Thread by @ZarinaZabrisky

On Friday, August 27, 2021, a number of leading independent Russian mass media outlets published an unprecedented appeal to the Russian authorities. In this appeal, the journalists listed the recent attacks on the Russian media and journalists.

They demanded that the authorities comply with the law on mass media; abandon the practice of labeling publications and journalists "foreign agents" and "undesirable organizations"...

...and stop the detention and physical violence against journalists at the protests. Appealing to President Vladimir Putin, FSB Director Alexander Bortnikov, Prosecutor General Igor Krasnov, State Duma and Federation Council chairmen Vyacheslav Volodin and Valentina Matvienko

and others, the journalists demanded a revision of the decisions to close the editorial offices of the non-state-run publications and revocation of "undesirable organizations" and "foreign agents" statuses.

They also insisted on the revision of the criminal and administrative cases against journalists and on the investigation of the cases of the use of physical violence used against journalists.

These actions are a part of the campaign aimed to destroy non-state media and put pressure on individual journalists, state the authors of the appeal.

Below are some excerpts translated from this appeal. Please share this address to protect these courageous journalists.

"During the period December 21, 2020 - August, 2021, the following publications and journalists were included in the list of foreign media performing the functions of foreign agents:

the Czech news agency MEDIUM-ORIENT
a human rights activist Lev Ponomarev,
journalists Lyudmila Savitskaya and Sergey Markelov,
editor-in-chief of Pskov Province Denis Kamalyagin,
a St. Petersburg artist and activist Daria Apakhonchich,

Radio Svoboda (On April 7, 2021, the Russian watchdog Roskomnadzor reported that Radio Svoboda was fined 71.5 million rubles for the lack of appropriate labeling on publications (later this the amount increased to 230 mn rubles).Consequently, Radio Svoboda staff had to immigrate)

Meduza (The publication faced closure as advertisers pulled out ads, journalists' salaries were cut, and part of the staff had to quit their jobs. )

VTimes.io (publication's domain admin, the Stichting 2 Oktober, was added to the list of "foreign agents." It was forced to close on June 12, 2021.)
the Dozhd TV channel was reported to be excluded from the presidential pool.

Proekt (On July 15, 2021, the Prosecutor General's Office recognized the activities of the foreign organization Project Media, Inc. as undesirable in Russia, stating that its work "poses a threat to the foundations of the constitutional order and security."

The Ministry of Justice included "Proekt" in the list of "undesirable organizations." On the same day, the Ministry of Justice added to the list of "foreign agents" in the media multiple journalists: Proekt editor-in-chief, Roman Badanin, employees Pyotr Manyakhin, Olga Churakova

Maria Zheleznova and Yulia Lukyanova, as well as Radio Svoboda journalist Elizaveta Maetnaya, employees of Open Media and Proekt Yulia Yarosh, Maxim Glikin, Ilya Rozhdestvensky, Mikhail Rubin, Sofya Groisman, Yulia Apukhtina and Alexei Posternak.)

The Insider (On July 23, 2021, The Insider SIA, which is the domain name administrator for The Insider, was included in the list of "foreign agents" in media. Its founder, Roman Dobrokhotov, suggested that his colleagues would have to leave Russia.

On July 28, Dobrokhotov's residence was searched, his equipment and a foreign passport were seized, allegedly due to a libel case, in which Dobrokhotov serves as a witness.)

Open Media, MBH Media and Postcard Human Rights Protection (OnAugust 4, 2021, Roskomnadzor blocked the websites of Open Media, MBH Media and Postcard Human Rights Protection at the request of the Prosecutor General's Office.)
the Dozhd TV channel,

the Important Stories portal (a legal entity Istories fonds registered in the Republic of Latvia),
journalists Stepan Petrov, Olesya Shmagun, Alesya Marokhovskaya, Irina Dolinina, Roman Shleinov, Roman Anin, Dmitry Velikovsky.

"Proposals to recognize additional publications, the Novaya Gazeta and Mediazona, as "foreign agents" circulate in the social media and are forwarded to government agencies for action.

"In addition, there are beatings of journalists at rallies, attempts to recognize journalists as protesters, and the repeated extension of the detention for the former Kommersant correspondent Ivan Safronov, accused of treason.

He was taken into custody on July 7, 2020, and no evidence of his guilt was presented.""We demand to put the end to the criminal and administrative prosecution of journalists and insist on investigations and additional checks of the use of physical force by the Interior Ministry

and Rosgvardia officers against journalists. Some of these journalists have been diagnosed with craniocerebral trauma and other injuries."

"Such cases include Ivan Safronov as well as the cases against the media staff unjustly convicted of participating in uncoordinated actions, for instance, Nikita Mogutin, editor-in-chief of the Baza telegram channel, who was covering the April 23 protests,

Meduza correspondent Kristina Safonova; the Novaya Gazeta correspondent Elizaveta Kirpanova and photographer Georgy Markov who covered the January 23, 2021 rally; the host of the YouTube channel Real View Fedor Khudokormov at the action on February 2, 2021."

"We demand that the official authorities of the Russian Federation and their subordinates take the following actions:
1) stop putting Russian media and their individual employees on the "foreign agents" and "undesirable organizations" lists;

2) repeal the laws relevant to this practice;
3) stop beating journalists and investigate the above cases;
4) drop the fabricated administrative and criminal cases against journalists;

5) comply with Article 144 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation on "Obstruction of the legitimate professional activities of journalists";

6) comply with the law on mass media and other laws of the Russian Federation, protecting the rights of journalists in a normal democratic state."

"If, of course, it is still possible to talk about it."
This appeal & similar appeals were published by the following publications: Dozhd, Novaya Gazeta, Forbes, Meduza, Republic, The Village, Wonderzine, Sota vision, Stol, Romb, 7x7, Trade Union of Journalists and Media Workers.

The original: tvrain.ru/teleshow/notes…