Belarus Sticks to Death Penalty Over Europe’s Displeasure
More than 400 convicts have been put to death since 1990, rights activists say. …read more Source: Transitions Online...
Harassment Claims Hit Senior Russian Parliamentarian
Leading Russian independent media refuse to report from parliament as long as journalists’ sexual harassment claims are not treated seriously. …read more Source: Transitions Online...
The Transformation of Russian Organized Crime under Putin
Invitation Only Research Event 18 April 2018 – 3:30pm to 5:00pmAdd to CalendariCalendar Outlook Google Yahoo Chatham House, London Mark Galeotti, Senior Research Fellow, Institute …read more Source: Chatham...
Kremlin-backed Donbas militants hold imprisoned journalist in ‘real concentration camp’
It is almost a year since Stanyslav [Stas] Aseyev was taken prisoner by Kremlin-backed Donbas militants. There are real concerns about his health, and there remains no sign that the Russian-controlled militants are planning to release him or around 100 other hostages. …read more Source: Kharkiv Human Rights Protection...
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: At Russian Polling Stations
Putin supporters were lured to the polls with offers of food, cancer screenings, and the chance to win big prizes. …read more Source: Transitions Online...
Superpower Chess Games in Central Asia
Washington may be giving up on Kyrgyzstan, China ups its game in Tajikistan, and both keep a watchful eye on Moscow. …read more Source: Transitions Online...
Putin’s Elections
On 18 March, Vladimir Putin was named the winner of the presidential election in Russia, as predicted. The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), however, reports it found many irregularities in the course of the vote. International affairs played an important role in the mobilisation of the electorate around the president....
Crucial EU Initiative that Outs Kremlin Lies Under Fire
A crucial program that identifies Kremlin methods of disinformation has come under attack. Alarmingly, one of the key accusations is that its activities constitute an attempt to restrict freedom of speech. The situation could not be more absurd. …read more Source: Kharkiv Human Rights Protection...
The Secret Compound
As details about illegal detentions in eastern Ukraine emerge, so do questions about the accountability of those who ordered them. From Hromadske. …read more Source: Transitions Online...
The Politics Beneath Rosneft’s Bottom Line
Economy Rosneft is the world’s largest publicly-traded oil producer and one of the foremost instruments of Russian foreign policy. It is arguably the single most important factor in Russia’s relationship with Iraq. Venezuela is deeply indebted to the firm and Rosneft’s CEO Igor Sechin is a longstanding supporter of the Chavista...