MAY 2010

French Watchdog Names 40 "Predators of the Press”

3, May, 2010

A new release for the French watchdog organization "Reporters Without Borders” quoted the worst predators of press freedom, which listed  Hu Jintau of China, Ahmadinejad of Iran and Russia's Putin, They were described describe as "dangerous, violent and above the law”.

The list included beside politicians, the religious leaders and militias to mark World Press Freedom Day.

The description stated, "They are powerful, dangerous, violent and above the law”, the Paris-based watchdog RSF said. "These predators of press freedom have the power to censor, imprison, kidnap, torture and, in the worst cases, murder journalists".

Seventeen presidents and several heads of government are on the list, including China's Hu Jintao, Iran's Mahmud Ahmadinejad, Rwanda's Paul Kagame, Cuba's Raoul Castro and Russia's Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.

The North Caucasus had its share in the report, which mentioned that Chechnya's pro-Kremlin President Ramzan Kadyrov was also added to the list.

The watchdog said that Under Kadyrov, "anyone questioning (his) policies... is exposed to deadly reprisals”, citing the murders of slaughtered reporter Anna Politkovskaya and human rights activist Natalia Estemirova.