This is, was, Stanislav Markelov - more about him later. We often condemn the press for their gung-ho attitude towards privacy – censure them for the methods they use to get their stories – it’s called freedom of the press, and when we consider freedom of speech an important right, we should accept those times when the reporting, (and reporters), seem to overstep the mark. I’m not referring here to tabloid crap headlines and sensationalism that appeal to those somewhat less than literate individuals who are only interested in the sports pages together with pictures of semi-naked women. (The joke about Times readers running the country and Sun readers not caring who runs the country as long as she’s got bit tits has an element of truth in it).
Have you heard of, or read, Novayagazeta? Probably not, but you ought to if you care about transparency and human rights - care about the right of journalists to inform.
Russia is desperate to be accepted by the USA and EU, , (in spite of its playing "big daddy over gas supplies), and there have been big changes since Glasnost; but more changes are necessary before we can truly believe they are a democratic country with the right to free speech and laws protecting human rights.
I’m sure that, as with Speaker’s Corner in Hyde Park London, you can speak out on any subject you choose in the centre of Moscow. The difference is - you are highly unlikely to be assassinated in London if you do.
Not only that, if you were, (assassinated that is at Speaker's Corner), there is a general feeling of security when it comes to the judicial system – well, sort of, given the type and length of sentences some of our judges hand down, (one does wonder how a few bewigged buffoons function in today’s world).
Russia? It seems that corruption throughout the legal system, starting with the police, is rife. I know from Russian friends that the police frequently supplement their incomes by demanding on the spot payments for traffic offences, and that is at the bottom of Russia’s legal and judicial system. One dreads to think what happens higher up the food chain.
Back to journalists.
Stanislav Markelov is, was, a human rights lawyer, and was sent packing with a bullet to the back of the head in the street in broad daylight – January this year. A trainee journalist, Anastasia Baburova, was then shot. She died later from here injuries. Who did she work for? Novayagazeta.
Novayagazeta specialises in human rights stories, and Anastasia is not the first of their journalists to be killed.
Anna Politkovskaya was also a journalist for the paper – she died in 2006. Deliberations on the trial of accomplices to her killing seem to suggest that many want the procedure to be held “in camera”, (what a dumb expression for in secret).
Only this week there has been a heated discussion between Putin and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso. Barroso said the killing of Markelov and the trainee journalist in January was causing the EU concern. Putin? He retaliated by accusing Barroso of hypocrisy and saying the EU is guilty of human rights abuses in its prisons and when handling illegal immigrants. A cornered animal can be dangerous, and will lash out.
Are we, the EU, guilty of the crimes Putin accused us of? I don’t think any prisoners or illegal immigrants have been shot dead in cold blood recently, and, even if this did happen, I believe the due process of law would go ahead to the satisfaction of the public.
Have you heard of, or read, Novayagazeta? Probably not, but you ought to if you care about transparency and human rights - care about the right of journalists to inform.
Russia is desperate to be accepted by the USA and EU, , (in spite of its playing "big daddy over gas supplies), and there have been big changes since Glasnost; but more changes are necessary before we can truly believe they are a democratic country with the right to free speech and laws protecting human rights.
I’m sure that, as with Speaker’s Corner in Hyde Park London, you can speak out on any subject you choose in the centre of Moscow. The difference is - you are highly unlikely to be assassinated in London if you do.
Not only that, if you were, (assassinated that is at Speaker's Corner), there is a general feeling of security when it comes to the judicial system – well, sort of, given the type and length of sentences some of our judges hand down, (one does wonder how a few bewigged buffoons function in today’s world).
Russia? It seems that corruption throughout the legal system, starting with the police, is rife. I know from Russian friends that the police frequently supplement their incomes by demanding on the spot payments for traffic offences, and that is at the bottom of Russia’s legal and judicial system. One dreads to think what happens higher up the food chain.
Back to journalists.
Stanislav Markelov is, was, a human rights lawyer, and was sent packing with a bullet to the back of the head in the street in broad daylight – January this year. A trainee journalist, Anastasia Baburova, was then shot. She died later from here injuries. Who did she work for? Novayagazeta.
Novayagazeta specialises in human rights stories, and Anastasia is not the first of their journalists to be killed.
Anna Politkovskaya was also a journalist for the paper – she died in 2006. Deliberations on the trial of accomplices to her killing seem to suggest that many want the procedure to be held “in camera”, (what a dumb expression for in secret).
Only this week there has been a heated discussion between Putin and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso. Barroso said the killing of Markelov and the trainee journalist in January was causing the EU concern. Putin? He retaliated by accusing Barroso of hypocrisy and saying the EU is guilty of human rights abuses in its prisons and when handling illegal immigrants. A cornered animal can be dangerous, and will lash out.
Are we, the EU, guilty of the crimes Putin accused us of? I don’t think any prisoners or illegal immigrants have been shot dead in cold blood recently, and, even if this did happen, I believe the due process of law would go ahead to the satisfaction of the public.
Russia, as in its government and judicial system, has a long way to go and a lot of muck raking to do before it can be accepted as having moved on from the days of the Soviet Union.
Thank what ever god you choose to worship that the owners and people working for this newspaper carry on, in spite of the risk to themselves. Take a look at the online version of the newspaper in question – it has a page in English.
http://en.novayagazeta.ru/
See ya
http://en.novayagazeta.ru/
See ya
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