Putin: The media must be rid of the influence of state -owned companies

Vladimir Putin advocates the development of private, free media, but against the privatization of state channels. As RIA Novosti reports, he stated this at a meeting with political scientists. "The ban on the state and state -owned companies on the possession of the media and the shares of them is a good thought by Mikhail Dmitrievich (Prokhorov. - Ed.) Offered. I think that we must move in this direction," Putin said. He noted that it is necessary to save private media from dependence on state -owned companies. “It is necessary to develop free media, private media, so that state -owned companies leave the media and do not affect additionally there.” Putin said. “Although they do not affect and so no shisha.”

At the meeting, Putin also spoke about his rivals in the upcoming presidential election, saying that he respects his competitors and is convinced that none of them is able to betray the interests of the country. "None of the people who claim to be the president, not one will betray the interests of the country. I say this responsibly. I know them for a long time, I am just sure of that," Putin said.

Putinzaya also did not plan to declare an amnesty for political prisoners, since in Russia there are no people "sitting for political reasons." "I do not really understand what is understood by the political amnesty. We, in my opinion, do not have political prisoners, and thank God. Although they talk about this without naming surnames. At least they showed at least one person who is sitting for political reasons," Putin said. “To conduct a criminal amnesty and so on, I don’t know, in a timely manner? Do you need to do it now? It is necessary to improve the situation in the penitentiary system, in prisons, to think about the humanization of our legislation. At some moments, you can probably spend an amnesty, but a large-scale amnesty is now?” - said Putin.

The release of political prisoners was one of the points of the resolution of the rallies "for honest elections." Speaking at a rally on Bolotnaya Square on February 4, journalist Olga Romanova said that the organizing committee of the rally compiled a list of political prisoners. She also announced her intention to transfer this list to the presidential administration in order to demand an amnesty for them. "We agreed on the list with the Fund for Protection of the Political Personents. We will take this list to the Kremlin, the list of political prisoners. Police, we need a short way to the Kremlin. I think we are waiting for us. Prison is a place for criminals, for those who are now stealing," Romanova said.

On December 15, Putin promised to consider the mercy of the ex-head of the Yukos Mikhail Khodorkovsky, if he became president, and the disgraced entrepreneur will write the corresponding petition. “If he writes this appeal, then I will consider this petition, but first I need to become president,” Putin said, answering questions from journalists after a direct line.