Russians rally for press freedom

By Vladimir Radyuhin

MOSCOW, APRIL 7. The Russian President, Mr. Vladimir Putin, suffered the first major setback in his year-long presidency as thousands of people rallied in Moscow to protest a Kremlin- orchestrated bid to take control of the country's only private national TV station.

Over 20,000 people defied a spring drizzle to gather in front of the Moscow TV centre on Saturday in support of the 400-strong staff of the NTV independent television who are resisting takeover by the state-run gas monopoly, Gazprom, a major shareholder in and creditor to NTV. Last week, Gazprom called a shareholders' meeting to replace the NTV management, but the station's staff rejected the decision as illegal and refused to comply.

Mr. Putin, who is believed to be behind the takeover bid, said it was a financial dispute between two business entities, but the NTV journalists backed by other media have turned the conflict into a political issue, saying the Kremlin was trying to muzzle freedom of speech.

``We're free people, we'll win!'' chanted the NTV supporters on Saturday waving slogans: ``Hands off NTV'' and ``We're with you''.

Saturday's rally was the second in as many weeks in support of NTV in Moscow. The Russia's Union of Journalists has also organised demonstrations of solidarity with NTV in other cities. This is the largest public protest campaign since the heady days of pro-democracy rallies a decade ago. The former Soviet President, Mr. Mikhail Gorbachev, has come out strongly in support for NTV. He will meet Mr. Putin, on Monday to press him to hand over the issue to the Supreme Court as proposed by the NTV staff.

The U.S. media mogul, Mr. Ted Turner, has reached preliminary agreement with NTV's founder, Mr. Vladimir Gusinsky, to buy his third of the station's shares and is in talks with Gazprom on an equity-sharing arrangement that would prevent any holder to have a controlling share in NTV.

The scandal over NTV has wrought the first dent in the so far monolithic public support for Mr. Putin. It has also exposed Mr. Putin to pressure from foreign leaders, with the European Union and United States voicing concern over the situation. The row is likely to cast a cloud over Mr. Putin's meeting on Monday with the German Chancellor, Mr. Gerhard Schroeder, who said he was going raise the issue with the Russian leader.

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Section  : International
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