Opposition press banned in Vorkuta

According to I. Sazhin, a representative of the "Memorial" society, in May 2005 the mayor of Vorkuta, Igor Shpektor, banned all enterprises that have risographs and provide printing services from printing opposition newspapers.

Shpektor's ban is directed primarily against the newspaper For Human Rights, which is published at the expense of the independent teachers' trade union Zashchita.

Since the mayor's order is oral, it cannot be challenged. In private conversations, the owners of the printing houses explain that the mayor has banned the publication of any political newspapers on pain of losing the license.

Sources

• Sazhin I. Mayor of Vorkuta banned freedom of speech // Center "Demos". 2005. July 8.