U.S.’ Freedom House downgrades Russia to “not free” status

Prime-Tass, Russia
Dec 20 2004

MOSCOW, Dec 20 (Prime-Tass) — Freedom House, a U.S.-based organization
that monitors political rights and civil liberties across the globe,
has downgraded Russia’s status to “not free” from its previous “partly
free” status, Freedom House said in a major survey of global freedom
released Monday.

“Political rights and civil liberties have become so restricted
in Russia that the country has been downgraded to ‘Not Free,'” the
survey read.

However, Russia was not the only country in the former Soviet Union
that experienced political and civic changes: setbacks took place
in Belarus and Armenia, while freedom was gained in the aftermath of
civic protests in Georgia and Ukraine, the report said.

“Russia’s step backwards into the Not Free category is the culmination
of a growing trend under President Vladimir Putin to concentrate
political authority, harass and intimidate the media, and politicize
the country’s law-enforcement system,” said Freedom House Executive
Director Jennifer Windsor.

“These moves mark a dangerous and disturbing drift toward
authoritarianism in Russia, made more worrisome by President Putin’s
recent heavy-handed meddling in political developments in neighboring
countries such as Ukraine,” she said.

Complete survey results, including a package of charts and graphs,
are available at

The Ratings reflect global events from December 1, 2003 through
November 30, 2004. End