[fse-esf] Appeal for solidarity to independant Russian newspaper from Russia

[Clement Carine]

Appeal to colleagues and comrades from “Permsky Obozrevatel (Perm Observer)” 
weekly newspaper staff
Dear friends! The staff of “Permsky Obozrevatel” weekly appeals to you for 
support.
“Permsky Obozrevatel” media group, composed of “Permsky Obozrevatel” weekly 
newspaper, “Permskye Sosedi (Perm Neighbors)” Internet portal and 
“Nesekretno (Not Classified)” Internet resourse, acts in the city of Perm 
and the territory according to Mass Media Federal Law. Being independent, 
our weekly aspires to represent real situation in the territory hiding from 
the readers neither merits nor demerits of the city and its authorities. The 
weekly publishes articles that mirror the citizens’ struggle for their civil 
rights, including legal decisions in favor of the people suffered from the 
authorities’ trample of their rights. Our weekly provides its pages for 
opinions of various officials, political figures and socially active 
citizens. The staff of the newspaper longs for truthful and impartial data 
representation. That does not concur with the aim of officials in the city 
and the territory, including the Governor, to hush the Perm reality up.
Various officials, defense and law enforcement agencies are strictly putting 
pressure to “Permsky Obozrevatel” weekly during two years. In 2005 
Administrations of the city of Perm and of the Perm territory act to prevent 
the weekly circulations from distributing thru various trading networks in 
the city. As a result some networks and organizations (including Perm branch 
of Lufthansa, Semya and Vivat shops) have refused to distribute “Permsky 
Obozrevatel” despite other printed media are still sold by them. The facts 
of administrative oppression, for example by Vice-Governor Sukhikh, are 
established by Office of Public Prosecutor, but he has escaped any 
responsibility.
During 2006 all printers of Perm territory are being forced by the officials 
to reject the cooperation with “Permsky Obozrevatel”. The editorial board of 
the weekly has to transfer printing outside Perm territory.
17 March, 2006. According to a candidate for mayorship and then acting Mayor 
of Perm Igor Shubin declaration territorial law-enforcement officers 
arrested part of the “Permsky Obozrevatel” circulation and attempted to 
process criminal case against the weekly. There was no answer from the 
territorial Office of Public Prosecutor to the illegal arrest of the 
circulation.
25 May, 2006. Officers of special militia forces trespassed on “Permsky 
Obozrevatel” office and withdrew servers with flagrant violation of remedial 
legislation. The withdrawal was later declared illegal by the cassation 
judicial definition No. 22-3310 dated 13 June, 2006, but nevertheless the 
servers and documents are still not returned.
On the basis of the illegally withdrawn servers there were instituted 
criminal proceedings under RF Criminal Code Articles No. 137 (violating the 
right to private life of 600 (sic!) inhabitants of Perm) and No. 238 
(disclosing state secrets).
During June and July, 2006, Perm territorial and Dzerzinsky, Leninsky, 
Motovilikhinsky, Sverdlovsky district offices of public prosecutors extended 
inadequate information that there were initiated criminal cases against 
journalists of the weekly, that was not true.
2 August, 2006. New invasion of armed militia, investigative department of 
the territorial FSB and all district prosecutor officers was organized into 
the office of the weekly.
Blessed by the territorial Administration municipal militia officers put 
pressure upon journalists of “Permsky Obozrevatel” down to open persecution 
and discredit of them. Press photographer of the newspaper Vladimir Korolyov 
has been pronounced ‘wanted’. “Mestnoye Vremya” newspaper of 30 August, 
2006, put his portrait under the header ‘Attention! Wanted!’ and accused him 
in disclosing state secrets.
The persecution of the newspaper and their journalists are still going on.
Perm authorities aim at shutting our independent newspaper, they are 
inventing new ways to destroy the free press.

That is why we ask you to write letters to support us and to protest against 
the destruction of independent newspaper of “Permsky Obozrevatel”.

Sincerely yours
Journalists of “Permsky Obozrevatel” newspaper,
Tatiana Dukhonina, Editor-in-Chief
Text of the appeal:
We express our protest against:
-	the violation of the rights of “Permsky Obozrevatel” newspaper staff and 
the illegal persecution of the newspaper;
-	the violation of Constitution of Russian Federation which guarantees 
freedom of information and bans censorship;
-	the violation of Mass Media Federal Law concerning “Permsky Obozrevatel” 
newspaper.
We demand:
-	to stop the persecution of the journalists and reporters of the newspaper;
-	to stop putting obstacles in printing and distribution of the newspaper.

Please direct your appeals to addresses and faxes below:
President of Russian Federation Vladimir Putin
Staraya Ploschad 4, Moscow, 103132, Russia

Government of Russian Federation
	Ilyinka 23, Moscow, 103132, Russia
Correspondence Dept:
	http://www.kremlin.ru/articles/send_letter_1.shtml

Prosecutor General of Russian Federation
	Vorontsovo Polye 4, Moscow, 103793, Russia

Russian Union of Journalists
	Zubovsky boulevard 4, Moscow GSP-2, 119992, Russia
	Phones: (495) 2012395, 2015116
	e-mail: ruj at ruj.ru

CC:
O. V. Shein, Deputy of the State Duma of Federal Assembly of the Russian 
Federation
	Fax: (495)2928906

O. A. Chirkunov, Governor of Perm territory
	Kuybysheva 14, Perm, 614006, Russia
	Fax: (342) 2587575, 2587075

I. N. Shubin, Head of the city of Perm
	Lenina 23, Perm, 614000, Russia
	Fax: (342) 2349491
e-mail: gorodperm at permregion.ru

Tatiana Dukhonina, “Permsky Obozrevatel” Editor-in-Chief
	Fax: (342) 2120371
	e-mail: permoboz at permoboz.ru