Activists and Reporters imperiled in Russia

[nam78_two]

I was really sad to hear about the murder of Anna Politkovskaya :(.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061011/ap_on_re_eu/russia_working_under_threat_1


MOSCOW - Internet postings are calling on Russian nationalists to kill government critics — death lists that underscore the dangers journalists and rights activists face in Russia.


Svetlana Gannushkina, a refugee rights activist, tops a list of 89 people published by a radical nationalist group, the Russian Will, which has urged "patriots" to take up arms and execute her and other friends of "alien" peoples.

"Since there is nothing I can do in this situation, I try not think about it," the soft-spoken, 64-year-old Gannushkina said.

Slain investigative reporter Anna Politkovskaya was on such a list, for her reporting on Chechnya and criticism of the Kremlin. Her slaying Saturday has cast a chill over human rights activists and journalists who criticize government policies and increasingly fear for their safety in a repressive climate.

Since President Vladimir Putin came to power nearly seven years ago, he has moved to silence critics, squeezing the opposition and tightening the screws on media critical of the Kremlin. He came under strong Western condemnation for a new law that severely limits the activities of non-governmental organizations.

[thingfisher]

1. We are lucky

to live in America where freedom of expression is valued and we all have the right to voice our opinions without fear of reprisal. After all, that is what makes America great and has caused the world to look up to us and trust us for so many years. We have always held the high moral ground in that regard.
We do not assasinate reporters for reporting things that may reflect badly on our elected officials. Activism is a cherished right of a free people to seek redress of greivances and no one in our government would ever think of curtailing such a cherished right.
Excuse me if I sound a bit maudlin, but it's just that I'm so proud to be a free man in a free society in a free country like America... it just brings a tear to the eye to think about it.
So lets take a moment to forget all the nattering nabobs of negativism who like nothing more than to heap scorn on this great country of ours and give ourselves a pat on the back!!:toast: