black mark
New York, December 25, 2001—The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is outraged by the prison sentence handed down today to journalist Grigory Pasko by the Military Court of the Pacific Fleet in Vladivostok. The court found Pasko guilty of treason and sentenced him to four years in prison, according to local news reports and CPJ…
Moscow authorities free Tajik journalist
Atovullo told CPJ, “This is a big victory for journalists in the entire post-Soviet region.” New York, July 12, 2001—Dododjon Atovullo, the Tajik journalist and opposition activist who was detained in Moscow last week while Russian authorities considered extraditing him to Tajikistan, was released today and has returned to Germany, where he is currently living…
Prominent TV journalist assaulted in Moscow
New York, November 30, 2001—A well-known Russian television journalist was assaulted and robbed by three unknown attackers in the early morning hours of Friday, November 30, CPJ has confirmed. Ildar Zhandaryov co-hosts “Bez Protokola” (Without Protocol), one of Russia’s top-rated talk shows, and the movie review program “Interesnoye Kino” (Interesting Movie). Both shows appear on…
Another TV channel threatened with closure
The TV-6 case is strikingly similar to the recent hostile takeover of the independent television network NTV. New York, November 26, 2001—CPJ expressed grave concern over today’s ruling by a Moscow appellate court upholding the liquidation of the private Russian channel TV-6. The appeal was lodged following a September 27 ruling to liquidate TV-6’s parent…
CPJ releases exclusive interview with exiled journalist
Russian war correspondent Anna Politkovskaya fled Moscow in early October after receiving death threats in connection with her coverage of the war in Chechnya. She has settled in Vienna, Austria, where she spoke with CPJ Europe consultant Emma Gray. Until last month, Politkovskaya reported on the two-year-old war in Chechnya for the Moscow-based independent twice-weekly…
Pasko espionage trial under way at last
The prosecution plans to call more than 50 witnesses. Perhaps five of them have any real connection to the case, Pasko says. New York, July 11, 2001—The second trial of Russian military journalist Grigory Pasko finally began today in Vladivostok, nearly four years after his arrest on charges of espionage and revealing state secrets.
Journalist flees to Vienna after receiving threats
New York, October 15, 2001—Anna Politkovskaya, a correspondent with Moscow-based newspaper Novaya Gazeta known for her investigative reports on human rights abuses committed by the Russian military in Chechnya, fled to Vienna, Austria, last week. Novaya Gazeta’s deputy editor-in-chief, Sergey Sokolov, told CPJ in a telephone interview today that the threats stemmed from a September…
JOURNALIST IN “FIGHTING SPIRITS” ON EVE OF TRIAL
New York, July 10, 2001—Grigory Pasko, the Russian military journalist who faces trial on charges of espionage and revealing state secrets, says he’s ready for the next stage in his battle with the authorities. “It’s time this case was over. It’s been four years—how much longer can this continue?”
Illegal takeover of provincial station mirrors NTV drama
Your Excellency, The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is concerned by the recent illegal takeover of the television station TVK in central Russia’s Lipetsk Region. After investigating the circumstances, we believe this was a politically motivated attempt by local governor Oleg Korolyov to control the station ahead of gubernatorial elections scheduled for April 2002.