Report: Press Freedom Declines in Russia
“The nongovernmental organizations Freedom House and the Committee to Protect Journalists have criticized Russia as among the worst countries in the world in terms of press freedoms in reports released to coincide with the annual World Press Freedom Day. Freedom House ranked Russia 165 out of 195 countries on its press freedom scale, accusing the government of continuing to restrict access to independent media. The Committee to Protect Journalists criticized a newly amended law, which, it said, equated critical statements with extremism.”
We wonder if that last point included the very latest plan to revise the infamous extremism law promulgated last summer. The current “enhancement” is to eliminate the need for a court hearing to decide whether or not the statements in question constitute extremism, letting the prosecutor initiate criminal charges directly.
The Freedom House report places Russia’s press freedom together with Azerbaijan, right below Venezuela and Togo and right above Brunei and Swaziland, all deep into the “not free” point designation. The draft report section on Russia includes the following comments:
Media freedom was further curtailed in 2006 as President Vladimir Putin’s government passed legislation restricting news reporting and journalists were subjected to physical violence and intimidation. Although the Russian constitution provides for freedom of speech and of the press, authorities are able to use the legislative and judicial systems to harass and prosecute independent journalists. . . .
Despite public objections, Russia’s parliament also passed amendments to the Law on Fighting Extremist Activity, which Putin then signed in July. The measure expanded the definition of extremism to include media criticism of public officials, and authorized up to three years’ imprisonment for journalists as well as the suspension or closure of their publications if they were convicted. . . .
Authorities continued to exert influence on media outlets and determine news content in 2006. The state owns or controls significant stakes in the country’s three main national television networks: Channel One, Rossiya, and NTV. . . . During 2006, journalists continued to face criminal libel charges for printing and broadcasting statements that were unfavorable to public officials. Criminal courts also sentenced several journalists on charges of “inciting racial hatred” for publicizing controversial events in Chechnya. . . .
With online media developing and 16 percent of the population now online, the government also harassed some of Russia’s leading news websites.
The draft report also detailed the many journalists who were murdered in Russia in 2006, “likely for reasons tied to their work, according to media watchdogs.” Names that should not be forgotten: Anna Politkovskaya, Ilya Zemin, Vagif Kochetkov, Yevgeny Gerasimenko, Anatoly Voronin.