Russian media watchdog Rospotrebnadzor has refused to comment after a mainstream news website posted an article that claimed that disabled people are "defective specimens," and advised them to "die at once."
The watchdog remained silent on the scandal while releasing new media guidelines on Monday, where it focused on suggestions that media outlets should avoid using the word "suicide" in headlines and on front pages.
They also recommend that reporters "should refrain from reporting personal details, especially when it comes to teenage and youth suicides."
The Komsomolskaya Pravda news website published the controversial article on Thursday, sparking outrage among readers. It was later deleted.
In the column, editor-in-chief of the Komsomolskaya Pravda radio station, Yevgeny Arsyukhin, criticized famous Australian publisher and preacher Nick Vujicic, who was born with no arms and legs, arguing that "disabled people should not be allowed to the top of the social pyramid."
More than 32,000 people have backed an online petition on activist website Change.org to fire Arsyukhin over his column. The petition, which was launched by Federal Youth Agency spokeswoman Kristina Potupchik, also demands an apology from the Komsomolskaya Pravda editor-in-chief Vladimir Sungorkin.
Sungorkin has so far refused to apologize, saying that Arsyukhin is a professional who wants to provoke readers and challenge "freedom of expression," the Meduza news agency reported.
Arsyukhin also said that he was not going to apologize, adding that the "article was difficult, perhaps too complicated for an online audience," Meduza reported Monday.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
