Group resignation of the editors of a major Russian daily

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Serial resignations have taken place in the Russian economic daily Vedomosti. Five editors have decided to leave the newspaper. They protest against the appointment of an editor accused of being favorable to the Kremlin. 

Publicity

Andreï Chmarov has been acting editor-in-chief since the end of March. Upon his arrival, he imposed a style which displeased many journalists of this daily newspaper hitherto regarded as one of the few traditional media in Russia not to be under the direct control of the authorities or businessmen linked to the Kremlin.

A dozen journalists then resigned. One of them said that Andrei Shmarov had banned any criticism of Vladimir Putin's plans to reform the Constitution . A modification which allows him, in theory to remain in the Kremlin, if he does not wish, until 2036. Still according to the accounts of the journalists, he had also refused that polls of opinion unfavorable to the Kremlin be published.

Oil giant Rosneft takes control

After confirmation on Monday by the newspaper's board of directors of his appointment as editor, his five deputies resigned to protest the censorship. One of them had worked at Vedomosti since its creation in 1999. 

The newspaper was recently bought by an unknown press agency, but the editorial team, which carried out an investigation with three other media, claims that this sale is in reality a takeover by the oil giant Rosneft and its all-powerful boss Igor Setchine , a close relative of Vladimir Putin's relatives. 

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