Closing arguments were expected to be heard on 14 October 1996 in the Moscow Municipal Court trial of journalist and political activist Valeriya Novodvorskaya. She is charged under Article 74 of the Russian Criminal Code with allegedly inciting inter-ethnic discord and belittling the dignity of the Russian nation. The charges against Novodvorskaya stem from writings […]
Closing arguments were expected to be heard on 14 October 1996 in
the Moscow Municipal Court trial of journalist and political
activist Valeriya Novodvorskaya. She is charged under Article 74
of the Russian Criminal Code with allegedly inciting inter-ethnic
discord and belittling the dignity of the Russian nation.
The charges against Novodvorskaya stem from writings she published
in the Estonian and Russian press between 1993 and 1995. One
charge cites articles in which Novodvorskaya described Russian
citizens of Latvia and Estonia as “lazy” and “spineless.” If
convicted, she faces up to five years in prison or a fine equal to
23 times the current monthly wage in Russia. Novodvorskaya is a
former staff member of the weekly Russian journals “Novoye Vremya”
and “Stolitsa”, and frequent contributor to many independent
newspapers.
News of any developments in the 14 October court session will
follow from CPJ.
Recommended Action
Send appeals to the Russian President:
writings
right to “seek, receive and impart information and ideas through
any media and regardless of frontiers,” as guaranteed in the
United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights
ethnic hatred are difficult to resolve in light of domestic and
international law, the danger of such statutes is that they can be
misused to suppress legitimately satirical or cultural commentary
as well as investigative journalism
Novodvorskaya are immediately dropped and that she be permitted to
continue her work as a journalist freely
Appeals To
His Excellency Boris Yeltsin
President
Moscow, Russia
Fax: +70 95 206 39 61/206 51 37/206 00 33
Government Press Office Fax: +70 95 230 24 08
Please copy appeals to CPJ and to the Russian diplomatic
representative to your country
(in Canada)
Ambassador Alexander M. Belogonov
Embassy of the Russian Federation
285 Charlotte St.
Ottawa, Ontario
K1N 8L5 Canada
Fax: +1 613 236 6342
(in the United States)
Embassy of the Russian Federation
Washington, DC
United States
Fax: +1 202 298 5735