Vladimir Putin’s inauguration on 7 May was marked with mass protest actions, arrests and clashes with police, which have continued for the last two weeks and seem unlikely to stop. Since the inaguration ceremony, protesters have been holding an...
CATEGORY: Russia

Russian punk collective Pussy Riot speaks exclusively to Index
A Moscow court has confirmed that three women accused of being members of Pussy Riot can be held in prison until trial. Maria Alekhina, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Ekaterina Semutsevich had appealed against an earlier decision to keep them in...

Protests, mass arrests and clashes with police mark Vladimir Putin’s inauguration
Following an inauguration ceremony on Monday, Vladimir Putin is once again Russia's president. After an absence of four years, Putin won a third term as president in controversial elections in March. But as former President Dmitry Medvedev retook...
Television presenter tells President Medvedev he often faces censorship
One of Russia's best known television news presenters Alexey Pivovarov revealed the extent of state media censorship during President Dmitry Medvedv's final interview before he hands power to Vladimir Putin. During the wide-ranging interview with...

Putin critic Shevchuk concerts cancelled in Siberia
DDT, one of Russia's biggest rock bands, have had several concerts in Siberian cites cancelled according to frontman Yuri Shevchuk. He has said that local authorities forbade concerts in Omsk, Yugra, Kemerovo and Tumen. Shevchuk is a noted critic...
Arrests at Pussy Riot rally
A Moscow court has pronolonged the detention of three members of punk feminist group Pussy Riotdetention until the end of June. The three alleged Pussy Riot Members are being prosecuted after performing a protest song "Mother of God, send Putin...
Thousands march against election fraud in Astrakhan
The capital of Russian opposition moved from Moscow to the southern city of Astrakhan last week. More than 5,000 people came out in support of ex-mayoral candidate Oleg Shein, who has been on hunger strike for over a month in protest against...

Russia: Oleg Shein on hunger strike in protest against election “fraud”
Ex-mayoral opposition candidate Oleg Shein is continuing his 29-day hunger strike protesting against local mayoral election results. Held the same day as presidential elections, they were allegedly no less fraudulent. United Russia's candidate...

Moscow journalists protest against Uzbekistan censorship
Journalists and photographers gathered near the Uzbekistan embassy in Moscow to protest against the deportation of their colleague Victoria Ivleva and Uzbekistan authorities’ policy towards foreign journalists. Ivleva, a photojournalist for Novaya...
New anti-extremism legislation threatens Kremlin critics
The Federation Council of Russia has passed anti-extremism legislation which rights activists consider threatening to Kremlin’s public critics. It prohibits people who were charged with extremism to work with children in such fields as education,...