At a glance-
Russian Model Gains as Press Freedom Declines
Under Vladimir Putin, Russia has emerged as a laboratory for the development of methods to suppress media freedom in the post-totalitarian era.
-
Russia: Draft Amendment to the Criminal Code Aimed at Countering Insult of Religious Beliefs and Feelings of Citizens, Desecration of Religious Objects and Subjects of Worship (Pilgrimage) and Sites of Religious Ceremonies
ARTICLE 19 calls on the State Duma of the Russian Federation to reject the concept of defamation of religions proposed in the Draft Law.
-
Laws of Attrition: Crackdown on Russia’s Civil Society after Putin’s Return to the Presidency
The report analyzes new laws in Russia, including the so-called “foreign agents” law, the treason law, and the assembly law, and documents how they have been used.
-
Russia at the UPR: Repeal oppressive laws restricting the rights to freedom of expression, assembly and association
17 February 2009
Alert
New challenges in Politkovskaya murder trial, DVD featuring suspected killer lost in court
(GDF/IFEX) - Hearings in the murder case of "Novaya Gazeta" journalist Anna Politkovskaya continue at the Moscow District Military Court.
On 4 February 2009, the judge announced yet another adjournment of the proceedings, this time because of the sudden loss in court of a DVD featuring video materials that the prosecutor wanted to present as evidence against the defendants.
Speaking to the RIA Novosti news agency, the prosecutor's office press spokesperson, Marina Gridneva, has denied that the prosecution had anything to do with the loss: "The case files are in court now, and so is all the material evidence pertaining to this case. Any questions as to the availability or absence of particular evidence items should be addressed to the court."
The court has asked the Investigations Committee to provide a copy of the lost DVD in order to restore the full package of evidence.
This is not the first time that the judicial proceedings have taken a sudden turn. At the very beginning, Judge Yevgeny Zuvov attempted to close the trial to the press but one of the jurors prevented him from doing so.
Another problem arose when a hard copy transcript of telephone conversations between the defendants was claimed to be unavailable. It was eventually submitted to the court, albeit with some segments having been clipped. Now, a DVD recording taken from a security camera featuring the suspected killer has been lost.
Updates the Politkovskaya case: http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/98687
Source:
Glasnost Defence Foundation
- Most covered free expression issues in this country
RSS