Internews Europe partner the Educated Media Foundation, an independent, Russian non-governmental organization, (formerly known as Internews Russia), has been forced to suspend operations following the opening of a criminal investigation into its president, Manana Aslamazyan, and a subsequent eleven-hour raid on its Moscow headquarters on April 18, 2007 by Russian police, who confiscated all of the EMF’s servers and financial documentation. Since 1991 Manana Aslamazyan has been Internews Russia director and its informal leader since the very beginning.
In 2002 Manana Aslamazyan became Media Manager of the Year (national prize in Russian media business) in nomination "For Contribution into Industry Development". And in 2005 she received Special Award of National Association of Teleradiobroadcasters "For Personal Contribution into Development of Russian Television".
She is published extensively in national and professional media on issues of broadcasting media policy and development in Russia.
Manana Aslamazyan says "The main reason why I started working for Internews 15 years ago has been to make a change and to help develop vibrant independent media community in Russia."
All Manana’s work was to support to regional television in Russia: implementing special seminars and consultations on practical journalism, management, marketing, advertising, production, media law and other topics in Moscow, and other cities of Russia and CIS countries. Internews Russia conducted numerous competitions, conferences and other events for Russian media community, developed and introduced new advanced television technologies in the country.
Internews composed the letter below in solidarity with fellow media professionals in Russia and in support of Ms. Aslamazyan and the EMF. Please send your name, affiliation (feel free to include awards, or prior jobs if they are relevant), email address (for verification purposes only) to: russiapetition(at)gfmd.info
Below is the letter we are asking you to sign:
"As professionals working in, for and with the mass media in countries around the world, we are deeply concerned that the Russian non-governmental media support organization, the Educated Media Foundation (EMF), legal successor to Internews Russia, has been forced to suspend its activities, which focus on training journalists and other media professionals. By signing here we express our solidarity with our Russian colleagues who have initiated a protest, and express our support for the Educated Media Foundation/Internews Russia and its president Manana Aslamazyan. Like us, our Russian colleagues are part of an international professional media community that believes its audiences and readers deserve access to complete, diverse and independent sources of information. We support them in their efforts to stop the harassment of the EMF and all other impediments to the work of Russian journalists".
Please note that in keeping with the wishes of our Russian colleagues, we are only accepting signatures from people directly involved with media, though with a fairly broad definition: i.e., journalists, owners, media managers, producers, technical personnel, media advertising professionals, journalism educators/academics and media development implementers. We will not be listing representatives of private foundations or government funding agencies, even those specializing in media.
Thank you for supporting our colleagues!
As of May 14, over 2000 Russian journalists from every part of the country have signed an open letter to President Putin in support of Aslamazyan and her organization, and there have been a number of news articles, editorials, and statements of support. English translation of their letter can be found here. The Russian original with more than 2,000 signatures is located here
More information on the raid of EMF and the criminal case against Manana Aslamazyan in English can be found here.