CPR targets Russia's record

The Committee for the Protection of journalists has been compiling a report to

highlight the alarming and ongoing problem of deadly violence against critical journalists in Russia and the government’s consistent inability to bring justice in these cases.

It points out that since 2000, Seventeen journalists have been killed in retaliation for their work and in only one case have the killers been convicted,which stands in sharp contrast to Russia’s stated record in solving murders among the general population.

The report adds that

The Kremlin has set the political tone by marginalizing critical journalists, effectively barring them from state-controlled national television, and obstructing their work through politicized regulations and bureaucratic harassment. Probing journalists—often shunted to media with limited audiences—are isolated, undervalued, and vulnerable to attack.

The perils of being a crime reporter in Russia

After the most recent attack on Sergei Kanev — attempted strangulation with a wire, in his apartment’s stairwell here — his editor visited him and delicately suggested that he take a six-month sabbatical from crime reporting, in America.

writes the New York Times

Under Putin as the report continues

the ranks of people willing to hold the powerful to account are thinning. Their work is increasingly marginalized, so that most Russians never learn what corruption or human rights abuses they have uncovered. And while most do not blame the government for the attacks themselves, they say failure to investigate and punish the crimes has set a permissive, and dangerous, tone.

Realities of being a Journalist in Russia

Some evidence of the problems for journalists in Russia comes from Sean's Russian blog.

This from Maksim Zolotarev,editor of Molva Iuzhnoe Podmoskove who relates how he was attacked by three men as he left home last Thursday.

I made my way to my car so I could go to work. The car was 20 meters from my home. As I approached my car I saw another car-a Mitsubishi. I noticed that the number of the car was covered in dirt. The car turned around to face the front windshield of my car.
Only when I began to approach my car, did three men exit the Mitsubishi in identical short black ski jackets with hoods over their heads. I had a bad feeling.
One of the tall strangers (30-35 years old, under 2 meters, Slavic features) quickly came up to me and asked, “Where is building No. 18.” As I turned toward him, a shot from an air gun went into my face, after that they laid a blow to my legs, and I fell.
The second person (40-45 years old, medium height) pulled out a short steel rod encased in rubber and laid 10-15 blows on my entire body. Especially on my arms and spine. I could not open my eyes and could not breath and therefore didn’t see anyone. People nearby started running toward me. I remember that the incident occurred in the middle of day, around one o’clock. After the beating, the attackers got in the automobile and left in an unknown direction.

Ht-Global voices online

Two reporters shot dead in Russsia

Follow the media reports on the apparent murder of two Russian journalists

Ilyas Shurpaev, a 32-year-old reporter for Russian State TV Channel One, was found dead; stabbed and strangled in his Moscow apartment early Friday morning (March 21). He had recently moved to Moscow from Dagestan where he had worked as Channel One’s North Caucasus reporter

and

Hours later, Dagestan State Radio and TV Chairman Gadzhi (Gaji) Abashilov was machine-gunned near a shopping mall in the Dagestan capital Makhachkala. Abashilov, 58 years old, hosted a popular television program and had previously worked for a local newspaper.

As reported previously on this blog,Russia is not the best place to be a journalist,especially if you are critical of government policy.

The authorities are denying a link between the two putting the murders down to profesional activities but hours before his murder,Shurpaev had written on his blog

that his name had appeared on a blacklist of journalists barred from publishing in a Dagestani newspaper. “I don’t know whether to laugh or cry,“ he wrote in last blog entry, Thursday afternoon (March 20). “Now I'm a dissident!”

and reporting on the murders

Russia Today reiterated troubles at “a popular Dagestani newspaper,” saying, “Journalists said they were being forced to produce negative reports about Dagestan’s government and president.”

Reporters without borders has condemned the killing

“We urge the authorities to carry out a thorough investigation and to consider all hypotheses, including the possibility that it was linked to his work as a journalist, which is such a risky profession in Russia.”

In Praise of the World Service

I have just been watching the excellent programme that was on BBC 4 about the World Service"London Calling....Inside the BBC World service"

I am sure that many people in the Uk do not appreciate the resources that go into this service which costs the tax payer £250m a year(funding does not come out of the license fee) and broadcasts in 33 launguages.

The programme starts at the end of 2005 when the BBC closed 9 Eastern European services to divert money into a new Arabian TV service.The countries,including Bulgaria and Poland were selected as it was felt they now had a free media operating within their borders.Interestingly the Russian service continues to broadcast.


The situation in Asia is different.The Afghani service is heard by 60% of the country's population and is a lifeline for many in terms of getting news.After 9/11 and the allied invasion of the country,it was the only source of news about what was happening.Over 40 journalists cover the country.

Meanwhile in China,the authorities jam the news services and as a consequence broadcasts are being cut back.

In this day and age,with its multi platform 24 hour access to news,it is easy to forget about the World Service and its importance in broadcasting news and information to people who cannot always receive it

Russian Radio can only broadcast good news

The New York Times is carrying quite an amusing story if amusing is the correct word to use on the new owners of Russia's independent radio network.

According to the paper

"At their first meeting with journalists since taking over Russia's largest independent radio news network, the managers had startling news of their own: from now on, they said, at least 50 percent of the reports about Russia must be “positive.”
In addition, opposition leaders could not be mentioned on the air and the United States was to be portrayed as an enemy, journalists employed by the network, Russian News Service, say they were told by the new managers, who are allies of the Kremlin.

The article quotes an unnamed editor who says that anything concerning death,violence or poverty is deemed bad news and therefore not to be reported but if the stock market is up or the sun is shining then that is ok.

It isn't funny because this is another example of the countries drift towards control of the media by those sympathetic to President Putin's regime.

Radio had been one beacon of hope for the media

The Truth about Anna Politkotskaya

I have just watched the Dispatches programme broadcast last night on Channel 4 on the investigation into the murder of journalist Anna Politkotskaya.

The programme leaves us in no doubt that Russia is corrupt and the balance of probability is that Anna may well have been on the hit list of the Chechnya President,following an article that she had written.The article accused the Chechyna President of corruption including spending $30k on fancing girls.


You may recall that last October,one of Russia's leading investigative journalists was killed by a hit squad.The programme followed her collegues as they tried to get to the truth of the killing.

She was described as one of President Putin's strongest critics,Putin denied any role in the assassination and dismissed her role in the country.

After Iraq Russia is one of the most dangerous places for journalists,Anna was the third journalist on the paper to be killed.13 journalists have been murdered since Putin came to power.

The programme paints a picture of an increasingly lawless country where the boundries of power,corruption and money are blurred.The judicial system is not capable of dealing with these murders.There is growing unease amongst the increasingly diminishing opposition as the events of this weekend showed.As the next election for President grows near,the mainstream media simply refuse to cover any democratic debate.

Two of the five Tv stations is owned by the governemnt,the other three are owned by Gazprom.Increasingly the ownership of the media is being concentrated in the hands of those in power.

Anna's fame came from reporting on the war in Chechnya,she was one of a small band of people who had seen what was really happening.In 2002,Chechyna terrorists stormed a theatre in Moscow and asked for Anna to act as a go between.Russian security forces, stormed the theatre killing 129 of the hostages,

Anna's role in the tragedy and her anger at the outcome made her a target for the government and she started to receive death threats.

Two weeks before his death in London from Radiation poisoning,Alexander Litvinenko was blaming Putin for the murder of Anna at a press conference.His death still remains unsolved.

So what evidence do the journalists have?

A professional hit man approached the newspaper, tempted no doubt by the reward and has offered to show who pulled the trigger.

The investigation seems to point towards the involvement of the secret service due to the mode of operation.

Litvinenko was supposed to have sent his information to Moscow but it has never been received.

A Chechynan assassination squad is arrested in Moscow and then mysteriously released and sent back to Chechnya.

Unfortunately her death will remain unsolved.