Russia Brings Forward Verdict in Trial of Putin Critic Navalny
Source: New York Times
MOSCOW — A court on Monday unexpectedly moved up the announcement of a verdict in a criminal case against one of Russia’s most prominent political opposition leaders, Aleksei A. Navalny, saying the decision would be given on Tuesday morning rather than on Jan. 15.
The abrupt date change raised the possibility that Mr. Navalny, who rose to prominence as an anti-corruption activist and became a leading nemesis of President Vladimir V. Putin, would be handed a lengthy prison term just before New Year’s Eve, when many Russians are traveling or distracted by family obligations.
The change in the hearing date also suggested that the government might be seeking to hinder any response by Mr. Navalny’s supporters, who had been planning a major rally near the Kremlin for the original day of the verdict. The government had taken steps to thwart their plans, in part by asking Facebook to ban a page promoting the event.
The rally, which has not been approved by the government as required by law, has been rescheduled for 7 p.m. on Tuesday. A new Facebook page was created to promote the gathering and as of Monday evening had not been restricted. More than 33,000 people had posted on Facebook that they would attend the original rally.
Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/30/world/europe/russia-brings-forward-verdict-in-trial-of-putin-critic-navalny.html?_r=0
2015: The Year of the Putin Dictatorship
Leonid Bershidsky
I hated what happened to Russia in 2014 so much that I decided to move away. It's safe to say, however, that 2015 will be worse. President Vladimir Putin's regime is on the verge of transitioning from mild authoritarianism to outright dictatorship. The country's newly amended military doctrine is an especially ominous sign. Judging by it, the Kremlin's response to the ongoing economic crisis will be to crack down on all signs of popular discontent. The Kremlin seems determined to turn inward and complete its break with the Western world.
Read more
http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2014-12-29/2015-the-year-of-the-putin-dictatorship
Russian Emigration Spikes in 2013-2014
Adding to a laundry list of strategic and demographic problems for the Russian Federation, Reuters reports, based on official government statistics, that Russia is experiencing a serious case of emigration and brain drain. According to the report, five times as many Russians are emigrating now, during Vladimir Putin’s third term, than in the early 2000s. The demographic issue is also compounding Russia’s severe capital flight problem, which has grown worse since Russia’s international isolation over its actions in Ukraine, including annexing the Crimean peninsula earlier this year. According to Reuters, most Russian emigrants are leaving the country for a handful of reasons: “Most just want a better life, with some seeking more political freedom than under President Vladimir Putin and others keen to escape an economy that has been hit by Western sanctions over the Ukraine crisis and is on the verge of recession.”
Read more
http://thediplomat.com/2014/07/russian-emigration-spikes-in-2013-2014/ at
= new reply since forum marked as read
