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 […]
The Sochi Winter Olympics have been plagued by corruption, which is helping to drive the price of the game up. An investigation led by Boris Nemtsov found that the Olympic price tag could top $50 billion, though there are likely many more hidden costs like security. In comparison, the total cost of the Winter Olympics […]
On 23 December, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova was freed. This morning Mariya Alyokhina was also released from the Nizhegorodskaya Colony. Both members of the punk group Pussy Riot were sentenced for an action at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. Tolokonnikova announced in particular that she would provide every support to those who are imprisoned. Earlier, Mariya […]
This is the first part of Mikhail Khodorkovsky’s first interview after his pardon. Read part two — Khodorkovsky: Putin Sent a Message That He’s Stable and Not Afraid Black polo neck shirt, jeans – a change from the prison trousers, a gray “hedgehog” [short prison haircut], glasses in thin frames, a marked stoop, and on […]
This article was originally published in Kommersant, originally titled “Mikhail Khodorkovsky Surrenders to Pardon.” It reports on what was happening behind the scenes when Mikhail Khodorkovsky made the decision to ask for a presidential pardon. The claims have not been verified, but in an official statement, Mikhail Khodorkovsky wrote, “the issue of admission of guilt […]
The Director General of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), Ahmed Üzümcü, issued a statement saying that Russia will provide a large number of armored trucks to participate in the operation to remove Syrian chemical warfare agents. The operation to transport chemical weapons to the port of Latakia will involve, inter alia, […]
This article in Forbes Russia predates yesterday’s surprising news that Ukrainian President Yanukovych has signed a $15 billion deal with Russia that has Russia buying Ukrainian government bonds and has Russia slashing the cost of natural gas from $400 per 1,000 to $268.5 per 1,000 cubic meters. As the BBC notes, this will not be […]
