As a former official of the Russian Foreign Ministry, I cannot pass by a turn in our foreign policy without comment. When I worked in the ministry, it was exclusively pragmatic: no ideology, only national interests, expressed primarily in cash. Visited by the young Putin in 2001, the Greeks laughed at him in their newspapers; […]
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Record Amount of Candidates and Parties for Chechnya Elections
In Chechnya, the Electoral Commission registers anyone who wishes to participate in the parliamentary elections, which resulted in a record number of candidates for parliamentary seats. The majority of registered parties do not have their offices in the republic and are not going to spend money on campaigning. “Spoilers” will help to strengthen the position […]
Video of Boston Marathon Bombing Suspect in Court
Dzokhar Tsarnaev, the suspect in the April bombing at the Boston Marathon, has not been seen on video since his arrest following a city-wide manhunt. Tsarnaev has been in a prison hospital since he was detained, as he was reported suffering from gunshot wounds that at one point would not allow him to speak. Yesterday, […]
A Society of Singing Knickers
[Last week, Interpreter contributor Sasha de Vogel admiringly replied to Peter Pomersantsev’s essay, “Cracks in the Kremlin Matrix,” about the system of “managed democracy” in Russia and how opponents of the Putin regime have struggled to combat it. Below, Peter has expanded on some of the key themes in his original piece as well as […]
Open Letter on the Case of Sergei Magnitsky
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 […]
Sergei Sobyanin Ready to Get By Without United Russia
[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 […]
Gary Kasparov Fears Return to Russia
Gary Kasparov, leader of the United Civic Front, has decided to refrain from trips to Russia. At a press conference in Geneva, the chess grand-master announced that he is afraid of criminal prosecution in his homeland in connection with the investigation of cases against the opposition. “I went there back and forth right up until […]
Is Moscow Cleaning up Dagestan?
[Russia’s security services have shocked the public by arresting Said Amirov, the Mayor of Makhachkala in the Republic of Dagestan, alleging his involvement in conspiracy to murder and involvement in the narcotics trade, among other serious crimes. Amirov has dominated Dagestani politics for fifteen years, and his arrest has raised questions of whether the state […]
Interior and Justice Ministers Meet with Officials in Magnitsky List
[Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev and Justice Minister Aleksandr Konovalov met on April 27 with their employees who have been included in the so-called Magnitsky List. The list includes 18 judges and representatives of law-enforcement and other government agencies whom American authorities believe are complicit in the death in pre-trial detention at Matrosskaya Tishina Prison of […]
Opposition Rally on Bolotnaya Square
A protest rally took place in Moscow on Bolotnaya Square with permission from authorities, timed to the anniversary of the “March of Millions” last year where clashes with police occurred. The action began with a minute of silence for a worker who died Monday as he was erecting the stage for the demonstration. According to […]