Russian government under fire over police search of media group offices By VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV, Associated Press MOSCOW (May 12, 2000 7:00 a.m. EDT http://www.nandotimes.com) - Russian politicians and news organizations warned the government Friday not to suppress journalistic freedom in the wake of a recent police raid on a leading media group critical of President Vladimir Putin. "Searches ... may become a prologue to serious problems with freedom of speech," the daily newspaper Izvestia said Friday. Police in black masks, military-style uniforms and armed with submachine guns on Thursday searched the Moscow offices of the Media-MOST company, led by tycoon Vladimir Gusinsky. They occupied the offices most of the day, rummaging through documents and taking down workers' personal data. Gusinsky said the search was intended to punish the group's NTV television and other media properties for critical coverage of Putin, and to discourage journalists from exposing alleged government corruption. Most Russian news media lavished Putin with praise before and after his victory in March 26 elections. But Gusinsky's group has criticized the government's handling of the war in Chechnya and focused on its reluctance to investigate accusations of Kremlin corruption. Gusinsky said he has received threats from Kremlin officials angry about the group's coverage. Liberals and others are concerned that Putin, an ex-KGB officer, does not support a free press and other democratic rights and that he wants to restore Soviet-style controls. Putin insists he is a democrat. Government officials denied the raid was politically motivated and described it as part of an investigation into alleged violations of privacy law by MOST's security service. They claimed investigators found evidence of eavesdropping on politicians, businessmen and journalists, including bugging devices. MOST officials dismissed the allegations, saying the equipment was intended for protection against bugging, not for eavesdropping. Many Russian news organizations Friday took MOST's side, saying that the raid was a crude attempt to put pressure on the company and set a dangerous precedent for the future. Several prominent politicians denounced the raid as an attempt to scare MOST into submission. Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov called it a "powerful and vulgar attack." "Russia faces a real danger of seeing its freedom of the press stifled," said Luzhkov, according to the Interfax news agency. Former Prime Minister Sergei Kiriyenko said, "This is a public act of intimidation, discrediting the government." Even commentators from the media empire belonging to Gusinsky's rival, controversial tycoon Boris Berezovsky, said the authorities went too far. "The attack on MOST was clearly ill-conceived from the viewpoint of possible negative reaction of public opinion," said Berezovsky's daily Nezavisimaya Gazeta. -- Kathleen Modern toleration is really a tyranny. It is a tyranny because it is a silence. To say that I must not deny my opponent's faith is to say I must not discuss it . . . It is absurd to have a discussion on Comparative Religions if you don't compare them. - G. K. Chesterton <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/">www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance—not soap-boxing—please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'—with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds—is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html <A HREF="http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html">Archives of [EMAIL PROTECTED]</A> http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ <A HREF="http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/">ctrl</A> ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
