Chechnya Video
Russia
In June, the Press Ministry took TV Spektrum (TVS), the only remaining nationwide non-state affiliated channel, off the air and assigned the frequency on a temporary basis to the state-owned Sports Channel. In spite of the initial high public interest in TVS, many of whose personnel had originally been associated with NTV before the Government takeover, the network was unable to compete with first-tier networks, and its ratings plummeted. Unable to challenge the monopoly of the advertising giant Video International (VI), reportedly controlled by Media Minister Mikhail Lesin, TVS managed to raise only a fraction of the anticipated advertising revenues. Disputes among the shareholders over editorial and business issues aggravated TVS' problems. In May, TVS was disconnected from the Moscow cable network in a debt dispute, thereby losing the most valuable segment of the advertising market. By June, unpaid wages and growing debts to program producers led to the departure of man ... [Read More]
2004 Country Report on Human Rights Practices in Russia
There were no indications that the June 16 decision of the Moscow City Court resulting in the city wide banning of the Jehovah's Witnesses would be repealed. Unlike liquidation, which involves only the loss of an organization's juridical status, a ban prohibits the activities of an entire religious community. The ban has had far reaching consequences for the Witnesses in Moscow and elsewhere. Congregations of Witnesses had longstanding rental contracts for meeting rooms cancelled after the ban came in to effect, making it extremely difficult for the congregations to meet. An audio video production company that has worked with the Witnesses in the past refused to sign a contract to produce additional films, citing the court's decision. A court in Primorskiy Kray cited the Moscow ban in reversing a lower court's decision to award custody of a child to its mother, a member of the Jehovah's Witnesses. In Kurgan, the regional Ministry of the Interior requested that the city administration a ... [Read More]
Russia
In June 2000, Taisa Isayeva, a Chechen journalist, who works for the Chechen Press agency based in Georgia, was arrested and detained at the Nizhniy Zaramag border checkpoint, between Russian North Ossetiya and Georgian South Ossetiya because she was carrying a video camera and a portable computer. ... The Government does not provide direct assistance to trafficking victims. Victims of trafficking can turn to a crisis center or other NGO's that render assistance to female victims of sexual and other kinds of abuse (see Section 5). Many of the over 55 crisis centers and NGO's throughout the country provide information on trafficking, and some provide assistance. NGO's that are members of the "Angel Coalition" claim to have rescued a few women and have assisted several trafficking victims to reintegrate upon return to the country. These NGO's receive varying degrees of support from regional and local governments. Some are invited to brief local officials and law enforcement personnel, and some provide training to local crisis centers and hospital staff. Some foreign funded crisis centers, such as the Anna Crisis Center in Moscow and the Women's Center in Kareliya Oblast provide psychological consultations for trafficking victims. The NGO Internews produced a series of television public ... [Read More]
Russia
Section 3 Respect for Political Rights: The Right of Citizens to Change Their GovernmentThe Constitution provides citizens with the right to change their Government peacefully, and citizens exercised this right in practice through periodic, generally free and fair elections held on the basis of universal suffrage. The Constitution establishes four branches of Government: The Presidency; the Federal Assembly made up of two houses (the State Duma and Federation Council); the Government and Council of Ministers headed by the Prime Minister; and the Judiciary. The Constitution gives predominance to the Presidency, and the President utilized his many powers to set national priorities and establish individual policies. After President Yeltsin's December 1999 resignation, Vladimir Putin assumed the post of acting President. In a March 2000 election, Putin was elected President. While some ... [Read More]
Russia
The country's Northern Caucasus continued to be a dangerous region for Russian journalists. On May 14, in Karachayevo-Cherkesiya a large group confronted a film crew of the Respublika television company. The group demanded the videotape footage of a report that the crew had produced on the recent republic-wide election; the footage contained evidence of violations of federal election law and explicit verbal threats against journalists issued by local officials. Members of the group severely beat the journalists and destroyed their equipment; they also took the videotape. In a similar incident in May, supporters of Vladimir Semenev, one of the candidates in the elections, abducted a camera crew and seized video material from journalists of Stavropol state television. After long negotiations, the journalists were freed on the condition that they "not film again." And on May 29, in the same region, unknown arsonists set fire to the home of Anna Belskaya, the editor of the official daily, ... [Read More]
Russia
Notwithstanding this pressure, the Media-Most media companies (including the NTV, the radio station Ekho Moskvy, the news daily Segodnya, and the weekly Itogi) which are generally well regarded for their relative professionalism and independence, did not cede editorial ground. These media outlets continued to criticize President Putin and his administration on a wide range of problems, including the Kremlin's media policy. On May 11 masked law enforcement officers raided the offices of Media-Most in central Moscow and confiscated documents and technical equipment. The authorities charged that the holding's security service illegally recorded telephone conversations. Media-Most called the raid "a politically motivated attack on freedom of the press." In a statement, the Russian Union of Journalists termed it "an unconstitutional act aimed at intimidating the independent media." On June 11 Media-Most chief Vladimir Gusinskiy was arrested on charges of ... [Read More]
"For the Record" Alumni Newsletter – Office of Academic Exchange Programs, European Programs Branch
Digital Video Conference between Washington D.C. and Ukraine ... As a part of the International Education Week, the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and the U.S. Embassy in Kiev held a Digital Video Conference on November 16 for approximately twenty ECA academic exchange program alumni, NGO representatives and Ministry of Education officials in Kiev and eight current ECA program participants in Washington, DC. The event was hosted by U.S. Ambassador Pascual. The DVC was organized to raise awareness of the Ukrainian Ministry of Education and Science about the American exchange experience for Ukrainians and to encourage Ministry officials to utilize the talents and learning of program alumni. The participants discussed the benefits of their international education experience, the impact of U.S. exchange programs on Americans, and what Ukrainian program participants have been able to share with Americans about Ukraine, its culture, language ... [Read More]
Europe and Eurasia
To advance the protection of human rights, the Embassy awarded grants totaling approximately $275,000 for projects to improve basic human rights, empower minorities, promote a free and independent press, strengthen the rule of law and other themes that support equality and basic freedoms. The American Corner in Bitola, Macedonia's third largest city, regularly hosts programs to increase public awareness of human and civil rights. The Embassy disseminates U.S. government material on human rights to key contacts in the media, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and others. Video products explaining human rights were distributed to and displayed by local broadcasters. The Ambassador served as the host of an annual embassy initiative recognizing the contributions of women to society. Training programs for journalists that are designed to inculcate the practices of an independent media and their role as societal watchdog continued. ... [Read More]
Digital Video Conference With Bratislava, Moscow and Rome
Digital Video Conference With Bratislava, Moscow and Rome ... [Read More]
Tips for Travelers to Russia
May 2001 General Information Travel and living conditions in Russia can contrast sharply with those in the United States. This brochure offers advice to help you avoid inconveniences and difficulties. The Department of State and the U.S. Embassy and consulates in Russia offer a wide range of services to U.S. citizens. U.S. consular officials meet regularly with local authorities to promote the safety of U.S. citizens in the country. ... [Read More]
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