On Tuesday, June 11, the Russian State Duma passed a draft law in the second and third reading banning propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations among minors, Parliament TV reports. The law was passed in the third reading by 436 votes in favor. Compared to the original version of the draft law, the term “homosexualism” was […]
The Russian government has approved and submitted a draft law to the State Duma under which the conducting of religious rituals, ceremonies, prayers and religious meetings in public spaces will require the permission of local authorities. Dmitry Medvedev proposed equating such activities with rallies and processions, although rituals can be conducted inside churches, mosques and […]
[This article analyses United Russia’s political manoeuvres in relation to the Moscow mayoral race, scheduled for September 8, 2013 following the early resignation of Mayor Sergei Sobyanin—Ed.] United Russia Duma Deputy Irina Yarovaya has said that Prokhorov cannot run for Moscow Mayor’s office, even if he transfers his foreign assets to a trust. In her […]
The arrest of Makhachkala’s ex-mayor Said Amirov has led to some unexpected consequences. Attorneys for the former mayor, who has been accused under several articles of the Criminal Code, are preparing to appeal to the European Court on Human Rights (ECHR) in which they are complaining about the actions of Russian siloviki [power ministry agents-Ed]. […]
[An interview with opposition leader Alexei Navalny, on his plans to run for the Mayor of Moscow and the obstacles he expects to encounter—Ed.] Are you going to run for mayor? Yes, I am. How? There are two options: nomination by yourself or by a party. The first requires collecting signatures – more than 70,000, […]
[On June 11, the All-Russia People’s Front is set to host its inaugural party congress, at which Vladimir Putin is expected to be in attendance. Rumors are circulating in the Russian press that the Front will replace United Russia, a party put together a decade ago as a vehicle for Putin’s Kremlin ascendancy, as the […]
[Summary: Acting Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, a member of the Superior Council of United Russia, is expected to run for the mayoral elections on 8 September as an Independent. United Russia has explained this by the fact that “40 parties” “might want” to support him. The main potential rival to the acting mayor, Civic Platform […]
[In this article, Yulia Latynina argues that arrest last week of the powerful Mayor of Makhachkala, Said Amirov, has signaled the FSB’s assertion of direct control in the republic of Dagestan. Latynina speculates that this is partly motivated by the desire to stem the growing power of salafists in the region.—Ed.] In a Hollywood movie-type, […]
[The expatriation of Sergei Guriyev, a highly regarded Russian economist, was a major story both in the Russian and in international presses last month. By his own admission, Guriyev left Russia because he feared imprisonment after continued harassment by Russia’s Investigative Committee, which searched his office and seized thousands of emails related to investigation into […]
[In 2008, Moscow businessman Aleksei Kozlov was arrested on fraud charges. His wife, Olga Romanova, a veteran financial journalist, investigated his case and debunked the evidence against him. The Russian Supreme Court overturned Moscow City Court’s conviction, but Kozlov was simply put on trial again for the same charges. On May 31st, City Court found […]
