Russian Press Freedom Isn’t Threatened, Putin Says

Borrowing from Mark Twain, President Vladimir V. Putin insisted Saturday that “reports about the death of press freedom” in Russia “are greatly exaggerated.”

Speaking to journalists in a Kremlin ceremony to mark Press Day, Putin insisted that press freedom is not threatened here, even as negotiations over preserving the independence of a major television channel appear to be foundering.

“Many of you express differing views on everything happening in the country and on our foreign policy initiatives and moves, and you sometimes--maybe even very often--make very sharp criticism,” he said.

Putin’s comments came after months of Kremlin pressure on Vladimir A. Gusinsky, founder and owner of NTV, Russia’s only major independent television channel. Gusinsky was imprisoned, and his Media-Most conglomerate was subjected to repeated searches and lawsuits by Russian authorities, while the Kremlin tried to choke off investors and urged creditors to call in his loans.

Gusinsky is in Spain, under house arrest because of an international arrest warrant issued by Russia, which seeks his extradition.

Putin criticized raids by masked police on some television stations as excessive, Russian reports said.

“It’s complete nonsense when people with masks come into an editorial office. What for? They don’t know themselves why they’re doing it,” the Interfax news agency quoted Putin as saying.