[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 13]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 18884]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


[[Page 18884]]

   RUSSIA'S LEADERS SHOULD EMBRACE AND ENCOURAGE FREEDOM OF THE PRESS

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. PETER DEUTSCH

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, July 30, 1999

  Mr. DEUTSCH. Mr. Speaker, as Russia prepares for Parliamentary and 
Presidential elections, there are alarming signals that the Kremlin is 
cracking down on privately owned news outlets who have been critical of 
government policies. In particular, I understand that the independent 
and highly regarded television station, NTV, has been pressured by 
officials who are displeased with its news coverage of the Kremlin. 
There are reports that the owners and reporters of NTV and other news 
organizations have been harassed, and that government agencies have 
threatened to deny operating licenses to these organizations, have 
attacked private media companies through state-owned media, and have 
issued veiled threats to nationalize NTV and other private media 
outlets.
  Such activities undermine Russia's free and democratic nature. I find 
particularly disturbing reports that Yeltsin Administration head 
Alexander Voloshin has asked his staff to find any grounds possible by 
which to initiate criminal action against owners of private media 
enterprises. The most notable example is Mr. Voloshin's order to the 
Director of the Tax Police Federal Service to carry out inspections of 
the editorial offices of media outlets owned by Media Most, the largest 
privately owned media company in Russia, headed by Vladimir Goussinsky. 
The fact that Mr. Goussinsky has consistently submitted tax returns and 
paid all taxes required by current law since 1992 was apparently 
insufficient in stopping these egregious searches.
  Free press may also be threatened on another front. In July, 1999, 
the government established a new Ministry for Publishing, TV and Radio 
with the task, according to Prime Minister Stepashin, of 
``consolidating'' the government's ``ideological work.'' This new 
ministry will have vast powers to oversee and control news content and 
other aspects of Russian media, including publishing, licensing 
regulations, advertising, satellite broadcasting, and press 
distribution. Mr. Speaker, I am extremely concerned about the possible 
effects that this new Ministry's policies might have on private and 
independent media outlets.
  Whoever controls the media in Russia may well influence the outcome 
of the upcoming presidential elections. It is generally accepted that 
favorable television coverage of President Boris Yeltsin's re-election 
campaign made possible his ultimate success at the polls. In a 
democratic society, the diversity of opinion and variety of information 
that is fostered by a free and independent press is an important part 
of the political process. The subversion of independent media, 
especially at this critical juncture in the Russian political process, 
is disturbing.
  If Russia's nascent democratic system is to succeed, freedom of the 
press must be preserved. I call on President Yeltsin and Prime Minister 
Stepashin to ensure that attacks on privately owned media are 
curtailed, and to publicly reinforce the government's favorable opinion 
toward freedom of the press in Russia.

                          ____________________