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Russia Passes Bill to Limit Jury Trials
Russia’s lower house of Parliament, the State Duma, passed a bill Friday which takes away the right to trial by jury in cases of terrorism and other serious crimes.
Dec 13, 2008 | Continued
Opposition Protests Will Go On Despite Ban, Interference
Wide-scale opposition protests, known as Marches of Dissent, will take place in Moscow, St. Petersburg and other cities, despite bans and stiff pressure from authorities.
Dec 13, 2008 | Continued
Medvedev: Russia May Join OPEC, Cut Crude Output
Faced with plummeting oil prices and tax revenues, Russia is considering either joining OPEC or working together with the oil cartel to cut world output.
Dec 12, 2008 | Continued
Russia’s Thaw Will Come From the People – Piontkovsky
Author and scholar Andrei Piontkovsky, who was charged and later absolved of writing extremist materials, comments on the significance of his case for free speech in Russia. Translation by theotherrussia.org
Dec 11, 2008 | Continued
Kremlin Taps Former Opposition Leader for Governorship
Nikita Belykh, a former leader of the Russian Union of Right Forces party, has accepted an appointment to be governor of the Kirov region. Reactions from figures in the Russian opposition have been mixed.
Dec 10, 2008 | Continued
Standard & Poor’s Downgrades Russia
In the latest news item to predict a chaotic future for the Russian economy, the Standard & Poor’s rating agency cut the country’s debt rating for the first time in ten years.
Dec 9, 2008 | Continued
Jailed Yukos Executive Released on Bail
In a rare human rights victory in the Russian prison system, jailed Yukos attorney Vasily Aleksanyan has been released on bail. Aleksanyan, who fell gravely ill in prison, has been struggling to receive better medical attention.
Dec 9, 2008 | Continued
Obama: Russia “Increasingly Assertive”
US President-elect Barack Obama ramped up his tone on Russia Sunday, speaking out against Russia’s increasingly aggressive behavior.
Dec 8, 2008 | Continued
Russian Activist Gets 15 Days in Jail for Cursing on the Internet
Denis Styazhkin, a leader of a the Left Front movement in Krasnoyarsk, was given 15 days arrest over an image he posted to a popular online social networking site.
Dec 6, 2008 | Continued
Moscow, St. Petersburg Authorities Move to Curb Opposition Protests
Authorities in Moscow and St. Petersburg have refused to give permits to the Other Russia opposition coalition, which plans to hold Marches of Dissent on December 14th.
Dec 5, 2008 | Continued