A day after Ekho Moskvy owner Gazprom-Media asked to change the liberal radio station's board of directors, editor-in-chief Alexei Venediktov said Wednesday that he had been called in for questioning by prosecutors regarding a complaint about the radio station's labor practices though later in the day the prosecutors revoked the request. "[I've been] invited tomorrow to the prosecutors' office to provide explanations in connection with a complaint from a citizen from Tambov (!) regarding Ekho's non-compliance with the Labor Code!" Venediktov said on Twitter early Wednesday.
Later Wednesday, Venediktov tweeted that prosecutors had cancelled the request for a meeting.
The station's editor-in-chief said he did not believe the claim was valid.
"I want to remind [people] that the makeup of our editorial staff was confirmed a few years ago by the board of directors, which at that time included the current Supreme Arbitration Court chief Anton Ivanov. So it's very dubious that he, too, would not have noticed the non-compliance with the Labor Code," Venediktov told Interfax.
On Tuesday, Venediktov announced that the 66-percent owner of Ekho Moskvy, the Gazprom-Media holding, had asked to reshuffle the liberal radio station's board of directors, stirring fresh concerns that the government is seeking to censor media outlets critical of the authorities. Prime Minister Vladimir Putin snapped at Venediktov last month, accusing Ekho Moskvy of "pouring diarrhea at him day in and day out."
"It's unlikely that everything happening [now] is coincidental," Venediktov said Wednesday, Interfax reported.
A day after Ekho Moskvy owner Gazprom-Media asked to change the liberal radio station's board of directors, editor-in-chief Alexei Venediktov said Wednesday that he had been called in for questioning by prosecutors regarding a complaint about the radio station's labor practices though later in the day the prosecutors revoked the request.
"[I've been] invited tomorrow to the prosecutors' office to provide explanations in connection with a complaint from a citizen from Tambov (!) regarding Ekho's non-compliance with the Labor Code!" Venediktov said on Twitter early Wednesday.
Later Wednesday, Venediktov tweeted that prosecutors had cancelled the request for a meeting.
The station's editor-in-chief said he did not believe the claim was valid.
"I want to remind [people] that the makeup of our editorial staff was confirmed a few years ago by the board of directors, which at that time included the current Supreme Arbitration Court chief Anton Ivanov. So it's very dubious that he, too, would not have noticed the non-compliance with the Labor Code," Venediktov told Interfax.
On Tuesday, Venediktov announced that the 66-percent owner of Ekho Moskvy, the Gazprom-Media holding, had asked to reshuffle the liberal radio station's board of directors, stirring fresh concerns that the government is seeking to censor media outlets critical of the authorities. Prime Minister Vladimir Putin snapped at Venediktov last month, accusing Ekho Moskvy of "pouring diarrhea at him day in and day out."
"It's unlikely that everything happening [now] is coincidental," Venediktov said Wednesday, Interfax reported.