Barely a week after a Russian protester, Pyotr Pavlensky, nailed his scrotum to the cobblestones in Red Square to raise awareness to what he says is Russia’s descent into a “police state,” a Belarusian art activist has been arrested for planning what authorities say would have been a terrorist attack. – Ed. Belarusian art activist […]
Opposition
Alexei Navalny: Go to the Russian March Without Me
Opposition leader Alexei Navalny did not attend this year’s Russian March, an event where nationalists rally to protest against immigration-related issues. This year, as in the past, there was a strong presence of blatant racism and neo-Nazism, which might explain why Navalny would not want to go. However, Navalny is a nationalist, someone who thinks […]
Navalny The Tightrope Walker
This editorial, translated from the pro-Kremlin Izvestia, attempts to analyze the decision made by opposition leader Alexei Navalny to avoid the “Russian March,” widely attended by Neo-Nazis, for the 2nd year in a row, while still calling his supporters to attend. There are several possible readings of Sokolov’s statements. One reading is that he is […]
Russian Court Explains Mitigation of Opposition Leader’s Sentence
Opposition leader Alexei Navalny was found guilty of fraud in July, and while he recently lost his appeal, in October his five-year prison sentence was suspended. Now the court has released an explanation for the mitigation of his sentence. Under current election law, Navalny, as a convicted felon, would never be able to hold public […]
Political Leaders and Experts Discuss Navalny’s Suspended Sentence
Opposition Leader Alexei Navalny has had his prison sentence suspended, though his conviction for fraud still precludes him from running for public office, at least for now (read our full analysis of here). Below, Slon, an independent news outlet, has posted comments from several high-profile politicians and political thinkers. – Ed. Pavlovsky: “I don’t think […]
Greenpeace: The Clash of Civilizations in the Pechora Sea
The business newspaper Vedomosti, a jointly owned outfit between private Russian and American financial news ventures, posts this editorial on the detention of the Greenpeace activists. – Ed. The events surrounding the Greenpeace protest in the Pechora Sea have more than just a legal dimension: it is something like a clash of civilizations. Greenpeace activists […]
“I Am Not Stopping My Hunger Strike, But Suspending It”
Pussy Riot member Nadezhda Tolokonnikova is in prison, serving a two year sentence for “hooliganism.” She has just ended a hunger strike because of poor health, but below is the translation of her statement that she will return to hunger striking if her demands are not met. For more information on the hunger strike read […]
Is Putin Afraid to Say Opposition Leader Alexei Navalny’s Name?
Several employees of Kommersant, an organization with deep Kremlin ties, have been fired for publicizing unauthorized quotes from Putin’s Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov. The offending quote suggested that Vladimir Putin was afraid to even mention opposition leader Alexei Navalny’s name in case it gave him free publicity. Putin has repeatedly spoken about Navalny without mentioning […]
The OMON “Victim-Witnesses”
On May 6, 2012, a large anti-Putin protest, the “March of the Millions,” descended into chaos as it was broken up by police in Bolotnaya Square, Moscow. Since that time, Russian authorities have prosecuted 27 people, and some of the trials are still ongoing. This past Sunday there was a benefit concert for the defendants, […]
Alexei Navalny Ready to Lead the Popular Alliance Party
Alexei Navalny has announced his readiness to head the Popular Alliance party created at the initiative of his supporters. As a source in the party leadership told Kommersant, the “formal appearance” of Navalny in the post of leader increases the chances of Popular Alliance to register at the Ministry of Justice, which has twice rejected […]