Chechen journalists ready to stage boycottTimur Aliyev, North Caucasus – Government media editors and employees of the Chechen Press Ministry are about to stage a boycott because of an alleged plan to remove Beslan Gantamirov as Chechen Press Minister, announced Ramzan Gutsiyev, editor-in-chief of the national newspaper Molodezhnaya smena.
According to Gutsiyev, the Chechen mass media is ready to stop work until all circumstances about this issue are made clear. ”In this way we want to express solidarity with our leadership,” said Gutsiyev.
Information about the minister’s planned removal was obtained from the office of the "acting president of the Chechen Republic", Akhmad Kadyrov, explained Gutsiyev. ”It was actually the first decision Kadyrov made upon returning from his holiday yesterday,” he added.
According to observers, this is connected to Gantamirov’s refusal to endorse Kadyrov in the upcoming presidential election, and to publicly support another candidate, Khusein Jabrailov, instead.
”Gantamirov has repeatedly declared that no newspaper controlled by him would ever publish articles in favour of Kadyrov. And in Chechnya today it’s not possible to make such statements and remain in office,” stated Satsita Isayeva, editor of the independent newspaper Voice of the Chechen Republic.
(H/E,T) |
