| 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". This Internet project was considered
the only independent Internet edition in Karelia. It was closed
owing to the refusal of Petrozavodsk State University to service
this web-site on a non-profit basis.
The proposal of the head of this Internet edition to draw up
a contract on financial relations with the Centre of Informational
Technologies of Petrozavodsk State University that provided technical
support to the web-site was rejected. Consequently, the well-known
political scientist from Karelia had to find new hosting for his
Internet media. Now the web-site of the Centre for Political and
Social Studies of Karelia has a new address Politika.Karelia.Ru,
as the University decided to preserve the previous domain name
for its own needs.
"I am sure that all this happened with the involvement of
the authorities of the republic [of Karelia]," said Anatoli
Tzigankov to the Regnum-NewsSpb.Ru correspondent. According to
Tzigankov, on the threshold of these events people from the government
of Karelia told him that Internet media would be closed down Anatoli
Tzigankov also expressed his surprise at the position of the Centre
of Informational Technologies of the Petrozavodsk State University
that, according to information at his disposal, receives considerable
financial support from the Soros Foundation. Tzigankov also noted
that these funds had been allotted [by Soros] not only to develop
the Internet, but also to develop democratic institutions in society.
The story of relationships between the web-site of the political
scientist from Karelia and the authorities of the Republic began
last year, when the head of the Republic of Karelia Sergei Katanandov
tried to refute one of the on-line publications by Anatoli Tzigankov
in Petrozavodsk Municipal Court. The political scientist managed
to prove that his judgements were true, but the trials did not
end here.
Some time later Tzigankov won again in another governor's suit
against Tzigankov in Petrozavodsk Municipal Court. However, the
barrister of the governor again pledged another appeal to the
Supreme Court of the Republic [of Karelia] According to the local
opposition representatives, the authorities of the republic will
use any methods available to eliminate different opinions in the
republic. The leaders of regional branches of the Union of Right-wing
Forces (SPS), YABLOKO and even LDPR expressed their solidarity
with the disfavoured media.
See also:
Freedom
of Speech and Media Law in Russia
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