Congressional Statements - 06.14.2000

 

 

Read July 27 Lantos Speech
Read the statements from June 2000

HOUSE:

At the start of business in the U.S. House of Representatives on June 14, Representatives Tom Lantos (D-CA) and Joseph R. Pitts (R-PA) delivered one-minute floor speeches on behalf of Vladimir Goussinsky.  Representative Christopher Cox (R-NJ), who was interviewed by Mr. Goussinsky's radio station just before the arrest, also issued a statement.

On June 16, following a June 15 "Dear Colleague" letter to President Clinton, a press release was issued by Representatives Henry Waxman (D-CA), Tom Lantos (D-CA), and Sam Gejdenson (D-CT).

SENATE:

Introducing S. Con. Res. 123 on the Senate floor on June 15, Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) delivered a speech highlighting the challenges to freedom of the press in the Russian Federation.  On June 20, Senator Joseph Lieberman (D-CT) delivered a speech expressing concern over the Goussinsky arrest and the present state of press freedom and democracy in the Russian Federation.  

STATEMENTS

Lantos Speech
Pitts Speech
Cox Statement
Press Release
Lautenberg Speech
Lieberman Speech

 

 

TACTICS OF KGB ARE UNACCEPTABLE

Mr. LANTOS: Mr. Speaker, the KGB is back. Yesterday, the head of Russia's only free media was arrested; and as we meet here this morning, he is still in prison.

President Putin of Russia is in Madrid claiming not to know anything about this. He is either a puppet or he is a perpetrator.

I call on the Russian Government to release, without any further delay, the head of the only free media network in Russia. This is the network which reported accurately on the war in Chechnya. This is the network that can provide us with the hope of building a democratic society in Russia.

The tactics of the KGB are unacceptable in the 21st century.

(June 14, 2000)

HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION IN RUSSIA

Mr. PITTS: Mr. Speaker, I also rise out of concern for the human rights situation in Russia.

Yesterday, the Government of Russia took a giant step backwards in human rights as Vladimir Goussinsky, the CEO of Media Most, was arrested, imprisoned and is at present being interrogated.

So much for freedom of speech and freedom of the press in Russia.

Mr. Goussinsky has been the most pro-Western and independent of Russia's media entrepreneurs and has rallied strong support for democratic reforms in Russia.

This arrest comes on the heels of the raid of Media Most offices several weeks ago and demonstrates how human rights, particularly freedom of the press, is deteriorated under the administration of President Putin.

The Putin administration has taken extreme measures to control information. Government officials report about the `problem' of the media giving airtime and print space to views of `terrorists.'

Mr. Speaker, expressing political and religious views, even if it is in opposition to the government, is not terrorism. It is freedom.

I urge the Russian people to speak out against the latest abuse of freedom by the Putin administration and call on President Clinton to pressure the administration to release Mr. Goussinsky.

(June 14, 2000)

INTRODUCING S. CON. RES. 123

Mr. LAUTENBERG: Mr. President, I rise today to introduce a resolution on an important human rights issue in the Russian Federation: freedom of the press. This resolution was introduced in the House yesterday by Congressmen Gilman and Lantos and Helsinki Commission Chairman Chris Smith, who share my concern for human rights around the globe.

This resolution expresses the concern of the Congress over the treatment of the Russian media by the government of Russia. This treatment has included increased intimidation, manipulation, and scare tactics. Most recently, Vladimir Gusinsky, owner of the principal independent television station in Russia, was arrested and the offices of Media Most were searched without due process.

The media in Russia, even today, is still mostly state-owned. Of the large printing and publishing houses, newspaper distribution companies, nationwide television frequencies, and the broadcasting facilities that have been privatized at all, the government still maintains an interest and some measure of control over many of them. Such control has reportedly been used for political ends in recent parliamentary and presidential elections in Russia.

It is imperative for the future of democracy in Russia to maintain a free and independent media. A free press is essential to achieving stability in Russia and a government that is accountable to the rule of law. Such manipulation and intimidation tactics that have been employed by the Russian Government in recent weeks contradict the democratic values that we hope Russia will embrace.

Mr. President, I hope my colleagues will join me in support of this resolution to express our support for press freedom in Russia and our concern over its infringement.

(June 15, 2000)

ARREST OF VLADIMIR GUSINSKY IN RUSSIA

Mr. LIEBERMAN: Mr. President, I rise today to express my deep concern about the recent arrest in Russia of Vladimir Gusinsky and its negative impact on press freedom and democracy under the leadership of President Putin.

Mr. Gusinsky runs Media Most, a major conglomerate of Russian media organizations, including NTV, Russia's only television network not under state control. Media Most is a relatively independent force in Russian news reporting, and its outlets have offered hard-hitting, often critical accounts of Russia's brutal campaign in Chechnya, as well as reports on alleged Government corruption. Besides being an important media and business executive, Mr. Gusinsky is a also a leading figure in the Russian Jewish community, serving as President of the Russian Jewish Congress.

On May 11, just days after President Putin’s inauguration, Russian federal agents in a major show of force raided several of Media Most's corporate offices, raising immediate concerns about the direction of press freedom in the new government. These concerns intensified on Tuesday June 13 when a Russian prosecutor called Mr. Gusinsky in for questioning, and then arrested him on suspicion of embezzling millions of dollars worth of federal property. On June 16, Mr. Gusinsky was released from prison after the prosecutor formally charged him with embezzlement.

It is very difficult for anyone to address fully the specifics of such charges, and the Russian government's case against Mr. Gusinsky, when so little information has been made available by the Russian government. However, the circumstances of the case raise serious concerns about the initial direction of press freedom and democracy under President Putin. As one of the opening acts of the new Administration, the government chose to carry out a heavy-handed, much publicized raid on an organization led by high profile Government critic. It chose to arrest the leader of an organization, Media Most, that is one of the few outlets of independent news about controversial Russian government policies. The fact that this arrest took place while President Putinwas traveling abroad, and that he publicly speculated that the arrest might have been excessive, serves to make the situation and the Government's policy even more confusing and unsettling. Moreover, this case in not occurring in a vacuum. After President Putin’s election, but before his inauguration, there were disturbing signs of government hostility toward Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, evident in the harassment of RFE/RL correspondent Andrei Babitsky.

I am encouraged to see that prominent Russians have been speaking out about the arrest of Mr. Gusinsky, and that our Government is signaling its concern too. I echo the New York Times editorial on June 15 that this is `A Chilling Prosecution in Moscow.' I would ask unanimous consent that this piece, as well as similar editorials from the June 15 editions of the Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal, be printed in full in the Record.

[Also: Financial Times]