(GDF/IFEX) – On 14 August 1998, in the city of Ufa in the Republic of Bashkortostan, Sergei Fufaev, a journalist with the independent newspaper “Otechestvo”, was attacked by unknown individuals. As he was leaving his house at around 10 am, three men approached the journalists and repeatedly struck him in the face. Fufaev reported that […]
(GDF/IFEX) – On 14 August 1998, in the city of Ufa in the Republic of
Bashkortostan, Sergei Fufaev, a journalist with the independent newspaper
“Otechestvo”, was attacked by unknown individuals. As he was leaving his
house at around 10 am, three men approached the journalists and repeatedly
struck him in the face. Fufaev reported that one of the assailants told him:
“You know the reason [for this assault]”. Fufaev, who stated that he had
received several threatening telephone calls, believes that the assault
might be connected with his recent publications concerning presidential
elections in Bashkortostan.
Over the past six months, the persecution of journalists by authorities and
unknown individuals in the republic has become more frequent. In January,
the Neftekamsk City court, in examining the decision of the Ministry of
Press and Information of Bashkortostan to revoke the licence of the
privately-owned newspaper “Vecherny Neftekamsk”, ruled in favour of the
ministry. In June, on the eve of presidential elections, broadcasts by
Russian television in the republic were often tampered with by local tv
companies. In addition, issues of Russian newspapers that criticised Murtaza
Rakhimov, president of Bashkortostan, were unavailable for sale. Further
harassment of the media included efforts to obstruct the work of the
correspondent of the Russian tv program “Vesti” as well as the closure of
the independent Radio Titan and the detention of its director Altaf Galeev
(see IFEX alert of 10 July 1998).
As well, on 2 July, in the city of Beloretsk, staff of the local economic
crimes prevention unit confiscated from distributors 5,000 copies of the
opposition newspaper “Otechestvo”. On 7 August, in Ufa, Victor Shmakov,
editor-in-chief of the independent newspaper “Vmeste”, was assaulted.
Recommended Action
Send appeals to authorities:
Bashkortostan a gross violation of laws and Constitution of the Russian
Federation, as well as serious violations of press freedom
impartial investigation of the assault and persecution of journalists and
media outlets, and to make public its results
Appeals To
His Excellency Boris Yeltsin
President
Moscow, Russia
Fax: 70 95 206 5173/206 6277
or e-mail c/o Marat Guriev, Administration of President Yeltsin:
marat@guriev.niiros.msk.suHis Excellency Yuri Skuratov
Prosecutor General of Russia
Moscow, Russia
Fax: +70 95 292 88 48/+70 95 925 18 79
Please copy appeals to the source if possible.
