Statement by Mikhail Gorbachev
(English Translation)

Glasnost is threatened in Russia and other countries. Journalists and press are being increasingly attacked.

Glasnost helped break the resistance of conservative reactionary top bureaucracy, when its representatives attempted to turn back Russia’s development.
Today, when people openly show their will to influence the government’s policy and participate in forming their destiny, glasnost’s importance grows.
Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty’s management decision to dismiss almost all of the Russian service staff looks especially strange in this context.
In times of severe censorship Radio Svoboda (RFE/RL Russian Service) made calls for democratization and glasnost a tenor of its programmes.
It is hard to get rid of an impression that RFE/RL’s American management is prepared to make an about-turn.