Newspaper staffers stand up for fired editor

Yelena Ponomaryova, editor-in-chief of the district newspaper Avangard (based in the city of Nyandoma, Arkhangelsk area) has been replaced – officially, by mutual agreement with local authorities, although some believe she was coerced into “ordering her own dismissal”.

This was reported in a letter sent to the Glasnost Defence Foundation by 20 active and retired Avangard staffers, who said the district authorities “simply fired the disagreeable editor”: dissatisfied with the newspaper’s independent policy, local bosses decided to get rid of an editor who “pursued a policy of strict neutrality toward all political parties existing in the Russian Federation”.

“The head of the Nyandoma District administration has repeatedly complained to the Press Affairs Agency about Ponomaryova’s publications, particularly about articles (criticising) regional Assembly deputy A.Kholodov and district Assembly deputy A. Tishchenkov,” the journalists said in their appeal to the GDF. “Among other reasons, her dismissal was evidently caused by the forthcoming elections: the administration fears … that some nominees from the group of local rulers may lose the election race because of Ponomaryova – an attitude that we find totally absurd and unjustified.”

The letter also indicated that Yelena’s replacement may have been prompted by her resolute rejection of the district administration’s claim to “verify prior to printing” – that is, to censor – stories being prepared for publication.

Local Communist party leader Alexander Kondratyev has confirmed that Ponomaryova’s dismissal was directly connected with her conflict with the district head. “Her firing left the journalists in a state of shock,” he said.

The staffers do not want anyone but Yelena to lead their team. “We are sure our readers would not like, either, to see the district’s sole newspaper shut down – but in the present circumstances we may be compelled to stop our media outlet’s operation,” the letter said.

Natalya Severskaya,

Glasnost Defense Foundation correspondent