21 Sept. 2000
Vladimir Putin, President
Federation of Russia
c/o Alexei A. Gromov
Presidential Spokesman
Moscow, Russia
Via fax: 7095 206 5173
Dear Mr. President:
You may recall that when members of the Russian Press Freedom Support Group, consisting of representatives of major international free press organizations, visited Moscow in July, they pledged to maintain a careful watch on the evolution of freedom of expression and press freedom in Russia.
More than two months have passed since then and it is already possible to assess developments. Some of these have been positive, such as the reissuing of an internal passport to Radio Liberty correspondent Andrei Babitsky, allowing him to travel out of Moscow; the dropping of charges against news media proprietor Vladimir Gusinsky and his Media-MOST group; and the Supreme Court Presidium's denial of the public prosecutor's attempt to continue charges against environmentalist Alexander Nikitin.
Yet we are forced to reach the distressing conclusion that, on balance, the developments have clearly been both threatening and dangerous for the future of free speech and press freedom in Russia. These are contrary to the fundamental rights of freedom of expression to which you, Mr. President, have so often stated your commitment.
The Group includes the Committee to Protect Journalists (New York), the International Federation of Journalists (Brussels), the International Federation of the Periodical Press (London), the International Press Institute (Vienna) and the World Press Freedom Committee (Washington, D.C.).
Among recent actions taken by Russian authorities that are ominous for the future of a free press in Russia, we must note:
1. The issuing under your signature of the new "Doctrine on Information Security of the Russian Federation," a Cold War-style text whose broad, ambiguous language can be used to justify severe repression of press freedom.
2. Your own statement -- despite what you yourself have characterized as governmental mishandling of communication with the public over the loss of the submarine Kursk and its crew -- that the reduced state of readiness of the armed forces is the fault of major private news media owners.
3. Continued strong official pressure on Vladimir Gusinsky and Boris Berezovsky to divest themselves of their news media ownership in favor of Russian state control.
4. Creation of a top-secret budget line for an unstated amount to subsidize news media, without the possibility of public or parliamentary scrutiny of how such unaccounted funds would be used. This is in contradiction with all principles of governmental transparency.
5. The dismissal of Russian Public Television (ORT) anchorman Sergei Dorenko and the ending of his popular news analysis program.
6. The raid August 29 by masked secret policemen without a search warrant on the offices in Moscow of the Glasnost Foundation.
7. The detention and beating this month by Russian troops in Chechnya of Associated Press reporter Ruslan Musayev.
8. Continued attempts by regional governors, most notably in Vladivostok with the arrest of Irina Grebnova, editor of the newspaper "Arsenievskie Vesti," to prevent critical reporting on local governments and officials.
9. The disturbing lack of results in police investigations of the recent killings of journalist Igor Dominikov of "Novaya Gazeta" in Moscow and of Sergei Novikov, editor of "Vesna" in Smolensk.
10. The action just this week of special security troops (OMON) in preventing NTV's news program "Itogi" from interviewing Ruslan Gunteliev, the pro-Russian Chechen leader. These forces made the camera crew lie down on the ground, then covered the crew's lenses to stop filming. Another NTV camera recorded the behavior of the troops from a distance, and the TV audience got a live demonstration of how news from Chechnya is censored.
We hardly need remind you, Mr. President, of your most welcome statement to the Parliament on July 8 that "Without truly free media, Russian democracy will simply not survive."
When our group met with your associates on July 12 in Moscow, we submitted to them a 10-point list of abuses against press freedom. As we stated then, "That list shows that there is a contradiction between the good public statements and reality."
The new list of 10 examples we have been able to compile in the brief time that has since elapsed seems to confirm some of our worst fears. As we said then, "Actions speak louder than words." This is as true as ever. Then as now, we are motivated by a concern for the defense and promotion of a free press, which is essential to development of democracy in Russia.
Unhappily, the serious official actions, policies and statements contrary to press freedom that have continued to pile up lead us to conclude with great sadness that the climate for press freedom in Russia has been deteriorating rather than improving since our visit to Moscow.
We feel confident that you have it within your power to reverse this negative trend, which is harmful for the image of your government at home and abroad and for the future of the economic and institutional reforms that Russia so sorely needs.
Respectfully yours,
Ann Cooper, Executive Director, Committee to Protect Journalists
Aidan White, General Secretary, International Federation of Journalists
Per Mortensen, President, International Federation of the Periodical Press
Johann Fritz, Director, International Press Institute
James H. Ottaway, Jr., Chairman, World Press Freedom Committee
cc: Gennady Seleznev, Chairman of the State Duma
Yegor Stroyev, Chairman of the Federation Council
Mikhail Kasyanov, Prime Minister
Mikhail Lesin, Minister of Press and Information
Vladislav Surkov, First Deputy Chief of the Presidential Staff