Well, what if I told you that there are just six enormous media conglomerates that combine to produce about 90 percent of all the media that Americans consume. … Read More
Latvian authorities ‘try to silence’ journalist with criminal charges over controversial law report
Russian-speaking freelancer Khramtsov was commissioned by a St. Petersburg channel to produce a report on a new law passing through the Latvian parliament that bans people from exhibiting either Soviet or Nazi symbols in public.The law, which parliament initially tried to rush through ahead of 9 May commemorations (the day when Germany surrendered to the USSR at the end of World War II) has attracted controversy, particularly among the ethnic Russian minority, which constitutes more than a quarter of the population. Soviet-era symbols, such as Red Army uniforms and crimson flags, have been a staple of the celebrations, even after the secession of Latvia from the USSR.The date is highly politicized in the country, with the authorities refusing to celebrate it as Victory Day, since independent Latvia was invaded by the USSR in 1940, then by Nazi Germany the following year, before reverting to Soviet control at the end of the war.Khramtsov told RT that he arranged to meet several ethnic Russian Communist sympathizers in a town square on May 7, to discuss whether they would obey the law once it is passed. The small group of men arrived with Soviet flags, but Khramtsov says they refused to be filmed, afraid of future police prosecution. After an informal discussion, Khramtsov claims the group dispersed peacefully.The following day Khramtsov was called up to a police station, where he was charged with organizing mass disorder and staging a provocation, with a video of the previous day’s meeting, filmed from a nearby police car, cited as evidence.Khramtsov says he was not encouraging the men to break the law, but merely doing his job. It is also notable that the law went through its second reading on May 16, and faces one more, before it comes into force, making it difficult to ascertain what Khramtsov’s exact misdemeanor might have been“What has happened gives me a horrible feeling. I don’t know if it is someone just trying to earn a promotion at my expense, or if, more unfortunately, authorities in what is supposedly a free country and an EU member are trying to silence the media,” the journalist told RT in a phone interview.Anda Rozuklane, the chief of the Latvian Journalists Association has spoken out in defense of Khramtsov.“If there is evidence that the journalist was doing anything other than compiling a story, it should be made public, but it does not seem to exist. We think this is a disproportionate action, intended to intimidate Khramtsov,” she told Russia’s Interfax news agency.Khramtsov has been a persistent thorn in the side of the authorities in recent times.Three years ago he filmed an expose, showing how easy it would be for terrorists to target Riga’s landmarks. His report showed him making a bomb from easily obtained ingredients, before smuggling a mockup of an explosive device into public spaces. He won a local award “for contributing to press freedom”, but authorities charged him with keeping and transporting explosives.The case was thrown out of court earlier this year.“I think the police are angry with me for that last incident – and are trying to exact their revenge”Khramtsov says subtle pressure and discouragement are commonplace weapons against all journalists whose views diverge from those of dominant politicians, and particularly those who challenge the nationalist anti-Soviet narrative adopted in Latvia since independence in 1991.“I think this constitutes bullying by the authorities. They have no evidence against me, but they are wasting my time, even though the case will never get to court.”In the most recent World Press Freedom Index, compiled by Reporters without Borders Latvia was ranked 39th, below the other Baltic states, but ahead of the other former Soviet republics. It was ranked as high as 13th in previous years, but a string of high-profile incidents have dented Latvia’s reputation. … Read More
Insult and punishment: Russian MPs mull softer penalty for religious offenses
The ‘anti-blasphemy’ bill was submitted to the Russian parliament’s lower house in September, in the wake of infamous case against the punk band Pussy Riot.The draft law – bitterly criticized by rights activists and lawyers – passed first reading in April when MPs voted to add a new article to the Russian Penal Code.Under the bill, public insults and humiliation of divine services as well as believers’ feelings was to be punished with a fine of up to 300,000 roubles ($US 9,500), up to 200 hours of forced labor or up to three years in prison. Vandalism and desecration of holy sites would cost the offender up to 500,000 roubles (over $US 15,000) or up to 5 years behind bars.Ahead of the second out of three required readings, the Duma’s committee on law worked out amendments to the legislation. The initial idea to add a new article to the code was dropped. Instead, lawmakers suggest amending the existing Article 148 (‘Obstruction of the Exercise of the Right of Liberty of Conscience and Religious Liberty’).The committee also changed the wording of bill which has been slammed by opponents for being too loose and could therefore lead to outrage.Now, if new version of the bill is passed, a person could be sent to court for “public actions which indicate obvious disrespect towards society and aimed at insulting believers’ religious feelings.” An offender would have to pay up to 300,000 roubles in fines, or a sum of money equivalent to their two years’ salary. One could also be sentenced to up to 240 hours of compulsory community service or up to a year in jail.The Duma committee also proposes that these offenses committed in places for religious ceremonies or services must be subject to fines of up to 500,000 roubles ($US15,000), or a sum of money equivalent to offenders salary for up to 3 years. Alternatively, violators may face up to 480 hours of compulsory community service or up to three years in prison.Besides that, the lawmakers recommended to toughen criminal liability for illegal obstruction of activities of religious organizations or administration of religious ceremonies. Such violations must be subject to fines of up to 300,000 roubles. If committed by an official or with the use of force, such crimes could be punished with up to one year behind bars.The idea to protect believers’ feelings by the law was prompted by a large number of sacrilegious situations and events that took place in 2012. Apart from infamous Pussy Riot’s “punk prayer” staged in the Moscow’s main cathedral, there were also desecration of icons, the Nazi and Satanist graffiti in churches and synagogues and cutting down of memorial Orthodox crosses in various Russian regions. … Read More
Deputy PM Shuvalov becomes top-earning Russian official in 2012
He earned 226 million roubles (around $7.3 million) in 2012 against 9.6 million a year earlier. The Shouvalov couple earned a combined 71.6 million roubles more in 2012 making 448 million roubles ($14.4 million) compared to 376.6 million roubles ($12.1) in 2011. The income of the Deputy PM’s wife Olga Shuvalova almost halved to 222 million roubles ($7.1 million). That’s because she used to be the only beneficiary of the Shuvalov ‘blind’ trust registered in the British Virgin Islands. Now both spouses share equal income from the trust. Last week Igor Shuvalov was reported to have begun transferring his offshore assets back to Russia ahead of the new law banning state officials from holding stocks and capital abroad, Vedomosti said on Friday. The funds in the family’s Severin Trust in the British Virgin Island are being gradually transferred back to Russia, according to representatives of Shuvalov reports the newspaper.Shuvalov family’s offshore trust and income were exposed during last year’s campaign, after President Putin introduced a bill which bans officials from holding foreign assets. The bill passed in the first reading in the Lower Chamber in February. The second top-earning official is the Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov. He earned 103 million roubles in 2012 ($3.3 million). The third place is shared by Deputy Prime Minister and Presidential Plenipotentiary Envoy to the North Caucasus Federal District Aleksandr Khloponin and Russia’s Minister for Open Government Mikhail Abyzov. Each earned 65 million roubles ($2 million). … Read More
Kremlin gives civil servants July deadline to bring foreign assets home
“If someone has bank accounts abroad, we give them three months to get rid of them,” Sergey Ivanov told reporters on Tuesday at a major media conference dedicated to anti-corruption measures.Ivanov said that the ban on foreign accounts also concerned top executive of Russian state corporations, such as oil giant Rosneft and natural gas monopoly Gazprom. The bill on officials’ foreign assets is currently being considered by the lower house and has already passed the first reading. After this, President Putin submitted his own version of the bill and it is expected that the second reading will be held over the amended and much softer version – it is applied to fewer categories of civil servant and is less restrictive.Most importantly, Putin’s bill allows officials for ownership of foreign real estate, banning only securities and bank accounts.In its current version the ban on foreign assets is applied to the federal and regional government officials and parliamentarians, the Central Bank board and corporate senior managers appointed by the president, the government or the prosecutor general.Gazprom and Rosneft immediately reacted to Ivanov’s interview, saying that neither Gazprom Chairman Aleksey Miller nor Rosneft President Igor Sechin keep their money in foreign banks.Apart from setting the deadline for dumping foreign assets, Ivanov promised police protection for public servants who report incidences of corruption. He noted that the corresponding law provides for state measures to protect whistleblowers and also to provide them with free legal consultations.At the same time, Ivanov noted that authorities would not base probes on anonymous reports.Russia has launched a major anti-corruption campaign after the last parliamentary and presidential polls and it has already yielded some results. Last year President Putin sacked Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov over the suspected multi-billion graft schemes and former Agriculture Minister Skrynnik is acting as a witness in a major embezzlement case.Sergey Ivanov also said in the interview that 322 civil servants were fired after auditors checked 211,000 of 1.3 million submitted income declarations for 2011. Generals from the Emergencies Ministry were among those fired. … Read More
School Alchemy: Turning Students into Gold for the State
Just as chemistry has many alchemists to thank for knowledge gained on the road to easy gold, we in the government school business send props to our Utopian-dreaming fathers of publik skools. … Read More
Aurora shooter’s plea offer denied
DENVER (AP) — Prosecutors in the Colorado theater massacre case have rejected an offer from suspect James Holmes to plead guilty in exchange for avoiding the death penalty, saying the proposal can’t be considered genuine because the defense has repeatedly refused to give them information needed to evaluate it.No plea agreement exists, prosecutors said in a scathing court document Thursday, and one “is extremely unlikely based on the present information available to the prosecution.”They also said anyone reading news stories about the offer would inevitably conclude “the defendant knows that he is guilty, the defense attorneys know that he is guilty, and that both of them know that he was not criminally insane.”Neither the defense nor the prosecution immediately returned phone calls Thursday.Holmes is charged with multiple counts of murder and attempted murder in the July 20 shootings in a packed theater in the Denver suburb of Aurora. Twelve people were killed and 70 were injured.Holmes’ attorneys disclosed in a court filing Wednesday that their client has offered to plead guilty, but only if he wouldn’t be executed.Continue Reading… … Read More
