Recommended Reading
Another Twist: Putin to Become Prime Minister?
President Vladimir Putin announced that he would become Prime Minister if his named successor, Dmitri Medvedev, takes the presidency. Andrei Vavra provides an analysis of what this announcement shows about the stability of Putin’s government.
Dec 21, 2007 | Continued
Kasparov on TIME ‘Person of the Year’ for Putin
Exclusive statement from Russian opposition leader Garry Kasparov on TIME Magazine awarding its “Person of the Year” award to Vladimir Putin. “This will be promoted within Russia and around the world as an endorsement by the West of Putin’s policies of dictatorship.”
Dec 19, 2007 | Continued
Russian Immigration Agency Knew Nothing About Morar’s Deportation
Konstantin Romodanovsky, the director of Russia’s Federal Migration Service, doesn’t know why journalist Natalya Morar was expelled from the country . He indicated that the FSB was likely the reason, and told journalists to “read between the lines” and “listen between the words.”
Dec 19, 2007 | Continued
RBC Daily Forces Journalist Out For Political Writing
Anastasia Samotorova, the author of a recent story critical of limited media access to the Kremlin, was forced to resign by her employer, the RosBusinessConsulting Daily newspaper.
Dec 18, 2007 | Continued
Investigative Journalist Barred From Returning to Moscow
Natalya Morar, a reporter for “The New Times” magazine, has been blocked from entering Russia by a statute used for guaranteeing safety of the State. She had recently published an article exposing the Kremlin’s manipulations in the December 2nd State Duma elections.
Dec 17, 2007 | Continued
Union of Right Forces Party Nearing Bankruptcy
Russia’s liberal Union of Right Forces political party is selling off assets to pay for its electoral campaign, and is on the brink of bankruptcy. The primary reason is a low percentage of votes in the December 2nd State Duma election, which the party believes was falsified.
Dec 16, 2007 | Continued
Statistical Evidence of Russian Poll Fraud
Statistical analysis has added to the preponderance of evidence that the Dec. 2 elections were little more than a sham. Several studies have shown that the higher the turnout of a district, the greater the margin of victory for United Russia.
Dec 15, 2007 | Continued
An Election Without Candidates
Noted Soviet dissident Vladimir Bukovsky has been blocked from hosting an “initiative group” and announcing his presidency. The same is true for Arkhangelsk Mayor Aleksandr Donskoi.
Dec 15, 2007 | Continued
Blocked In All Directions, Kasparov Drops Presidential Bid
Citing pressure and interference from above, Garry Kasparov has dropped his official presidential bid. The opposition leader has pledged continue his campaign unofficially.
Dec 14, 2007 | Continued
The Last Island of Freedom
LiveJournal, the most popular blogging service in Russia, was recently sold to a Russian company. Sergei Petrunin discusses the significance of the sale on freedom of speech and freedom of thought in Russia.
Dec 13, 2007 | Continued