Concern about the future of press freedom in Russia

VIENNA, 18 April 2001 - Freimut Duve, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of Media, has expressed his serious concern about the closure of the independent newspaper Segodnya and dismissal of all staff of the independent magazine Itogi in Moscow.

The Representative had previously uttered a warning about dramatic developments around the two independent Russian media of the Media-Most group and take-over of NTV by Gazprom-Media in his article published in a special issue of Obshchaya gazeta on 7 April 2001. Gazprom-Media is government-controlled and a daughter of an industrial plant.

The Representative stated that the immediate dismissal of the editorial staff and the closure of the newspaper prove that these decisions are not only based upon economic reasons but can be interpreted as an attempt to silence the journalists and ensure political control of these media. The Representative stressed that editorial independence must be guaranteed regardless of ownership.

For more information please contact the Office of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, tel.: +43-1-512 21 45 - 0, fax: +43-1-512 21 45 - 9, e-mail: [email protected]