Roberto Abraham Scaruffi

RFE/RL Russia Report 24.07.2012 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 .

 

Senate Panel Votes To Lift Jackson-Vanik A key U.S. Senate panel has voted in favor of lifting Cold War trade restrictions on Russia, while also backing sanctions to punish Russian human rights violators. More   Five Arrested In Tatar Attacks Investigators in Russia say five men have been arrested in connection with the attacks on two Islamic spiritual leaders in the mainly Muslim republic of Tatarstan. More   Putin Signs NGO 'Foreign Agents' Law The Kremlin press service reports that President Vladimir Putin has signed into law a controversial bill that requires nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) which receive funding from abroad to register with the Justice Ministry as "foreign agents." More   Tajikistan Denies Russian Base Claims Tajikistan's Foreign Ministry has denied a Russian general's statement that Dushanbe has agreed to accept Moscow's conditions to extend Russia's rights to use a military base on Tajik territory for a further 49 years. More   Soviet Fans' Lasting Love For Jon Lord And Deep Purple The death of innovative composer and Deep Purple founder Jon Lord, at 71 after a battle with pancreatic cancer, has inspired tributes around the world. More   Russian Stars Auction Jewelry For Flood Victims Russian TV personality and opposition activist Ksenia Sobchak organized a charity auction of jewelry donated by supporters to raise money for children who lost one or both parents in the deadly floods in Russia’s south. (RFE/RL’s Russian Service) More   Russian Humor And Asymmetrical Warfare (UPDATED x2) The "swindlers and thieves" moniker is being revived to mock a series of controversial laws aimed at curbing Russian civil society. More   Russia's Internet Defense League: A 'Grassroots Initiative' Created By The Government The league's website gives the impression of a group of concerned citizens and professionals who have come together in order to self-regulate the Internet and thus avoid top-down censorship. But it's not. More   Twin Attacks On Russian Religious Leaders The government-backed top Islamic leader in Russia's mainly Muslim republic of Tatarstan has been injured and his former deputy killed in two separate attacks. More   As Pressure Rises, Some Gay Russians Avoid Rights Struggle Russia has recently introduced controversial new legislation that bans "propagandizing" homosexuality among minors, making it risky for gay activists even to speak out. As their community gets pushed farther into the margins, some gay men and women are choosing to protect their privacy and remain silent rather than face an uphill battle for tolerance. (Video by Alexander Gorelik of RFE/RL's Russian Service) More   Kazan Attacks Spark Terrorism Fears The brazen murder of a powerful Muslim cleric in Tatarstan and a separate assassination attempt on the republic's mufti have shaken authorities in what is traditionally one of Russia's most stable Muslim-majority regions. More   Russia's Human Rights Champion Lyudmila Alekseyeva Marks 85th Birthday Journalists and activists in Russia have honored the human rights advocate Lyudmila Alekseyeva on the occasion of her 85th birthday. More   Podcast: Jokes, Pranks, And Videotape -- The New Russian Political Humor Once the domain of kitchen table discussions, Russian political humor has gone viral. But what effect is it having? More   Olympic Medalists Set To Cash In At London 2012 The International Olympic Committee has never given cash prizes to medalists. But many countries are now promising lucrative bonus awards to their athletes who win Olympic medals at London 2012. More   More Western Rock 'N' Roll Solidarity For Pussy Riot Legally speaking, Russian dissident punk collective Pussy Riot has had a rough few months. Some high-profile Western rockers are trying to lend a helping hand. More   One Chechen's Cry From A Russian Jail -- 'Do These People Have Hearts?' The Russian authorities say the war in Chechnya is over and reconstruction is well under way. But rights activists say the republic's uneasy calm is happening amid thousands of extrajudicial disappearances, cases of torture, and trumped-up legal processes. RFE/RL's North Caucasus Service correspondent Amina Umarova recently spoke to one Chechen man who is serving an 18-year sentence for a conviction he claims is based entirely on evidence obtained by torture. This is his story. More   Not A Happy Meal: Russia's Top Health Official Slams Hamburgers And Sushi Gennady Onishchenko, Russia’s chief health inspector, has called on citizens to stop eating hamburgers. More   'Take This Law And Shove It!' Russian rights groups are starting a campaign of civil disobedience against a new law on NGOs that receive foreign funding. More   Street Art: Pothole Politics In Yekaterinburg Activists in Yekaterinburg have come up with a novel way to force their politicians to deal with the Urals city's notorious pothole problem. More   Athletes Don't Always Honor Olympic Spirit The Olympics are supposed to be about winning and good sportsmanship. But things aren't always that clean-cut. Here we look at some of the game's more notorious moments and figures. More   Rights Advocate Lyudmila Alekseyeva Reminisces Human rights activist Lyudmila Alekseyeva turned 85 on July 20. She spoke to Kristina Gorelik of RFE/RL’s Russian Service about her long career as a dissident and rights campaigner. More