Local authorities are reorganizing editorial boards on the pretext of bringing then into line with the Civil Code and using the newspapers to disseminate information rather than allowing them to operate independently. It was also reported, on May 13, that the chief of staff of the Saratov legislature was threatening to strip local journalists of their accreditation for publishing incorrect and insulting information. The local media allege that press freedom is under pressure in the run-up to local elections. Earlier, on March 31, Yeltsin vetoed a law that would have created a supreme council on the protection of morals in television and radio broadcasts. Yeltsin argued that the law would have contradicted constitutional guarantees of press freedom.
Terrorist attacks continue to be a problem across the Russian Federation.
The most significant attack came in the capital of North Ossetia, Vladikavkaz, in March, when more than 60 people died in the bombing of a market. Later, on May 16, four more were killed in an explosion on the outskirts of the city. Bombs also exploded at the beginning of May outside two synagogues in Moscow, causing some damage, though no injuries were reported. Against the background of the NATO attacks on Yugoslavia, a bomb exploded outside the US and British consulates in Ekaterinburg, though it was not clear if the consulates or the businesses housed in the same building were the target. The American embassy in Moscow also came under attack.