Russian Barents journalists in conflicts

The review from Glasnost Defence Foundations shows that the position of Russia’s media and journalists remains under pressure in the forms of attacks, criminal prosecution, threats, censorship and detention of journalists.

Among the major negative trends in 2010, Glasnost Defence Foundation point to the ever more frequent detention of reporters covering street protests; dismissal of editors; and closure of media outlets.

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The Murmansk office of Barents Press, a cross-border media-network in the Barents Region, has published the overview of the media-conflicts in Northwest Russia last year based on the report from Glasnost Defence Foundation.

The overview points to several cases where journalists have been attacked in the Komi Republic, Murmansk and Arkhangelsk. Attempts on censorship were seen for the newspaper Veherny Murmansk and the web-portal Vesti Kareli.

Three dismissals of editors and directors of media houses were seen in Karelia.

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There are also several examples of journalists being detained by police or FSB while covering public demonstrations or in situations in the Republic of Komi and in Arkhangelsk, according to the overview published by Barents Press.

But, attempts to make pressure on media are not only related to pressure and attacks on journalists and editors. Both two Arkhangelsk newspapers Znamya and Pravda Severa experienced refusals to print editions last year. In Murmansk, the city radio was taken off air and in Karelia the two newspapers Kurier Kareli and Licey were closed down.

In Komi, there were two examples of newspapers being confiscated after printing. This happened to the newspapers Businessman and Zarja Timana.

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