The faction considers the cuts made to the "Freedom of Speech" programme (the NTV channel) for a broadcast on December 27, 2002, to be manifestation of political censorship. Fragments containing criticism of the government's actions and pro-governmental factions of the State Duma made by Chairman of the Duma Committee for Education and Science and member of the YABLOKO faction Alexander Shishlov were cut out of the programme.

Thus, the information provided by Shishlov on the results of voting in the lower chamber of the Russian parliament on modernizing education was cut out of the programme. In particular, Shishlov informed the audience about the position of the four pro-governmental factions of the Duma (the Unity, Fatherland-All Russia, People's Deputy and Russia's Regions) voting against the amendments adopted by the Budget subcommittee in support of the education sphere by the federal budget in 2003.

The editors of the "Freedom of Speech" programme also deleted from the programme criticism of the government's reform for wages of the workers of the budget sector which affected the interests of the teachers in the country.

In addition, neither Shishlov's answers to the charges against YABLOKO, nor his information on YABLOKO's initiatives were included in the programme.

YABLOKO expresses its concern that such cuts were made to a programme envisaged as a political talk-show representing different points of view and that, despite the title of the programme - "Freedom of Speech" - the views were deprived of an opportunity to obtain true information on the topic of the programme.

See also:
Reform in Education