Russian Officials Demand Liquidation of Media Empire Critical of Putin
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MOSCOW — Russian tax authorities filed lawsuits demanding the liquidation of the private media company Media-Most, officials said Friday, as the company’s beleaguered chief, Vladimir A. Gusinsky, sought bail from a Spanish jail.
The civil suits submitted by Tax Inspectorate officials to the Moscow Arbitration Court demanded the dissolution of Media-Most and its flagship NTV television for insolvency, a court spokesman said.
NTV is the country’s only private nationwide channel.
Media-Most’s news organizations have been among the most vocal critics of President Vladimir V. Putin, and its supporters say legal actions against the company in recent months are an attempt to punish it for critical reporting.
Putin, in comments Friday during a trip to Cuba, denied that his administration played any role in Gusinsky’s legal woes.
“What will happen to him in the future is the business of law enforcement agencies and the courts,” Putin said.
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