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Moscow, 25 February: The Russian democratic party Yabloko has said that "The freedom of the media in Russia is in danger".
"Another serious step towards curbing freedom of speech was the closure of Noviye Izvestiya newspaper, whose journalists' view on developments in the country differed from the official one," reads a Yabloko statement circulated in Moscow on Tuesday [25 February].
The party's members believe that at the slightest sign of the authorities' discontent, and even without such a sign, media owners dismiss "undesired" journalists and even entire teams of journalists.
The statement also voices concern over similar trends in the regions, "which view what is going on at the federal level as a signal to attack independent journalists".
"The area of freedom in Russia's information space is shrinking."
The party believes that these trends may intensify in the run-up to the elections.
The statement was signed by the Yabloko leader Grigory Yavlinsky.
See also:
Freedom of Speech and Media Law in Russia
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