Thursday, May 25, 2006

Democracy in Russia?

Vladimir Putin's dictatorial impulses shine through again --

Prosecutors are investigating a journalist for publishing an article mocking President. Vladimir Putin over his call to pay Russian women to have more children, an official said Wednesday.

The article was published by Vladimir Rakhmankov, editor of the online newspaper Kursiv in the central city of Ivanovo, said Andrei Galchenko of the regional prosecutor's office.

The piece poked fun at Putin's recent state of the nation address that called for economic incentives to boost the country's plummeting birth rate. Russian media reported that the publication suggested that animals at a local zoo increased their mating, heeding Putin's call.

Rakhmankov could not be reached for comment Wednesday. His article could not be seen, because the Web site has been shut down.

I miss Boris Yeltsin.

1 comment: