All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works. PUT it all together and the first months of Vladimir Putin s presidency can look pretty alarming.
Free speech is the most lasting legacy of reform in Russia.
Now it is under threat. Vladimir Gusinsky, owner of NTV, the only independent national television station, was jailed on June 13th on a spurious-sounding allegation of fraud. The government is also talking about tougher licensing laws for the media, while officials have reverted to Soviet-style habits of bluster and bullying in dealing with annoying journalists. If so, he is being careful to leave no fingerprints. At the time of Mr Gusinsky s arrest he was in Spain.