A Russian newspaper editor who claims his paper is being persecuted has appealed to international press freedom watchdogs for help.
Vitaly Shapran, editor of the Gorodskoi Vestnik, the only opposition paper published in Berdsk, Novosibirsk, wrote of pressure being exerted by the authorities.
In a letter to the Centre for journalism in extreme situations (CJES), Shapran wrote: "They are waging a war against us."
He claims that the election of a Communist party representative as the city's mayor has been followed by an attack on civil liberties and a proposal to require the accreditation of journalists.
Shapran's letter mentioned anonymous callers threatening to cut off the editor's tongue. Direct threats were also made in online comments.
In a further move, newspapers have been removed from newsstands to prevent distribution.
Source: IFEX
