RFE/RL Russia Report
2/22/2011 8:13:00 PM
A review of RFE/RL reporting and analysis about domestic and foreign-policy developments in Russia.
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Russians In Belarus Vote Trial
The trial of two Russian citizens arrested following December protests questioning Belarus's presidential election has begun in Minsk. More 
Russian Activists Post Pics Of 'Patriarch's Dacha'
Environmental activists in Russia post photographs of a Black Sea mansion they say is being built on protected land for the head of the Russian Orthodox Church. More 
Medvedev Warns Of 'Fanatics' Taking Power In Arab World
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has warned that the unrest sweeping across the Middle East and North Africa could trigger the disintegration of Arab countries into "little pieces" and lead to decades of strife. More 
A Look Inside Kadyrov's Villa
Thanks to the Internet, we now have photos of Ramzan Kadyrov's mansion in Tsentoroi. The photos don't tell us much about the man aside from a penchant for expensive, if tasteless, furnishings. More 
Ex-Moscow Mayor, Wife Under Pressure From Russian Investigators
After longtime Moscow Mayor Yury Luzhkov was forced from office last year, Russian law enforcement has been working overtime looking into municipal affairs on his watch and into the business affairs of his wife, billionaire Yelena Baturina. More 
Murder Pair Make Frame Claim
A defendant charged in the 2009 murders of journalist Anastasia Baburova and lawyer Stanislav Markelov says her husband has been framed as the main suspect in the case. More 
Bribe-Case Mayor To Stay In Jail
A court in eastern Russia has ruled that a former mayor charged with extortion will remain in jail despite demonstrations calling for his release. More 
Kudrin vs. United Russia
Finance Minister Aleksei Kudrin argued in a speech at the Krasnoyarsk Economic Forum that Russia needs political reform in order to create a "mandate of trust" for tough economic choices. The ruling United Russia party was not amused. More 
Gorbachev Slams Putin's 'Arrogance'
Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev today accused Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin of arrogance over their plan to jointly decide who should run in next year's presidential elections. More 
Russia Cracks Down On Crooked Cops
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has ordered a crackdown on police and security service corruption, "regardless of rank or title." The move came after police broke up an illegal gambling ring in the capital Moscow that had allegedly operated for several years with authorities turning a blind eye. More 
Flurry Of Hospital Tours Heralds Russian Health-Care Revamp
Barely a month goes by in Russia without national television airing images of a high-ranking official touring a hospital. More 
Rights Group Helps Khodorkovsky Case
Russia's Association of Human Rights Organizations (AGORA) says it will assist a court employee who claims a judge was pressured into convicting former oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky on additional fraud charges. More 
Kabardino-Balkaria Authorities At A Loss How To Cope With Militant Threat
Since Asker Jappuyev was named its commander in April 2010, the Kabardino-Balkar-Karachai jamaat has systematically gunned down dozens of police and security officials. In the past two months alone, insurgents have killed the republic's mufti, a respected ethnographer, and Chegem district head Mikhail Mambetov. More 
New Insurgent Group Emerges In North Caucasus
Several of the comments on Asker Jappuyev's decree ask whether the "general mobilization" he calls for also extends to neighboring Karachayevo-Cherkessia: the consensus was that the Karachais en masse have no inclination to join the jihad, although isolated individuals may have done so. More 
Terrorist Wave Raises Doubts About Moscow's North Caucasus Strategy
In the wake of a terrorist attack at a Moscow airport in January that left 35 people dead, Russia's volatile North Caucasus region has been rocked by fresh violence, once again sparking debate about why Moscow has been unable to pacify the region after decades of effort. More In an exclusive interview with RFE/RL, former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev says he is "ashamed" of a system in which the two leaders agree who will head the country without the participation of the population. More |
