Based on information provided to IPI, there are renewed concerns about press freedom in Russia. Recently, some journalists attempting to cover protests at the G8 meeting in St. Petersburg, Russia, were arrested by the authorities, and there is new legislation awaiting the signature of President Putin that restricts the media’s right to criticise officials.

On 9 July, two photography students from the University of Bielefeld, Germany, Eike Korfhage and Henning Wallerius, were given a 10-days prison charge for “urinating in public.” Both Korfhage and Wallerius deny the charges. They were released from detention on 16 July and deported.

The students had travelled to St. Petersburg to cover public protests taking place at the G-8 summit on behalf of their University campus radio station, Hertz 87.9. Police had initially charged them with participating in an anti-G8 protest.

Two days later, on 11 July, police in St. Petersburg arrested Boris Reitschuster, a correspondent for the German magazine Focus. At the time of his arrest, Reitschuster was covering the anti-G8 summit protests and taking photographs of four delegates being arrested at a conference of opposition parties and civil society groups. Reportedly, his camera and mobile phone were confiscated and then returned with all the camera’s photographs deleted.

Aside from the problems for foreign journalists, some Russian journalists have also faced difficulties covering the G-8 summit and the anti-summit protests.

The Russian Parliament has also approved a bill in July amending the Law on Fighting Extremist Activity. The bill has to be signed by President Putin before becoming law. According to the bill, media criticism, such as public slander of state officials is included in the definition of extremist activity, and is punishable by up to three years’ imprisonment for journalists.

Speaking about the press freedom situation in Russia, IPI Director Johann Fritz said, “The Russian mass media continue to work in a difficult environment. In addition to the attacks on journalists, the media have engaged in a great deal of self-censorship.”

“IPI calls on the international community to do more to address the press freedom situation in Russia. At a time when journalists suffer harassment and must resort to self-censorship, there is a real need for international dialogue with Russia to be informed by greater discussion about press freedom and freedom of expression,” Fritz said.