Roberto Abraham Scaruffi

RFE/RL Russia Report 12/14/2010 7:58:29 PM A review of RFE/RL reporting and analysis about domestic and foreign-policy developments in Russia. For more stories on Russia, please visit and bookmark our Russia page .

 

Russia's Khodorkovsky Awaits Verdict In Second Trial Mikhail Khodorkovsky, the former oil tycoon who many now see as Russia's most famous political prisoner, faces an additional six years in jail in what his supporters say will really be a verdict on the state of authoritarianism in Russia. More   Russian Gov't OKs Highway Through Khimki Forest After years of debate and escalating protests, the Russian government has given a green light to the construction of a controversial highway between Moscow and St. Petersburg passing through Khimki forest. The committee says alternatives would not only cost more money, but would displace more people from their homes. Ecologist and activists are appealing to Russian President Dmitry Medvedev not to approve the decision. More   Mass Hospitalization Of Siberia Soldiers The Military-Prosecutor's Office in the south-central Russian region of Kemerovo has launched an investigation after some 250 soldiers were hospitalized. More   Critics Allege Russian Magazine Is Misrepresenting WikiLeaks Cables Critics have raised questions about the accuracy of articles in the Russian magazine "Russky Reporter" purporting to be based on diplomatic cables exposed by WikiLeaks. The growing controversy illustrates that while the WikiLeaks revelations have exposed a treasure trove of information, they have also opened the door to potential misinterpretation and deception. More   Remittances From Russia Vital To Kyrgyz Stability It's not an easy existence in Russia, but Elnur Kadyrova doesn't want to go back to her home in Kyrgyzstan anytime soon. More   Putin Finds Thrill In Rendition Of 'Blueberry Hill' Vladimir Putin sang an American classic, "Blueberry Hill," in front of a celebrity-packed audience. More   Russian President Vows To 'Deal With Everyone' Involved In Moscow Riots Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has promised that those behind violence that left some 30 people will be punished. The violence broke out during a protest against the death of a soccer fan in a street fight last week. More   Everyone Gets A Piece: The Making Of A 22-Year-Old Russian Businesswoman As the Russian government investigates the harrowing murder of 12 people in the southern town of Kushevskaya, in Krasnodar, the vast network of connections being brought to light indicates that corruption in the region facilitates everything from the strong-arming of the police, to "enriching" the niece of Governor Aleksandr Tkachev. More   Court Nixes Khimki Slander Conviction A Russian court today overturned the slander conviction of Mikhail Beketov, an independent Russian journalist and environmental campaigner left wheelchair-bound after a brutal 2008 attack. More   St. Pete Skyscraper Canceled Russian authorities have canceled a controversial plan to build a towering glass and steel skyscraper in St. Petersburg that opponents have long said would have ruined the city’s skyline. More   The Criminal Vertical Is this what Vladimir Putin meant when he called for a "dictatorship of law." The mass killing of 12 people -- including four children -- at a farmer's home in the town of Kushchevskaya in Krasnodar Krai has put a bright spotlight on the close links that have long existed between Russian law enforcement and organized crime. More   Russian Ombudsman: 'Political Aspect' To Khodorkovsky Case Russian Ombudsman Vladimir Lukin says there is a political aspect to former Russian oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky's case. More   Russians Back To The Border? Russian border guards are up for returning to the Tajik-Afghan border, that is, if Tajikistan were to ask them to come back. More   A Daunting Challenge With globalization multiplying the avenues by which corrupt practices span the globe, experts are debating the nature of corruption and how to stop it. More   Corruption, And Outrage About It, Is On The Rise Corruption is on the rise in many countries, but so is the number of people willing to report incidents of it, according to a new report by the watchdog group Transparency International. More   Russian Town Sacks Top Police All top police officials in a town east of Moscow have been sacked after locals complained police were ignoring crimes. More   Russian Cop Jailed For Killing Suspect A former police officer in the city of Tula, about 200 kilometers south of Moscow, has been jailed for 10 years for killing a suspect. More   Russian Prosecutor Convicted Of Bribery A former deputy district prosecutor in Moscow has been found guilty of bribe-taking. More