U.S. Helsinki Commission Takes the Lead on Combatting Kleptocracy
The Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (also known as the Helsinki Commission) has used a series of recent events to highlight the threat posed by global kleptocracy to the U.S. and its allies. On October 3, KI Executive Director Charles Davidson testified at a Helsinki Commission hearing on Combatting Kleptocracy with Incorporation...
The European Council: What makes it to the agenda and why?
Written by Izabela Bacian, The Leaders’ Agenda presented by European Council President Donald Tusk in October 2017 sets priorities for action at the European level for the coming two years. Interestingly, the Leaders’ Agenda is based on the Bratislava and Rome declarations informally adopted by the EU27 leaders, and not on the...
Kleptocracy Daily: October 18, 2017
China: Xi Jinping opened the 19th CCP Congress with a three-and-a-half hour speech setting out “a vision of total control — with the party guiding not only the economy and the Internet but culture, religion and morals,” writes Simon Denyer. Xi cited the “virus” of corruption as the greatest threat to the Party and promised to maintain the...
Georgia Still on the World Bank’s Mind
As the World Bank racks up 25 years in Georgia, Mercy Tembon, the bank’s regional director for the South Caucasus, Europe and Central Asia tells Andrew Wrobel that her organisation is as committed to the country’s future as ever. Let’s start with the anniversary. What has the World Bank been doing here for the last quarter of a...
The Baltic Way: Sedition, Propaganda and Discontent in Latvia
Stradling itself between Europe’s north and its east, Latvia occupies a unique cultural and geographic space in Europe, finding itself part of German, Swedish, Polish, and Russian empires at different times. This history colors contemporary understanding of the country and its identity, especially in regard to its eastern neighbor – Russia....
Ukraine should not Help Authoritarian Countries in Cracking down on Freedom of Expression
The Institute for Reporters’ Freedom and Safety (IRFS) is deeply concerned about the detention of Azerbaijani opposition journalist Fikrat Huseynli in Kiev and calls on the Ukrainian authorities to immediately release him and stop contributing to the repressive steps of authoritarian countries aimed at intimidating their critics living...
Mothers and children of Crimean Tatar political prisoners frighten judges in Russian-occupied Crimea
With press freedom severely curtailed, and lawyers prohibited from divulging any information about the charges their clients face, Russia probably expected the lawlessness of its indefinite imprisonment and ‘trials’ of Crimean Tatars and other Crimean Muslims to go unnoticed. Crimea is not Russia, however, and there will be no silence,...
Janus Putkonen and the Donbas DONi-News – disinformation and misrepresentation
Finnish Janus Putkonen permanently moved to Donetsk in summer 2015. At that time he founded the so-called DONi-News media company with Russian money. …read more Source: Kharkiv Human Rights Protection...
The Struggle for Ukraine
Project: Russia and Eurasia Programme, Ukraine ForumRead online18 October 2017 John Lough Twitter Associate Fellow, Russia and Eurasia Programme Orysia Lutsevych Twitter Manager, Ukraine Forum, Russia and Eurasia Programme James Nixey Twitter Head, Russia and Eurasia Programme James Sherr Associate Fellow, Russia and Eurasia Programme Kataryna...
Russia erects memorial to Donbas mercenaries Ukraine wanted to see tried for war crimes
Vladislav Surkov, advisor to Russian President Vladimir Putin took part on October 16 in the ceremonial opening in Rostov (Russia) of a memorial to Russian or pro-Russian fighters who died in Donbas. The event was timed to coincide with the first anniversary of the death of Russian mercenary Arseny Pavlov [‘Motorola”], whom Ukraine had...
