Statement by the YABLOKO party, 07.11.2014
The events which take place in connection with the situation with the Ekho Moskvy radio station give evidence that the state strengthens its repressive policy towards mass media.

The decision of head of the Gazprom Media board of directors Mikhail Lesin to dismiss a well-known radio reporter Alexandr Plyushchev is an unacceptable interference of the founder in the affairs of the editorial office. Lesin violated the law on mass media (Article 18:”The founder does not have the right to interfere in the activity if mass media) and the Ekho Moskvy charter which runs that the staff can be dismissed only with the permission of the editor-in-Chief.

Taking Alexandr Plyushchev’s inappropriate statements on his Twitter account into consideration, we are sure that it only should be a reason to try to change the editorial policy of the radio station.

We express support to the staff of the radio station and hope that the journalists will manage to stand for their independence.

Sergei Mitrokhin

YABLOKO Chairman

The Moscow Times:”The dismissal of Alexander Plyushchev followed a Twitter post in which the journalist commented on the drowning death this week of the 37-year-old son of Kremlin chief of staff Sergei Ivanov, referring to an incident in 2005 when Alexander Ivanov hit and killed a 68-year-old retiree with his car. Plyushchev questioned whether the “death of Ivanov’s son, who ran over an old lady and sued her son-in-law, is proof of the existence of God/higher justice.”