The Russian Foreign Ministry has released a report on the human rights record of the European Union. It begins with a rather honest and astute reflection of problems facing the EU: The most pressing human rights issues in the EU still include a steady growth of xenophobia, racism, violent nationalism, chauvinism and neo-Nazism. In the context […]
A criminal case against opposition activist Anastasia Rybachenko who left for Estonia when faced with charges under the “Bolotnaya Case,” has been dropped. Rybachenko told about that on Friday on her page in Facebook. “As soon as we make sure that I’m no longer in international and federal databases as a person on a wanted […]
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 […]
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 […]
On December 12, 1993, Russia adopted its current Constitution. To celebrate the 20th anniversary, the President and the State Duma will pardon a significant number of criminals. There has been a significant amount of speculation as to whether Pussy Riot, the Bolotnaya Square prisoners, the Greenpeace activists, and other high-profile convicts will be included in […]
This week the Russian Supreme Court declared that the prison sentence given to Pussy Riot members was unlawful. The announcement came one day after Russian state news outlets carried a “leaked” report that the punk rockers were named in a draft amnesty bill. This led to many to think that Pussy Riot might have several […]
Yesterday, Russian state-owned media outlets carried a “leaked” report that the imprisoned Pussy Riot members were included in the draft amnesty bill. Today, it has been announced that the Supreme Court has thrown out their sentences anyway. As their prison terms are set to expire early next year, this is being interpreted by many as […]
Maria (Masha) Alyokhina, a member of the punk rock group Pussy Riot, has written a letter from prison, describing the harsh conditions there. Alyokhina is due to be released soon, so the letter can be seen as more a witness for those prisoners who are still incarcerated. However, after publishing the letter in The New […]
In the case of the riots on Bolotnaya Square on May 6, 2012, the discovery of evidence stage hasn’t been completed yet: only 40 out of 453 declared witnesses have been questioned. However, according to the Bolotnaya prisoners’ attorneys, “the court began to ‘push’ the participants in the trial ‘to make sure everything is completed […]
