Press Freedom Groups Call on Russia to Support a Free Press
A global coalition of press freedom organisations has expressed its concern "over intensified attempts by Russian authorities to place controls over the news media", and it called on the Russian government to back its statements of support for press freedom with actions.
The Coordinating Committee of Press Freedom Organisations, meeting in Moscow, Russia, during the World Newspaper Congress and World Editors Forum, noted that President Vladimir Putin and members of his government have made positive public statements about their support for freedom of the press.
"There is reason, however, for concern over the interpretation of laws and regulations by bureaucrats who apparently expect their hierarchies to approve their actions to stamp out legitimate criticism," the Committee said in a resolution.
The members of the Coordinating Committee of Press Freedom Organisations that signed the resolution are the Committee to Protect Journalists, the Inter American Press Association, the International Association of Broadcasting, the International Federation of the Periodical Press, the International Press Institute, the World Association of Newspapers and the World Press Freedom Committee.
Read the full resolution ).
The Paris-based WAN, the global organisation for the newspaper industry, defends and promotes press freedom world-wide. It represents 18,000 newspapers; its membership includes 73 national newspaper associations, newspapers and newspaper executives in 102 countries, 11 news agencies and nine regional and world-wide press groups.
Inquiries to: Larry Kilman, Director of Communications, WAN, 7 rue Geoffroy St Hilaire, 75005 Paris France. Tel: +33 1 47 42 85 00. Fax: +33 1 47 42 49 48. Mobile: +33 6 10 28 97 36. E-mail: lkilman@wan.asso.fr
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