4 April 2014

Source: HRO.org (info)

• Freedom of speech

On 2 April Sergei Tsyplenkov, executive director of Greenpeace Russia, published a letter on the organisation's website in support of the television channel Dozhd.

"We would like to express our support to the team at the Dozhd television channel and we hope that they can overcome the current difficulties and continue with their work, which is important for all of us and for our country.

Access to objective information, which this channel provides, is one of the basic principles of human rights and one of the main means of forming civil society.

As an independent non-profit organization, Greenpeace Russia understands very well how important the existence of unaffiliated media is for a country and for society, as it provides the opportunity to receive independent information about current affairs in the country and the world. For years Dozhd has proved its dedication to the fundamental principles of journalism.

We are grateful to the TV channel that they, against a background of propaganda against the Arctic Sunrise team, gave all sides of the conflict the opportunity to express their point of view. We are grateful that their journalists strived to write the true story of the confrontation of Gazprom and Greenpeace, rather than an invented version of the story.

We are grateful to Dozhd for their numerous broadcasts and reports, in which they professionally discussed the problems of oil spills, destruction of protected areas, waste management and many other pressing ecological issues, which not all media would dare to speak of.

Without an independent press, a strong civil society is impossible, and without civil society it is impossible to live a worthy life. We are convinced that every responsible citizen of our country can join with our words of support, which we are sending today to the remarkable people working for the Dozhd television channel.

Best Regards,

Sergei Tsyplenkov,

Executive Director, Greenpeace Russia

Translated by Chloe Cranston