Journalist investigated for mocking Putin

[RebelDawg]

MOSCOW - Prosecutors are investigating a journalist for publishing an article mocking President Vladimir Putin over his call to pay Russian women to have more children, an official said Wednesday.

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The article was published by Vladimir Rakhmankov, editor of the online newspaper Kursiv in the central city of Ivanovo, said Andrei Galchenko of the regional prosecutor's office.

The piece poked fun at Putin's recent state of the nation address that called for economic incentives to boost the country's plummeting birth rate. Russian media reported that the publication suggested that animals at a local zoo increased their mating, heeding Putin's call.

Rakhmankov could not be reached for comment Wednesday. His article could not be seen, because the Web site has been shut down.

-snip-

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20060525/ap_on_re_eu/russia_ribbing_putin_1

[SteppingRazor]

1. Ah, such a wave of nostalgia...

Remember the Soviet Union? Wasn't that fun?

And is it any wonder that Rakhmankov couldn't be reached for comment? The man's probably half way to a Siberian gulag by now

[Fierce]

2. They did this under Yeltsin too.

Russia has always looked unkindly upon its press.

[Tempest]

4. They're doing it now in America

Just ask ABC reporters.

[RebelDawg]

3. My guess is

he may never be heard from again. Didn't W determine that Pootie had a great soul or some shit? Unbelievable.

[stepnw1f]

5. Sounds Like Bush's America (nt)

[WhiteTara]

6. I'm sure the monkey is looking at this very carefully

to see if the outrage is insufficient enough for him to do the same. I expect this to happen here soon enough.