[This article in The New Times argues that Vladimir Putin’s political control is eroding inexorably as a result of corruption from above and increasingly poor economic performance—Ed.] A year and a month after the third coming of Vladimir Putin, who in fact never left, it is becoming obvious that he will not fulfill the main demand of […]
[On June 12, the national “Day of Russia,” Russia’s opposition organized their “March Against Butchers,” with an estimated turnout of between 6,000-30,000. This article describes the events of the day—Ed.] According to the Interior Ministry Main Department of the City of Moscow, no serious violations of public order were registered during the march of June […]
Mikhail Prokhorov, leader of the Civic Platform, announced today that he will not run in the elections for mayor of Moscow, and no one from his party will take part in them. “We will not take part in the extension of the acting government’s license. We will act according to the rule ‘the mayor is […]
To the Chairman of the Council of Judges of the Russian Federation Dmitry Anatolyevich Krasnov From Natalya Nikolayevna Magnitskaya 07 June 2013 Open Letter on the Case of Sergei Magnitsky Dear Dmitry Anatolevich, From media reports, I have learned that on 22 April 2013, the Council of Judges of the City of Moscow issued a […]
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 […]
