Doc. 10662

12 September 2005

Freedom of the media in Russia

Written question No 475 to the Committee of Ministers

presented by Mr Lindblad

      For the first time since the fall of the Soviet Union and the communist dictatorship, a Sweden journalist, Mr Bert Sundström from the Swedish Television, has been expelled from Russia after three years reporting without any explanation.

      This event, as well as other signals about a hardening climate for journalists, foreign as well as Russian, makes one worry about freedom of the press and other media in Russia.

      Mr Lindblad,

      Ask the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe what measures the Committee is going to take in order to make the Russian Federation live up to its obligations as a member state of the Council of Europe as concerns free media.

Signed ¹:

LINDBLAD, Göran, Sweden, EPP/CD

¹        SOC: Socialist Group

      EPP/CD: Group of the European People’s Party

      ALDE: Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe

      EDG: European Democratic Group

      UEL: Group of the Unified European Left

      NR: not registered in a group