The interior ministry of the Republic of Khakassia (in southwestern Siberia) has withdrawn the charges of spreading false rumours that were brought against Mikhail Afanasyev, the editor the Novy Focus news website, on August 20 in connection with his coverage of an explosion at a hydro-electric plant.
“We welcome this decision but we nonetheless regard this case as indicative of the hostility that many Russian officials feel towards independent news media,” Reporters sans Frontières (RSF) said of the decision announced on September 1. “Both the central and regional governments must abandon their high-handed attempts to control the news in times of crisis.”
In all 73 employees were killed as result of an explosion that flooded a turbine chamber at the Sayano-Shushenskaya hydro-electric plant on August 17.
