New Russian anti-terrorism law tightens grip on media
Title -- 3820 INTERNATIONAL: New Russian anti-terrorism law tightens grip on media
Date -- 30 October 2002
Byline -- None
Origin -- Pacific Media Watch
Source -- IFEX Communique, 30/10/2
Copyright -- CPJ/RSF
Status -- Unabridged
Post a comment on PMW's Right of Reply: www.TheGuestBook.com/egbook/257949.gbook
NEW RUSSIAN ANTI-TERRORISM LAW TIGHTENS GRIP ON MEDIA
Amid the fallout from last week's hostage crisis in Moscow, which
killed 117 people, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and
Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF) are calling
attention to growing restrictions on Russian media, including a new law
restricting the media from reporting on anti-terrorist operations and
publishing statements by terrorist groups.
CPJ notes that during the hostage crisis, authorities pressured at least
three media outlets to remove content related to the events. Radio
station, Ekho Moskvy, was warned by the Media Ministry not to broadcast
statements by Chechen rebels after it aired an interview with one of the
hostage-takers on 24 October. The ministry then ordered the shutting
down of Ekhoh Moskvy's website but withdrew after the radio station
removed the text of the interview from its site, CPJ and RSF report.
The Media Ministry also shut down television station, Moskoviya, for a
day, accusing it of promoting terrorism, and reprimanded the newspaper,
Rossiyskaya Gazeta, after it published a photograph of the body of the
dead woman killed on 23 October by the hostage-takers.
The moves came shortly after Russia's parliament, the State Duma, passed
a new law giving the government more power to restrict media coverage of
anti-terrorist operations and terrorists' activities. The "Law on
Battling Propaganda of Terrorism in Mass Media" prohibits the media from
printing or broadcasting information that justifies extremist
activities, justifies resistance to counter-terrorist operations,
hinders counter-terrorist operations, and reveals anti-terrorist
tactics, says CPJ.
Although the bill needs the approval of the upper house of parliament
and President Vladimir Putin's signature before it becomes law, the
government's actions during the hostage are based on the proposed law,
CPJ says.
The law is likely to further restrict news coverage of the military
conflict in Chechnya, which the Russian government calls a
"counter-terrorist operation," reports The Guardian. Russian
authorities already exercise severe restrictions on journalists
reporting in Chechnya. Those brave enough to report on human-rights
violations committed by the Russian military, including Novaya
Gazeta's Anna Politkovskaya, have been arrested and received death
threats.
Visit these links:
- CPJ Report on Russia:
www.cpj.org/news/2002/Russia25oct02na.html
- CPJ Interview with Anna Politkovskaya:
www.cpj.org/news/2001/Russia13nov01na.html
- Human Rights Watch:
www.hrw.org/campaigns/russia/chechnya/
- RSF 2002 Report on Russia:
www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=1799&Valider=OK
- The Guardian:
www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-2112727,00.html
PACIFIC MEDIA WATCH is an independent, non-profit, non-government organisation comprising journalists, lawyers, editors and other media workers, dedicated to examining issues of ethics, accountability, censorship, media freedom and media ownership in the Pacific region. Launched in October 1996, it has links with the Journalism Program at the University of the South Pacific, Bushfire Media based in Sydney, Journalism Studies at the University of PNG (UPNG), the Australian Centre for Independent Journalism (ACIJ), Auckland University of Technology in New Zealand, and Community Communications Online (c2o).
© 1996-2002 Copyright - All rights reserved. Items are provided solely for review purposes as a non-profit educational service. Copyright remains the property of the original producers as indicated. Recipients should seek permission from the copyright owner for any publishing. Copyright owners not wishing their materials to be posted by PMW please contact us. The views expressed in material listed by PMW are not necessarily the views of PMW or its members. Recipients should rely on their own inquiries before making decisions based on material listed in PMW. Please copy appeals to PMW and acknowledge source.
For further information, inquiries about joining the Pacific Media Watch listserve, articles for publication, and giving feedback contact Pacific Media Watch at:
E-mail: delaro@clear.net.nz Fax: (+679) 30 5779 or (+612) 9660 1804
Mail: PO Box 9, Annandale, NSW 2038, Australia
or PO Box 78028, Grey Lynn, Auckland 1002, New Zealand
Website: www.pmw.c2o.org