RFE/RL Russia Report
3/8/2011 9:27:44 PM
A review of RFE/RL reporting and analysis about domestic and foreign-policy developments in Russia.
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Kadyrov Loses, And Wins, With Brazilian Footballers
Ramzan Kadyrov staged another massive tribute to himself tonight as big-name Brazilian footballers rolled into Chechnya's capital for an exhibition match against a local team captained by the thuggish Chechen leader himself. More 
'Black Hawks' And Hot Air
Five weeks after the "Black Hawks" anti-Wahhabi force first attacked the home southeast of Nalchik of a suspected fighter's family, uncertainty persists about their identity and affiliation. Despite renewed threats to do so, they have still not attempted to kill a single one of the militants whose lives they have threatened. More 
Prominent Russian Rights Activist Calls On EU To Change Asylum Policy
The plight of Chechen refugees in the European Union is often a forgotten topic in Brussels. Human rights activist Svetlana Gannushkina arrived this week to raise awareness about the fear many Chechens feel while their asylum process is being considered in the EU -- and what sort of reality awaits them should they be forced to return home. More 
Lester Brown's 'World On The Edge'
Renowned thinker Lester Brown argues that pressures on the environment -- from climate change to soil erosion to deforestation -- are combining to create a "perfect storm" that could result in massive disruptions in food supply and a collapse in the world economy. More 
U.S. Vice President Heading To Russia And 'Model' Moldova
U.S. Vice President Joe Biden is on a weeklong, three-nation trip focused primarily on expanding U.S.-Russian ties but bookended by visits to Helsinki and EU hopeful Moldova. More 
Journalist Sanobar Shermatova Dies
Well-known Central Asian specialist and prominent Russian-Uzbek journalist Sanobar Shermatova has died in Moscow of cardiac arrest at the age of 59. More 
Women's Day Forgotten In The West
Make no mistake, commemorations of the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day on March 8 will be truly international in nature, with celebrations planned in more than 100 countries worldwide. But despite the holiday's high-profile anniversary, Women's Day is virtually unheard of in the West, even in the countries where the holiday has its origins. More 
Cash Missing From Putin Benefit Show
The Russian government says it's investigating reports that money raised at a recent charity concert attended by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has gone missing. Actress Sharon Stone and other Hollywood stars raised eyebrows during the concert by applauding Putin's singing. More 
Georgian FM: 'I Don't See What Idealism Has To Do With Foreign Policy'
Grigol Vashadze is Georgia's foreign minister and a close ally of President Mikheil Saakashvili. During a recent visit to Prague, RFE/RL correspondent Salome Asatiani asked him about the conflict over Georgia's separatist regions, its troubled relations with Russia, and the country's contribution to the war effort in Afghanistan. More 
The Brutally Effective Method Of House Arrest
As the following examples will show, house arrest can be a surprisingly nasty sanction when governments combine it with measures to ensure the detainee's full isolation from the outside world. More 
Russia Antiracism Campaigner Dies
Galina Kozhevnikova, one of Russia's leading antiracism campaigners, has died at the age of 36 after a serious illness. Kozhevnikova was the deputy director of SOVA, a Moscow-based group credited with gathering the country's most reliable statistics on racially motivated murders and attacks. Her colleagues say her death is a setback for the fight against xenophobia in Russia. More 
Russian Activists Arrested For Huge Banner On Bridge
Four activists of the opposition Yabloko party have been arrested near the Kremlin. More 
Corruption That Glows In the Dark
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Authoritarian Russia Watches As Middle East Unravels
As unrest spreads across the authoritarian regimes of the Middle East and North Africa, Russian politicians and analysts have been pondering whether such a thing is possible in their energy-rich country. Several observers say the lack of avenues to express political dissent in Russia presents a real danger of unrest. More 
Introducing 'The Power Vertical Podcast'
In the first edition of the newly minted Power Vertical Podcast, I spoke with longtime Rusia-watcher David Satter, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute. More 
More Economists Call For Political Reform
A group of government economists are arguing that Russia needs to fundamentally alter its political system in order to modernize its economy. More 
Vladimir Milov, The Russian Opposition's Fresh Face
When it comes to prospects for the opposition, Russia may be light years away from Egypt or other Middle Eastern countries now toppling their long-serving tyrants. But that hasn't stopped a group of opposition leaders from forming the country's newest liberal party to take part in key elections next year. One of its members even hopes to overcome great odds by becoming the first presidential candidate to challenge the Kremlin on behalf of a unified opposition. More 
Russian Renegades Make Out Like Bandits -- With Cops
Members of renegade Russian art group "Voina" have decided to shower the police with affection, literally. More 
Whose Man Is New Karachayevo-Cherkessia Leader?
While the new head of the Karachayevo-Cherkessia Republic, Rashid Temrezov, reportedly enjoys "very good relations" with Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, he also has ties to former republic leader, Mustafa Batdyev, who first promoted Temrezov to a senior post. More 
Khimki Activists Complain Of Harassment
Activists who have waged a high-profile campaign to prevent the destruction of the Khimki forest outside Moscow say the Russian authorities are waging a coordinated campaign of intimidation against them. In the latest tactic, the authorities are targeting their children. More |
