Russian version of GQ magazine has no article about investigation of explosions of apartment houses in Moscow and Buinaksk

The Russian version of the GQ magazine was published without the article "Vladimir Putin - Obscure Ascent to Power", which is present in its American version. The article by Scott Anderson deals with the investigation of terror acts in Russia in the end of 1990s and is based on the interview with Mikhail Trepashkin, a former agent of Russian special services, who told the American journalist about involvement of the FSB in the explosions of apartment houses in Moscow and Buinaksk.

Some researchers, in particular, Matthew Evangelista, Professor of the Cornwall University, consider these explosions and involvement of the FSB in them as one of the causes of the second Chechen War.

On July 23, Jerry Birentz, one of leading lawyers of the company "Conde Nast" - the publisher of the GQ sent a letter to the leaders of the media holding and GQ editors asking them not to disseminate the September issue of the American version of the magazine in Russia, as the BBC has reported. Besides, according to the BBC, the article was forbidden for placing in the website of the magazine, and for sending to Russia or rendering to Russian officials or journalists.

However, several days ago Scott Anderson's material appeared in the popular American blog gawker.com.

Western human rights activists and journalistic associations have suspected the media holding of censorship. "The fact that the GQ has 'buried' the article is an evidence of how broad the Kremlin's control is," said, in particular, Robert Amsterdam, a well-known blogger and ex-advocate of Mikhail Khodorkovsky, former head of YUKOS.

Mari Pearl, spokesperson of the Company "Conde Nast" has refused to give any comments. She has only stated that the company "takes into account the laws and problems of those countries, where the magazines of the publishing house are spread", writes the "NEWSru.com".

Let us note here that Nikolai Uskov, editor-in-chief of the GQ magazine, denies the fact that the top managers of the publishing house "Conde Nast" "had withdrawn" the article about Vladimir Putin from its Russian version.

"I don't understand how this article could be withdrawn from the issue, because I didn't put it there. All these stories about FSB are known for a long time; there was nothing sensational in them. Besides, in 2005 we took an interview from the ex-employee of the FSB Alexander Litvinenko, who said the same. I got no instructions from the USA; the American office has no influence on our editorial policy," said Mr Uskov in his interview to the "Kommersant" newspaper.

Earlier, the "Caucasian Knot" had reported that in July it became known about liquidation of a batch of the book by Alexander Litvinenko and Yuri Felshtinskiy "FSB Blows Up Russia", confiscated by the Investigatory Department of the FSB under the criminal case back in 2004.