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Russia Cautions Radio Liberty on Broadcasts About Chechnya VOA News 28 Jan 2002 20:32 UTC 
Russia is cautioning U.S.-funded Radio Liberty that authorities will closely monitor its coverage of the war in Chechnya and may take away its license to broadcast from Russia if they see a pro-separatist bias.
President Vladimir Putin's top spokesman for Chechnya, Sergei Yastrzhembsky, says the Kremlin has a guarded attitude toward Radio Liberty's plans to broadcast in the Chechen language to the Northern Caucasus region. Mr. Yastrzhembsky cited Radio Liberty's "past biased coverage of the war."
Mr. Yastrzhembsky warned that if Radio Liberty broadcasts contain any calls for inciting religious or ethnic hatred, or include what he called propaganda of terrorism, authorities will act in line with the law.
He referred to the case of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty journalist Andrei Babitsky, who two years ago was taken prisoner by Russian soldiers while reporting from the separatist side. He was later released and returned to the radio's broadcast center in Prague.
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty is a private, non-profit corporation that receives funding from the U.S. Congress. The corporation was established in 1949 to spread uncensored news to Soviet-dominated countries and to promote democratic values and institutions.
Some information for this report provided by AP and AFP.
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