The course towards conservatism highlighted strategic interests of Vladimir Putin. The president has had several impressive occasions to present to the society his vision of the ideological foundations of the state. In June, at the Popular Front Congress, where Putin was elected the leader of the movement, a conservative UPF manifesto was adopted, and veterans […]
On December 29, there was a new terrorist attack in Volgograd. A suicide bomber blew herself up near the passenger screening point at the city railway station, when she saw that a police officer was running towards her. At 14:00 Moscow time, 18 were reported dead, 40 more were injured. Now the security services are […]
The leader of the Republic of Dagestan, Ramazan Abdulatipov, said in an interview with Izvestia that at its meeting the anti-terrorist commission made a number of decisions in connection with the terrorist attacks in Volgograd. “We’ve just had a meeting of the Anti-Terrorist Commission of the Republic of Dagestan, mourned the victims, and expressed condolences […]
On Wednesday, the State Duma adopted a resolution on amnesty. On Thursday, four participants in the “Bolotnaya Case” were released from criminal prosecution and from custody in the courtroom. The door of the iron cage swings open. Half a year later Leonid Kovyazin and Vladimir Akimenkov are free. A much hated electronic bracelet is removed […]
A massive security operation has been launched in Volgograd following the December 29th and 30th bombings in the city that have claimed at least 34 lives. Hundreds have been detained, mostly migrants from North Caucasus. With the Sochi Olympics only 5 weeks away, a Russian security expert warns that the FSB, The Federal Security Service […]
Nadezhda Tolokonnikova was released under the amnesty on Monday, December 23rd. By Tuesday, she had already met with another member of the punk group Pussy Riot, Mariya Alyokhina. Alyokhina, [also released], who had been serving her sentence in Nizhegorodskaya Region, flew to visit her friend in Krasnoyarsk, in order to discuss “a joint human rights […]
This article was published prior to two deadly suicide bombings this week in the city of Volgograd (see The Interpreter‘s live-blog for more details). It explains the Russian authorities’ latest approach to preempting terrorism in Sochi during the upcoming Winter Olympics: by making even environmental activists engaged in alleged “extremist activities” register with local police […]
Valentyn Nalyvaychenko is a former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and former ambassador to Belarus, and is currently a member of parliament under the UDAR party, led by the boxer-turned-political-heavyweight Vitali Klitschko. — Ed. The Ministry of Internal Affairs, “that gave the criminal order to use force and torture against innocent people, follows the course […]
Tetyana Chornovol, a well-regarded Ukrainian journalist who has investigated government corruption and spoken at Euromaidan protests, has been beaten so badly she was hospitalized after her car was rammed off the road by an SUV. Many vocal supporters of Euromaidain and opponents of President Viktor Yanukovych have blamed his supporters for the attack. Tetyana Chornovol was […]
This is the second part of the first interview that Mikhail Khodorkovsky has given since his pardon last week. In this installment, he talks about Putin’s motives for freeing him, as well as his next steps now that he is a free man. — Ed. Read part 1: Mikhail Khodorkovsky: “I Will Return to Russia” Freedom […]
