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The
Changing Nature of Covering the News
The Moscow Times, September 7, 2004
As a class, information-sharing Duma deputies have
largely been pushed out. They were important because
their status as a federal official gave them access
to official information otherwise out of reach for
the public or the press. Now Putin has a largely rubber-stamp
parliament that rarely raises its voice.
Deputy
Head of the YABLOKO party Sergei Mitrokhin perceives
political motives behind the criminal case against
the former heads of the Noviye Izvestia newspaper
Ekho Moskvi, August 17, 2004
"We live de facto in a state governed by the
secret services. In the given situation, in view of
recent developments, in particular, the extremely
harsh sentence given to Igor Sutyagin, we cannot trust
any criminal trial against any politician or editor
of an independent media, or individual who expresses
views which differ from those of the authorities,"
noted Mitrokhin.
Russian
Journalism in Search of Professional Ethics
Moscow. (RIA Novosti political commentator Vladimir
Simonov), RIA Novosti, August 6, 2004
It seems that following the downfall of the Soviet
state, the Russian media community did a deal with
Mrs Corruption. And she is aggressively driving out
honest journalism as it tries to remain faithful to
ethical norms.
"Editor-in-Chief
Should Be Branded!" Deputies Decided to Re-Educate
Journalists
By Suzanna Farizova, Kommersant, August 3, 2004
The discussion of issues of journalists' ethics almost
developed into a brawl but the participants were able
to control themselves in time. The session resulted
in a recommendation to journalists that they step
up responsibility "within the creative collectives."
The
Russian Union of Journalists attacks Russian government's
record on media freedom
Ekho Moskvi, August 4, 2004
"Over the last four years, various officials,
starting from the top, have constantly said that journalists
are to blame for everything."
Russia's
State TV Is Mopping up Some Terminology
By Sergey Varshavchik, Nezavisimaya Gazeta, August
2, 2004
It is prohibited to pronounce during broadcasting
"Chechnya" (only "the Chechen republic")
and "Kadyrov" (should be pronounced only
"Akhmad-Khadzhi Kadyrov") and not "replacement
of benefits by money" but "monetised benefits",
and not "shahid" but a "shahid belt".
Viktoriya Arutyunova, Adviser to the Chairman of VGTRK
[All-Russia State Television and Radio Broadcasting
Company], commented on the situation for Nezavisimaya
Gazeta...
A
piquet of YABLOKO's youth organisation broken at Lubyanka
square
Gazeta.ru, July 27, 2004; 12:07
Within 30 seconds the militia detained 10 participants
of the action pushing them onto the ground and twisting
their hands. According to the leader of the movement
Ilya Yashin, the detained
activists were taken to the FSB office.
The militia also detained ten journalists and confiscated
films from their cameras.
It
is time for Putin to make up his mind
A complete version of Grigory Yavlinsky's article
published in an abbreviated version in "Forbes", No.
4, July 2004
If you open the newspapers, what are the economic
topics in the headings? Tax problems, social privileges,
GNP rates. However, everybody knows that you can improve
the tax system indefinitely, develop new forms of
mortgages and "mop up" banks, but all other
measures are pointless until you resolve once and
for all, clearly and unequivocally property issues.
A political and legal estimate of privatisation in
the mid-1990s is the main economic issue today. President
Putin should finally make up his mind. Otherwise nothing
will be achieved.
Boris
Berezovsky: I Prefer Nabokov to Klebnikov
An interview with Boris Berezovsky by Yefim Barban,
MN staff writer, MosNews, July 16, 2004
"To be more specific, the murder was the result
of a redistribution of property which is always fraught
with a growing crime rate. Klebnikov wanted, in his
own manner and quite professionally, I believe, to
look into the developments going on in Russia. Of
course, those who initiated the redistribution of
property were not happy about it."
Commentary:
A Possible Link Between The Klebnikov And Shchekochikhin
Murders?
By Andrei Piontkovsky, The Jamestown Foundation -
Eurasia Daily Monitor, July 17, 2004
In the months before his death, Shchekochikhin was
deep into an investigation of the furniture-store
chain Tri Kita (Three Whales), which he revealed to
be controlled by Russian security officials. High-ranking
Federal Security Service (FSB) generals used the chain
to launder tens of millions of dollars, and their
activities extended to the now infamous Bank of New
York, which has been implicated in other schemes.
Klebnikov launched the Russian edition of Forbes magazine
with a sensational debut issue featuring the "100
richest people in Russia." This was actually
a rather dry reiteration of the biographies of the
owners of Russia. However, it dealt a potentially
fatal blow to the myth widely held both in Russia
and the West that Putin's reign has been characterized
by the Kremlin's struggle against Russian's oligarchic
capitalism.
Letter
to foreign journalists working in Russia
Grigory Yavlinsky, www.yavlinsky.ru, July 15, 2004
Paul Khlebnikov was a fearless man. He loved Russia
and believed in its bright and fair future. However,
he mistakenly believed that this future had already
arrived. Please accept my deep condolences concerning
the death of your comrade.
Journalist
Watchdog Urges Putin to Investigate Klebnikov Murder
MosNews, July 16, 2004
"This culture of impunity sends a shocking message
to the world about your indifference to press freedom,
and reassures those who use violence to silence their
critics that they can literally get away with murder,"
Executive Director Ann Cooper said in her letter to
Putin.
No
Unauthorized Access
MosNews, July 13, 2004
Paul Klebnikov worked in a field where access is out
of the question for his Russian colleagues. In the
form of journalistic investigations he presented to
the outer world unofficial data on the relationship
between major Russian businesses and the authorities,
on the actual procedures in accordance with which
property is re-distributed and big money is made in
the country. In other words, he was breaking taboos.
A
Victim of the Rule of Lawlessness
Editorial, The Moscow Times, July 13, 2004
Perhaps we have become too used to the idea that businessmen
need bodyguards, and that those who step on the toes
of business interests, be they government officials
or journalists, are occasionally gunned down in the
streets.
Klebnikov
Case Given High Priority
By Valeria Korchagina, The Moscow Times, July 13,
2004
"Paul Klebnikov's background and interests ideally
suited him to the task of explaining Russia to Americans
and vice versa," the statement said. "He
was a person who tried to take the best American values
-- fair play, equality and openness -- and apply them
in Russia, a country that he loved."
American
editor of Russian Forbes magazine killed
Gazeta.ru, July 12, 2004
Paul Khlebnikov, 41, had walked out of his office
late on Friday in northeastern Moscow when a car pulled
up and several shots were fired. He died on his way
to hospital.
Investigators
Find Gunmen's Vehicle
By Carl Schreck, The Moscow Times, July 12, 2004
Investigators said they have recovered the car from
which Forbes Russia editor Paul Klebnikov was shot
and killed Friday night, but there was no word that
any suspects had been detained as of Sunday evening.
Forbes
Editor Klebnikov Shot Dead
By Valeria Korchagina, The Moscow Times, July 12,
2004
In the first high-profile murder of a Western journalist
in Russia, Paul Klebnikov, the American editor of
the new Russian edition of Forbes magazine who for
years has relentlessly investigated the dealings of
Russia's rich and powerful, was shot dead after leaving
work Friday evening.
All
Eyes on What May Be Shuster's Last Show
By Caroline McGregor, The Moscow Times, July 9, 2004
"Svoboda Slova," one of NTV's most popular
programs and the only political talk show on Russian
television that is broadcast live, will air at 7:35
p.m. Friday in what is widely expected to be its final
show.
NTV
to Abandon 'Freedom of Speech'
By Caroline McGregor, The Moscow Times, July 8, 2004
"Svoboda Slova," or "Freedom of Speech," is perhaps
the only remaining program on Russian television that
promotes political debate and allows more or less
unrestricted criticism of the Kremlin.
Russian
Saint
By Alexander Osipovich, The Moscow Times, July 2,
2004
"But this wasn't noticeable, because, as Andrei
Voznesensky formulates it so precisely, he was a Russian
saint: drinking, slovenly, jovial, with a broken destiny
and without the slightest hint of a halo."
Cracking
Down on the Web
By Boris Kagarlitsky, Moscow Times, June 11, 2004
The Internet has long been a headache for those that
wish to uphold public decency. Controlling the enormous
flow of information on the net, chopping, spiking
or "correcting" the innumerable texts and
images lodged on the web is surely the dream of any
censor.
Griogry
Yavlinsky: All the bright journalists have been shut
up in Russia
Rosbalt, June 8, 2004
Yavlinsky is certain that the authorities should be
criticised, “but there should be no insulting.”
“And in general one should not insult any one,
either the authorities, the public or people in jail,”
noted Yavlinsky.
The
Skinny on Campaign Election Coverage
By Alexei Pankin, The Moscow Times, June 8, 2004
In May and June 1996, I served as coordinator of a
program devoted to monitoring press coverage of the
presidential election... ...After the first week of
monitoring, our observers released a report demonstrating
that all of the major television stations, both state-owned
and independent, were actively promoting the incumbent
Boris Yeltsin and giving short shrift to his rivals,
including Yabloko leader Grigory Yavlinsky.
The
TV Might as Well Stay Switched off
By Ilya Zhegulyov, Gazeta.ru, June 2, 2004
NTV's move to sack Leonid Parfyonov and close his
flagship weekly Namedni review program is politically
motivated, Russian politicians, political observers
and human rights champions are convinced. Some of
them interviewed by Gazeta.Ru believe that with Parfyonov's
departure the NTV team of journalists is likely to
fall apart.
The
Media and Terrorism
By Alexander Alekseev, Rosbalt Information Agency,
Translated by David M. Rosbalt, June 6, 2004
It is often said the mass media plays into the hands
of terrorists, covering in detail their acts of terrorism.
On the other hand, informational limitations can turn
into a complete absence of reliable information and
a loss of the media's independence.
NTV
Sends Parfyonov Packing
By Caroline McGregor, The Moscow Times, June 3, 2004
Parfyonov was fired for breaking his contract, which
required him to "support the policies of the
company's leadership," according to the statement
signed by NTV general director Nikolai Senkevich.
NTV
fires anchorman Parfyonov over censorship row
Gazeta.ru, June 2, 2004
The move comes just one day after Parfyonov aired
an interview with the widow of a former Chechen rebel
leader Zelimkhan Yandarbiyev, violating orders from
the channel's management. Russian Special Forces had
reportedly ordered NTV's deputy director Alexander
Gerasimov not to air the interview, Russian media
reported.
Russia
- 2004 Annual report
Reporters Without Borders, The 2003 Global Press Freedom
World Tour
Russia saw a further deterioration in press freedom
in 2003. The authorities exploited the public media
during legislative elections and obstructed free coverage
of the campaign to guarantee victory, particularly
in some republics in the Caucuses. A journalist was
kidnapped in Chechnya and another was sentenced to
a prison term for defamation.
Russian
Journalists: "Inner Slave" Restricting Press Freedom
MosNews.com, April 29, 2004
The U.S.-based human rights organization Freedom Watch
released a study document on the decline in press
freedom in many countries including Russia in 2003.
According to the study, after being downgraded from
Partly Free to Not be Free in 2002, Russia continued
on its course of restricting press freedoms.
Ombudsman
Will Help the Novoye Vremya Magazine
Korpunkt.ru, March 25, 2004
"I aim to do all I can to ensure that this magazine
which is the face of Moscow is published again."
The
State and Television
By Yevgeni Kiselyov, Editor-in-Chief of Moskovskiye
Novosti (Moscow News) weekly, MosNews.com, April 16,
2004
Three years ago, when many of my friends and I said
that developments at NTV represented the start of
an attack on democratic rights and freedoms, including
freedom of the press, nobody believed us. We were
mocked, sometimes very crudely and cynically.
I
Am Back Where I Belong
By Yevgenia Albats, The Moscow Times, April 12, 2004
The State Duma has given initial approval to a bill
that would severely restrict the right of assembly.
Shortly after the Duma vote, the Moscow city government
denied the Yabloko party a permit for a May Day demonstration
in downtown Moscow. And finally, the Moscow City Court
convicted arms control researcher Igor Sutyagin of
treason and sentenced him to 15 years in prison.
Duma
Rethinks Ban on Protests
By Caroline McGregor, The Moscow Times, April 5, 2004
In the wake of "serious social resonance,"
the State Duma's United Russia majority backpedaled
from outright support of a bill banning rallies in
many public places Friday, just two days after voting
in favor of it.
"YABLOKO"
Supporters Stage a Picket by the Duma
RIA "Novosti", March 31, 2004
Picketers were protesting against the draft law on
rallies, meetings, demonstrations, processions and
pickets, which the Duma will discuss in the first
reading.
Russian
Bill Curbing Mass Rallies Gains
By David Holley, Los Angeles Times, April 1, 2004
In a move that could push protests largely out of
the public eye, Russia's lower house of parliament
gave preliminary approval Wednesday to a law that
would ban demonstrations from a wide range of places,
including areas close to highways, government buildings
and diplomatic missions.
Are
Meetings a Thing of the Past?
Aleksei Levchenko, Rosbalt. Translated by Alex Anderson,
Rosbalt, April 1, 2004
The Duma has adopted a very interesting new law. Deputies
have decided to severely regulate public meetings,
marches and pickets. After carefully reading it, critics
of the new legislation have concluded that the right
to hold any mass meeting will now be in question.
Duma
Bill Sharply Restricts Rallies
By Caroline McGregor, The Moscow Times, April 1, 2004
As the United Russia majority in the State Duma gave
preliminary approval to a bill outlawing protests
near government buildings Wednesday, pro-democracy
activists staged a rally outside the Duma's main entrance
to insist on their right to do just that.
Yabloko
Demonstrates Against Restrictions to Freedom of Assembly
MosNews, March 31, 2004
Activists of the Russian liberal party Yabloko held
a protest rally near the building of the State Duma
on Wednesday morning.
Demonstrations
near Embassies to be prohibited in Russia
pravda.ru, March 31, 2004
Demonstrations are addressed to the authorities. How
will the authorities know about popular protests,
if the demonstrations are held in residential areas?
Yabloko
Accuses Government of Violating Constitution
Rosbalt, March 31, 2004
Yabloko says the government's new legislation on limiting
public demonstrations violates the foundation of Russia's
constitution and is aimed at eliminating civil rights
which are guaranteed by Article 31 of the constitution.
A"managed
democracy" does not need free media they are only
a hindrance
By Viktor
Sheinis
Kreml.org, March
14, 2004
The problem is that "managed democracy" does
not need free media, they are only a hindrance. That
is why a policy of stifling the free mass media has
been adopted. In the present situation among television
channels, and to a lesser degree radio and newspapers,
only those controlled by the authorities are really
functioning. We witnessed the demolition of two independent
television companies, one by one.
Deadly
costs of journalism
By Seamus Martin, Baltimore Sun, December 15, 2003
While conspiracy theories abound in Russia, it is
not difficult to understand the suspicions about Shchekochikhin's
death. Strange things have happened to journalists
from Novaya Gazeta and members and supporters of Yabloko.
Television
Newscasts Give Kremlin a Boost
By Anna Dolgov, The Moscow Times, December 5, 2003
President Vladimir Putin has said on a number of occasions
that he would like to see United Russia win the Duma
elections, and praised the party again in a lengthy
interview that aired on all three main channels last
Friday.
Are
Mass Media Free in Russia?
By Vitali Tretyakov, Rossiyskaya Gazeta, November
19, 2003
First of all we need to specify one of the key notions
- the matter under discussion here concerns freedom
of the press (freedom to relate various facts and
opinions in the media) and not freedom of speech.
Russian
journalists to list would-be MPs according to their
stance on media freedom
Rossiyskaya Gazeta, November 12, 2003
A long-forgotten word from the Soviet era was revived
yesterday: nakaz or "wish list".
Wealth:
wild card in Russian election
By Fred Weir, Christian Science Monitor, November
13, 2003
"Previously hidden conflicts have emerged into
the open, and now there is a real issue to fight the
election on: Will Russia slide back into a police
state or turn decisively toward the European model
of democracy and human rights."
Court
Frees Up Election Coverage
By Caroline McGregor, The Moscow Times, October 31,
2003
The Constitutional Court on Thursday ruled as unconstitutional
one part of the law that restricts media coverage
of election campaigns, and in doing so, gave journalists
more room to do their jobs, critics of the law said.
Constitutional
Court To Decide Freedom of Speech Issue
By Dmitry Chirkin, pravda.ru, October 17, 2003
The founder of scientific socialism used to say: "History
repeats itself twice: first as a tragedy, and then
as farce." For the sixth or 56th time, history
repeats itself as unbelievable marasm.
Live
TV debates cause first election scuffle
By Ksenia Solyanskaya, Gazeta.ru, October 17, 2003
On Friday, the State Duma’s deputies are to
review the draft address to the management of two
leading state-run television networks, Channel One,
and Rossia, with the request to broadcast election
debates live.
Russia:
Constitutional Court Hears First Cases On Controversial
New Media Law
By Sophie Lambroschini, Radio Liberty/Radio Free Europe,
October 15, 2003
In a surprise decision, Russia's Constitutional Court
has agreed to hear four different appeals against
the new legislation brought by three journalists and
more than 100 State Duma deputies.
Courageous
Pen
Transcript by Nadezhda Prusenkova, Novaya Gazeta,
October 13, 2003
The more principles a person has in life, the more
obstacles and problems there are in his life and the
more strength he needs not to break down.
Stick
Without a Carrot
By Daria Gusyeva and Maksim Balutenko, Vremya Novostei,
October 2, 2003
The Monitoring Council for the election campaign is
not functioning yet, but some political parties are
on the verge of recalling their representatives from
this structure.
Russian
media warned under strict new law
By Nick Paton Walsh, The Guardian (UK), October 2,
2003
The weekly magazines Kommersant Vlast and Tverskaya
13 were both served with warnings this week after
they published articles about the Moscow mayoral election.
United
Russia Conquers the Air
By Anna Dolgov, The Moscow Times, September 24, 2003
The pro-Kremlin United Russia party is getting by
far the widest and most favorable coverage on all
the major television channels ahead of parliamentary
elections, monitoring conducted by The Moscow Times
over the past week indicates.
100
Deputies Challenge Media Restrictions
By Francesca Mereu, The Moscow Times, September 24,
2003
"We think that they are against the Russian Constitution,
which guarantees freedom in spreading information,"
deputy SPS leader Alexander Barannikov said Tuesday.
Can
Media Cover the Elections?
Editorial, The Moscow Times, September 12, 2003
Presumably, the Kremlin did not shepherd the new legislation
through parliament in order for it to trip up the
president or silence two of the Kremlin's most important
propaganda organs.
'Meet
the press' in Russia meets the new censor
By Fred Weir, Christian Science Monitor, September
16, 2003
It smacks strongly of Soviet times - except that today's
censors are not Communist Party hacks planted in editorial
offices, but the managers of media outlets themselves.
Press
freedom list: Russia ranked 121st out of 139
rbc.ru, September 10, 2003
North Korea is at the bottom of the list, as the country
with least press freedom, and China is ranked 138th.
The United States, which always boasts about its democratic
traditions, ranks 17th.
Putin
puts 'Soviet' bar on poll coverage
Nick Paton Walsh in Moscow, Guardian Unlimited, September
9, 2003
The Kremlin has introduced a draconian election law
which threatens the media with closure if they give
details of candidates' personal lives or analyse their
policies.
Media
law changes provoke concern about press freedom
BBC Monitoring, August 8, 2003
Many in the media and political establishment view
the changes as a rollback of a decade of media freedoms
and a threat to free speech and free elections, particularly
in the regions.
Press
Ministry Pulls the Plug on TVS
By Anna Dolgov, The Moscow Times, June 23, 2003
TVS was the last private national channel, and its
closure gives the Kremlin a monopoly on the airwaves
ahead of December's parliamentary elections and the
March presidential vote.
Silence
of the Lambs
Vremya MN, June 19, 2003
In other words, the majority of the lower house voted
to remove citizens of Russia and the media from the
election process. No more free and democratic elections
in Russia.
Special
Regime for Media
By Olga Redichkina and Alexei Redichkin, Gazeta, June
16, 2003
...according to the amendments, any media outlet -
print or electronic media - can be shut down during
an election campaign if the court finds it guilty
of violating electoral legislation twice. The draft
law contained no list of violations, thereby leaving
it up to the court to decide each case "on the
spot" every time.
To
the 50th Anniversary of Radio Free Europe - Radio
Liberty
Address by Grigory Yavlinsky to the conference devoted
to the 50th Anniversary of Radio Free Europe - Radio
Liberty conducted in Prague, on June 6, 2003
It would not be an overstatement to say that RFE/RL
is the most reliable source of objective political
information about world events and, even more importantly,
Russian politics.
Russian
journalists pessimistic about media developments in
the country
TVS television channel, May 16, 2003
The vulnerability of journalists as well as of other
owners of media agencies that critcise the authorities
was identified as the main problem at the congress
today.
Veshnyakov:
Freedom of Speech in a Labyrinth
Interview with Chairman of the Central Electoral Commission
Alexander Veshnyakov By Anna Feofilaktova, Moskovsky
Komsomolets, April 25, 2003
Russia's journalists are in a panic: fairly soon,
the sight of newspapers or televisions being shut
down could become commonplace. The Central Electoral
Commission (CEC), the Media Ministry and finally the
courts would merely have to decide whether journalists
were not objective in their coverage of a certain
presidential or parliamentary candidate or were praising
another candidate too much.
A
Nightmare for Journalists
By Marina Ozerova and Liuba Shariy, Moskovsky Komsomolets,
March 28, 2003
Sure, one may say: don't break the rules, and everything
will be okay. Yet our laws are written to permit two
or three possible interpretation of their meaning.
Meanwhile, unfortunately, one cannot rely on the Russian
courts as the most humane and independent courts in
the world.
Duma
Eyes Election Violations
By Nabi Abdullaev, The Moscow Times, March 26, 2003
With parliamentary and presidential elections looming,
the State Duma passed in the first reading Friday
a raft of amendments that toughen penalties for electoral
violations by individuals and the media.
Duma
to silence mass media before elections
By Marina Sokolovskaya, Natalia Rostova, gazeta.ru,
March 24, 2003
The State Duma has given initial approval to a presidential
draft law that makes amendments to legislation governing
the activity of media outlets during election campaigns.
The deputies, however, have ignored the concerns expressed
by the media over the draft law.
Russia
Fares Badly in Press Freedom Rankings
Rosbalt, March 17, 2003
Finland, Iceland, Norway and the Netherlands are the
countries with the highest levels of press freedom.
This conclusion was reached by the Reporters sans
Frontieres (Reporters without Frontiers) charity,
which today published a press freedom index on its
website.
The
Internet-press to be closed in Karelia
"Web-planeta", February 27, 2003
Head of the Centre for Political and Social Studies
of Karelia Anatoli Tzigankov said that the closing
on February 12, 2002, of the web-site Politika.Karelia.Ru
represents "fight against independent opinions".
YABLOKO:
freedom of speech in Russia's media is shrinking like
shagreen leather
Rosbalt, February 25, 2003
The Russian Democratic Party YABLOKO considers protection
of freedom of speech a political priority and a key
task for all democratic forces and therefore calls
on all democratic forces in the country to unite,
in order to oppose further attacks on freedom of speech.
Media
freedom under threat, states Russian opposition party
Interfax, February 25, 2003
Moscow, 25 February: The Russian democratic party
Yabloko has said that "The freedom of the media
in Russia is in danger".
Open Letter, January 16, 2003
Most
respected Mr. President,
We are concerned about developments in the Republic
of Belarus concerning Russian media. Broadcasts of
Mayak (Ed. "Beacon"), Yunost (Ed. "Youth"),
and Golos Rossii (Ed. "Voice of Russia")
that have for many years constituted a key source
of information for the citizens of Belarus, have been
closed.
Putin
Vetoes Media Curbs
The Moscow Times, By Andrei Zolotov Jr., November
26, 2002.
Meeting with a select group of media managers, President
Vladimir Putin announced Monday evening that he had
heeded their plea and vetoed the restrictive amendments
to the laws on media and terrorism.
Putin
Urged to Reject Law Amendments
Assoicated Press, By Eric Engleman, November 20, 2002
MOSCOW (AP) - Russia's leading news organizations,
including state television, urged President Vladimir
Putin on Wednesday to reject tough new restrictions
on terrorism coverage adopted by parliament following
the Moscow theater siege.
Free-speech
advocates urge Putin not to sign anti-terrorism legislation
that limits media's rights
Associated Press, By Sarah Karush, November 14, 2002
MOSCOW - Anti-terrorism legislation passed
by Russia's upper house of parliament this week threatens
to unravel Russia's fragile democracy if it is signed
into law, liberal lawmakers and free speech advocates
said Thursday.
Russia's
upper house of parliament approves restrictive media
amendments
Associated Press, By Steve Gutterman, November 13,
2002
MOSCOW - Russia's upper house of parliament on Wednesday
approved new amendments to the media law, paving the
way for presidential approval of legislation that
would severely curb news coverage of anti-terrorist
operations and prohibit the media from carrying rebel
statements.
Putin
Was Advised to Pardon the Press
Nezavisimaya Gazeta, By Lidia Andrusenko and Ivan
Rodin, November 21, 2002
Next week Vladimir Putin must sign amendments to the
law on the media passed by the Duma and approved by
the Federation Council. Or veto this bill which, corrected
by the deputies and senators, imposes considerable
restraints on a journalist’s freedom of speech.
The President has to make a difficult choice: either
to appear before the public (especially Western) as
the head of state who actually introduced censorship
in the country, or remain a democrat in spite of everything...
YABLOKO
holds demonstration near the Federation Council
Gazeta.ru, November 13, 2002
Existing economic mechanisms only achieve the very
narrow goal of maintaining the present The The Moscow
police breaks up small demonstration by YABLOKO activists
against the amendments to the law on the mass media.
Paper
Survives Threats, Murder, Success
 The
Moscow Times, By Natalia Yefimova, November 14, 2002
ELISTA, Kalmykia -- For a tiny opposition newspaper
in an autocratic republic, Sovietskaya Kalmykia Segodnya
has survived a great deal: a shutout by local printers
and distributors, threats, arson and, most harrowing
of all, the brutal murder in 1998 of editor Larisa
Yudina.
Russian
media. Opposition voice concern over reporting restrictions
AFP, November 13, 2002
Russian media and opposition members voiced concern
Wednesday after the upper house approved a controversial
amendment on media laws that would severely restrict
the freedom of the press to cover anti-terrorist operations.
Russian
Lawmakers OK Media Limits
Associated Press, By Steve Gutterman, November 13,
2002
MOSCOW (AP) - Russian lawmakers approved media law
amendments Wednesday that critics charge would severely
curb coverage of anti-terrorist operations and prohibit
news outlets from carrying rebel statements. Presidential
approval is still needed to make the changes law.
Duma
Votes to Limit News Coverage
The Moscow Times, By Natalia Yefimova, November 4,
2002
MOSCOW, Sept. 27 - Energy executives and government
officials from Russia and the United States will meet
in Houston next week to discuss energy cooperation
at a time when concerns FSB officers taking away a
computer Friday from the office of Versia, which was
preparing an account of the hostage crisis.
Mystery
Proposal Could Subjugate Minatom to Three Government
Bodies Lawmakers say report had president`s "full
attention"
Bellona Group, Norway. By Charles Digges. 30 July
2002
MOSCOW - Russian President Vladimir Putin is considering
a document delivered to him by Yabloko Party leader
Grigory Yavlinsky, outlining a plan that would subjugate
the monolithic Nuclear Power Ministry, or Minatom,
to three government bodies, stripping away the Stalinesque
opacity that helped drive the arms race and continues
to shroud its civilian pursuits in secrecy.
Yavlinsky
Wins Suit Against St. Petersburg Paper
Radio Liberty. Media Matters. 23 August, 2002.
Russian
author refuses to answer police questions in pornography
case that has raised fears of censorship
Associated Press, By ERIC ENGLEMAN, July 29, 2002
MOSCOW - An iconoclastic Russian writer
under investigation for disseminating pornography
in his novel that depicts sexual contact between Soviet
leaders Josef Stalin and Nikita Khrushchev refused
to answer police questions Monday and called the investigation
of his writings absurd.
Lawmakers
Present A Liberal Media Bill
By Andrei Zolotov Jr. The Moscow Times, July 5, 2002.
A group of influential lawmakers announced Thursday
that it has drafted a new mass media law that aims
to discourage the government from owning media outlets
and introduce a European-style concept of public media.
12,000
Altai Teachers Protest
The Moscow Times, May 29, 2002
About 12,000 teachers in the Altai
region kicked off a nationwide campaign Tuesday for
education reform and higher wages, Interfax reported.
Teachers unions in the western Siberian region are
collecting signatures through Saturday for a petition
to President Vladimir Putin. Other regions will join
the drive, Interfax said.
Statement
on the trial against Novaya Gazeta newspaper
All-Russia Democratic Assembly and
the Guild of Court Reporters. April 8, 2002
Russian politics for an outsider looks
like a panopticum, where you can see all types of
monsters. There are monsters that can devour a whole
economic sector in an instant, people who like weather-vanes
start rotating speedily at the smallest breeze Basmanny
Intermunicipal Court in Moscow adopted two unprecedented
decisions, obliging the editing house of Novaya Gazeta
to pay compensation for moral damage of THIRTY and
FIFTEEN MILLION ROUBLES. Clearly, if these decisions
come into force, the readers will never see Novaya
Gazeta again
Novaya
Gazeta Could Get a Reduced Fine
The Moscow Times, April 9, 2002
Novaya Gazeta appears to have reached
a compromise with the Krasnodar judge who won an unprecedented
$1 million libel suit that threatened to bankrupt
the newspaper. Novaya Gazeta representatives and Judge
Alexander Chernov, who had sued the newspaper for
defamation, met Friday and agreed that Chernov would
write to a higher court asking that the amount of
fine be cut "to a reasonable level," while
the newspaper would acknowledge errors in its reporting.
Grigory
Yavlinsky: Beginning of broadcasting of Radio Liberty
in Chechen is "not very tactful" towards
Russia
Ekho Moskvi radio station, April
4, 2002
The decision of Radio Liberty to start
broadcasting in Chechen is "not very tactful
towards Russia, considering the present relationships
between Russia and the USA, as well as the acute situation
in the Northern Caucasus." This opinion was expressed
by the leader of the YABLOKO faction in the State
Duma of the RF Grigory Yavlinsky in an interview with
the Ekho Moskvi radio station.
Lawmakers
reshuffle committee posts, forcing Communist Party
to lose top positions
Associated Press, April 4, 2002
MOSCOW - The Russian government
lashed out Thursday at U.S.-funded Radio Liberty,
saying its first broadcasts to the North Caucasus
region were biased in favor of Chechen rebels.
Grigory
Yavlinsky: federal mass media in Russia subject to
political censorship
Rosbalt, March 26, 2002
Pskov, March 25. “People who don’t
enjoy freedom of information cannot create a compatible
21st century economy,” stated the leader of YABLOKO
Grigory Yavlinsky in his comments on freedom of speech
in Russia for journalists in Pskov.
Accepting the Inevitable
Vremya Novostei, January 14, 2002
Not surprisingly, there is some weariness in politicians’
comments about TV6 – most were used during the recent
conflict around NTV. These two stories have a lot
in common - the same team headed by the same leader,
Yevgeni Kiselev, faces the same situation again.
Television:
Yes-Yes-No-Yes
Grigory Yavlinsky, Novaya Gazeta, February
18, 2002
Recently television has been transformed into a powerful
instrument used to manipulate public opinion. This
began approximately in 1993, after the unforgettable
referendum "Yes-Yes-No-Yes" and the events
by the White House (Ed. shooting of parliament). By
1996 television had already been transformed into
a weapon exploited by Boris Yeltsin to ensure election
for a second term of office.
Grigory Yavlinsky proposes the creation
of a public television channel financed and controlled
by society
Polit.ru, February 19, 2002
The Yabloko faction will soon submit to the State
Duma a law on public television. This was announced
by the leader of the Yabloko party and its faction
in the State Duma Grigory Yavlinsky in an interview
with the "Geroi Dnya" (Hero of the Day)
programme of NTV channel.
Interview - Russian Opposition
Leader Says No Free Speech
By Neil Chatterjee,
Reuters, February 12, 2002
LONDON, Feb 12 (Reuters)
- The leader of Russia's liberal opposition, Grigory
Yavlinsky, says political freedom of speech in the
country is dead following last month's closure of
its only independent nationwide television station.
"Freedom of speech is finished -- in a political
sense," Yavlinsky told Reuters in an interview
on Monday.
Bush concerned about shutdown
of TV6
Associated Press,
January 25, 2002
WASHINGTON - The shutdown of independent Moscow station
TV6 is a continuing concern for President George W.
Bush, the White House said Thursday.
Everyone Has the Right
Vremya Novostei,
January 24, 2002
No one should have a monopoly over the airwaves; and
even ownership rights may be restricted to ensure
that this is the case. This was the considered conclusion
of the Union of Right-WIng Forces (SPS) faction of
the Duma, which has discussed the conflict over TV-6.
The SPS leader Boris Nemtsov even has a formula for
demonopolizing the media industry - which he has already
shared with President Vladimir Putin.
Media Freedom Discussed in Russia
Associated
Press, January 14, 2002
MOSCOW (AP) - Russia's
top broadcasting official said Monday that his office
is working on bidding procedures for the broadcast
license held by TV6, the independent TV station that
lost a legal battle to prevent its closure.
Oil Co. Wants to Buy TV Rights
By ANGELA
CHARLTON, Associated Press Writer, January 12, 2002
MOSCOW (AP) - After persuading a court to shut down
Russia's largest independent television network, a
subsidiary of the country's biggest oil company said
Saturday it wants to buy the channel's broadcasting
rights.
Russian TV Station Ordered to Close
Associated
Press, January 11, 2002
MOSCOW (AP) - A court ordered the closure of the last
national television network outside the government's
control Friday - a decision prompting concern about
media freedom in Russia.
A Tale of 2 Liberal Parties and
2 Contests
By Andrei Zolotov Jr.,
The Moscow Times, October 25, 2001,
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