it had nothing to do with his work. Mm-hmm.

Still, that's better than a report in the Moscow Times that is only clear for its contradictions:

A special correspondent for Russia's NTV television channel, Ilya Zimin, was killed Sunday in Moscow, the channel's press secretary said.

"We confirm that he tragically died," Maria Bezborodova said. She said no details of his death were immediately available.

A police source said the journalist's body had been found in his Moscow apartment. "According to preliminary reports, the body showed no visible wounds," the official said.

Tragically, and without visible wounds. Thank God it had nothing to do with his job.