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Alert

RSF "deeply upset" over use of force in NTV takeover

(RSF/IFEX) - In a letter to Minister of the Interior Boris Gryzlov, RSF noted that it was deeply upset over the use of force in the takeover of NTV, the only independent television station to broadcast nationally in Russia. "Our organisation is angered by the intervention of your ministry's special forces (OMON) against the station's security service and asks that you provide an explanation on the matter," stated Robert Ménard, the organisation's secretary-general. "It is unacceptable that officers of the state would intervene and use force to change a media outlet's management and expel its rebellious journalists," Ménard stressed, adding that RSF hold the Russian authorities "wholly responsible for the retaliatory mesures against NTV, which have been carried out for over one year."




During the night of 13 to 14 April 2001, NTV's new management took over the station's studios by force, with the help of the Ministry of the Interior's special troops (OMON), who interceded against the security service of the building housing the television station. Journalists opposed to the new management team's appointment were barred from entering the station's studios and told of their dismissal. The previous evening, the new management team, which was appointed by the Gazprom company, whose majority shareholder is the Russian state, claimed editorial and financial control of the station.

Gazprom, which is the main creditor of the Media Most group, to which NTV belongs, also threatened the group's other media outlets with reprisals, including the daily "Segodnia", the weekly "Itogui" and the Sem Dnei publishing house, if they did not change their editorial line.