Moscow, 14 November: Rossvyazkomnadzor (Federal Service for Supervision in Communications and Mass Communications) is concerned about violations of journalists' rights to access information about the authorities' work in Russia.

"This is a real problem. So far, we know about 33 cases of violation of journalists' rights," Rossvyazkomnadzor head Boris Boyarskov said at a news conference to mark the 15th anniversary of monitoring bodies in Russia's communications industry today.

He said that one of the most urgent tasks of his department was to ensure journalists' rights to access information.

He said Rossvyazkomnadzor, together with the Russian Union of Journalists (RUJ), had repeatedly raised the issue at annual RUJ conferences. Boyarskov noted that his department and the union had reached an agreement designed to "prevent local bodies of power from 'regulating' television and radio broadcasting companies' and newspapers' access to official documents about the work of town councils and bodies of power of various levels".

Boyarskov said journalists' rights were violated when force was used against media representatives and newspapers' access to official information was limited. The service is resolving these issues together with the authorities of the constituent parts of the Russian Federation or the prosecutor's office.