Monday, February 5, 2007
Press Group Calls Putin A 'Democratator'
Rusia -- Journalists at Putin's annual press conference in Moscow, 01Feb2007
Journlaists clamoring to ask Putin a question at a press conference on February 2
(TASS)
February 5, 2007 (RFE/RL) -- The Committee To Protect Journalists (CPJ) says Russian President Vladimir Putin and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez represent a new model of government control of the press.
In a new report, the U.S.-based media freedom advocacy group calls Putin and Chavez "democratators" -- popularly elected autocrats.
It says the two leaders have created legal frameworks in their countries to control, intimidate, and censor the news media.
The report notes that 13 journalists have been murdered in Russia since Putin took power in 2000.
CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon told RFE/RL that during a recent visit to Russia, he had discussed the journalists' deaths with government representatives.
"In one of those meetings with the Foreign Ministry, we discussed Russia's terrible record ...
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