LIVE UPDATES: Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has suspended the deputy minister of sports pending the doping investigation, and President Vladimir Putin says he will dismiss officials named in WADA’s report.
Welcome to our column, Russia Update, where we will be closely following day-to-day developments in Russia, including the Russian government’s foreign and domestic policies.
The previous issue is here.
Recent Analysis and Translations:
– Russian Elections Round-Up: Parnas List Accepted; Party of Pensioners Forced to Remove Candidates
– ‘What Would Boris Do?†Opposition Struggles with In-Fighting on Eve of September Elections
– NATO Got Nothing From Conceding To Russia In the Past, Why Should It Cave To The Kremlin Now?
– Who is Hacking the Russian Opposition and State Media Officials — and How?
UPDATES BELOW
“Today in the course of investigative actions, officials of the central office of the Investigative Committee of the Prosecutor Nikandrov has been detained in his office. He is suspected of crimes of office.”
Allegations of corruption inside the Investigative Committee have been made before, notably in 2008 by former official Dovgiy, the Daily Beast reported. who identified V.P, Maksimenko, head of the Main Department for Personal Security, International Investigations and Physical Defense — Maksimenko’s boss — and others involved in settling political scores and corrupt practices. He himself was then accused of bribe-taking — by of all people, Niskandrov — and imprisoned for five years but published his appeal to Dmitry Medvedev after his release.
Niskandrov also led the YUKOS investigation, and was involved in the case of illegal gambling that never game to trial, Kommersant reports. Ultimately, seven officials at the IC are under investigation, says Kommersant.
“It isn’t that we believed very much in the honesty of the IC officials, but this is over the top.
Many had been under the illusion that the IC are “poor politicians” but “honest detectives” who fight with real criminals. Well, they do fight…but on the same side.
After this, the entire IC needs to be dismantled and shaken out. Who can trust it now?”
The ruble is trading at 63.98 to the dollar and 69.47 to the euro. Brent crude is selling for $47.18 per barrel.
The following headlines were taken from 7:40 na Perrone, Interfax, RosBalt, Grant, Ekho Moskvy, Sputnik International
– Moskovsky Komsomolets Offices Searched in Connection with Attack on Policeman
– Russian ‘Gun-For-Hire’ Lurks In Shadows Of Washington’s Lobbying World by Mike Eckel [English]
– Cultural Figures Sign Petition in Defense of Boris Milgrim, Dismissed Director of Perm Theater [Russian]
– Appointing Mizulina Child Ombudsman Could Be Yet Another Insane Action By Authorities – Lev Ponomarev [English]
— Catherine A. Fitzpatrick