State Duma may put “Pozner law” on hold

MOSCOW. Jan 28 (Interfax) – The State Duma is ready to accept apologies from television journalist Vladimir Pozner, saying the draft “Pozner law” will be “put on hold.”

Pozner apologized for his earlier criticism of the State Duma on his program on Sunday evening.

After that criticism, parliamentarians drew up a bill prohibiting journalists who have another country’s citizenship in addition to Russian citizenship from appearing on television channels with state capital if they make insulting statements about the authorities.

“We understand that this apology was a forced measure taken by the television journalist in response to the consistent and rather firm actions taken by the State Duma,” Mikhail Starshinov, a member of the United Russia faction, told Interfax on Monday.

“We are constructive people and we may not submit our bill to the State Duma for consideration or not submit it at all,” Starshinov said.

However, he said the draft law is ready and will be “on hold.” The parliamentarian said everyone, primarily the journalistic community, should draw conclusions from this situation. “Of course, we cannot help but react if such statements are made again about Russia’s supreme authorities,” Starshinov said.

The document, which was drawn up by the parliamentarians, was signed by representatives of all four parliamentary factions of the State Duma. The parliamentarians have also filed an inquiry with Channel One asking to specify the amount of money Pozner gets paid in comparison with other journalists who do not have dual citizenship.

The United Russia administration has backed the parliamentarians’ intention to draw up the bill, which is known as “the Pozner law.” “I agree with my colleagues in that it’s not a normal situation that a person who has a different country’s citizenship and works for a federal television channel makes statements discrediting public bodies,” Sergei Neverov, secretary of the United Russia general council and deputy speaker of the State Duma, told reporters earlier.