FreeMediaOnline.org Russian Human Rights Activits on New NGO Law and Voice of America and RadioFreeEurope/Radio Liberty in Russia

FreeMediaOnline.org Dublin, CA, July 18, 2006 -- Irina Yasina, the project director of the Open Russia Foundation, a private nonprofit organization established by jailed Yukos founder Mikhail Khodorkovsky told President Bush that her organization is in danger of being closed down in what Yasina called "retaliation" for Khodorkovsky's political activities.

Yasina and other Russian NGO leaders met with President Bush in St. Petersburg during the G-8 summit. In an interview with Voice of America Yasina warned that a new law regulating nongovernmental organizations "is going to knock out the last islets of freedom in Russia."

Asked whether the Bush Administration plan to eliminate all VOA Russian radio programs as of October 1, 2006 had been mentioned during her meeting with President Bush, Yasina said that a question came up about declining U.S. support for democracy programs in Russia, and a reference was made to the planned reduction of Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) Russian broadcasts. According to Yasina, President Bush turned to Secretary of State Rice and asked whether this was true. The Secretary of State confirmed it and the President made a note of it. link to VOA report in Russian...

While the Administration and the bipartisan Broadcasting Board of Governors in charge of U.S. international broadcasting are moving forward with programming cuts to Russia, the Russian authorities have already forced most stations in Russia to stop using RFE/RL and VOA news programs.

In response to a question about harassment of Russian broadcasters who cooperate with Western radio stations, Ella Pamfilova, chair of the Russian government's Human Rights Commission, told VOA that in the old days the authorities would have either ordered Voice of America and Radio Liberty shut down or jammed them. She thinks that the proper approach for Russia in dealing with this issue is to counter the arguments put forth by VOA and RFE/RL in the Russian media rather than trying to shut them down.

Russian government officials maintain that they are enforcing Russian media laws and are not targeting Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty affiliates in Russia. Station managers reported, however, that they had been specifically warned not to use programs from U.S. government-funded international broadcasters.

From a VOA listener in St. Petersburg:

I was surprised and amazed to learn about the possible closure of VOA Russian Service. ...

President Bush’s speeches at the G8 surprise us. Turns out, that Russia is building a “Russian democracy.” “Yesterday’s Komsomols and Communists have in 15 years reached the path that it took the U.S. 200 years to achieve, and the French 300.” I think personally that there is no “Russian” or “American” democracy. It’s either a democracy or not.

С удивлением и грустью узнал , что ваша радиостанция прекращает свое вещание на территории России. ...

Сейчас времена изменились .Удивляет своими речами на саммите G-8 и президент США Буш. Оказывается, что в России строится, так называемая «русская демократия» !Вчерашние комсомольцы и коммунисты за 15 лет прошли путь, которым американцы идут 200 лет , а французы-300 ?Я думаю, что нет «русской» или «американской» демократии ; она либо есть ,либо ее нет.

Letter from St. Petersburg to Voice of America Russian Service | Full text - English - Russian

I fully understand, however, that there will be a Russian-style democracy. I don't expect Russia to look like the United States. As Vladimir pointedly reminded me last night, we have a different history, different traditions. And I will let him describe to you his way forward, but he shared with me some very interesting thoughts that I think would surprise some of our citizens.

- President Bush speaking at a joint press conference with President Putin, St. Petersburg, Russia, July 15, 2006

link to White House transcript...

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FreeMediaOnline.org As the G-8 Summit Gets Underway in St. Petersburg Reaction from Russia to Proposed Elimination of VOA Russian Radio Programs Calls Attention to U.S. Neglect of Free Media in Eurasia Dublin, CA, July 13, 2006 -- As the G-8 summit meeting gets underway in St. Petersburg, Russia, FreeMediaOnline.org makes available a selection of letters and emails from Russian NGOs, human rights activists, political parties, Voice of America (VOA) affiliates, and VOA listeners in Russia and Central Asia protesting the Bush Administration's decision to eliminate VOA Russian radio programs. The decision to terminate VOA radio broadcasts to Russia was announced earlier this year by the Broadcasting Board of Governors, a bipartisan body in charge of all U.S. civilian international broadcasting. more story... | FreeMediaOnline.org press release July 13, 2006 | press release in PDF

FreeMediaOnline.org Independent journalists in Russia, Belarus, and Central Asia risk losing their information link with the Voice of America full story...

FreeMediaOnline.org FreeMediaOnline.org offers innovative program delivery assistance to independent media facing censorship full story...

President Bush meets Svyatlana Zavadskaya, widow of a "disappeared" independent journalist in Belarus link to White House photo...

Russian human rights activist sees new NGO law in Russia "knocking out the last islets of freedom"