Popular Russian blogger Oleg Kozyrev has been threatened with a defamation lawsuit by Moscow Region Election Committee for filing a complaint on alleged election law violations. "Clearly this is an example of pressure against bloggers who succeeded...
CATEGORY: Russia
Putin censors campaign website as opposition critics debate future
Russian prime minister Vladimir Putin has launched a website dedicated to his run in the forthcoming presidential elections on 4 March. Minutes after the site went live on 12 January, comments in the site's “suggestions” section called on him not...

Fake photos and subversion allegations used as a way to compromise Kremlin critics
The first weeks of January have been marked with a number of public moves, which opposition activists say are aimed at smearing them. Russian general prosecutor Yuri Chaika has alleged that participants of two historically large rallies for new,...
Is drug legislation being used to silence opposition activists?
Opposition activist Taisiya Osipova was sentenced to ten years on charges of drug trafficking on Friday. Rights activists allege that her arrest is a political move to silence both her and her husband. Both are members of The Other Russia...
Opposition activist Sergey Udaltsov under threat from Moscow police
Opposition leader Sergey Udaltsov has spent much of December under arrest and on hunger strike --- but the unity of his supporters grows stronger as his health continues to deteriorate. “The authorities are trying to silence me, but they cannot...
Over 100,000 Russians protesters aim to prevent Putin from becoming president
According to opposition leaders, at least 120,000 people gathered in the centre of Moscow on 24 December to demand new and fair parliamentary elections, and that Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin retire. Police report that 29,000 were present...
“Putin uses tabloid to try and split Russian opposition”
A leading online tabloid has published opposition leader Boris Nemtsov’s private phone conversations, during which he denigrated other Russian opposition activists. Nemtsov claims his phone was illegally bugged and that the Kremlin is behind the...
Russia gets ready to protest
The first meeting of Russia's newly elected State Duma will be held on 21 December. Tens of thousands of Russians protested the parliamentary elections, based on claims that they were unfair. This week protesters will take to the streets again with...
Kommersant publishing house editor-in-chief fired for anti-Putin photos
Alisher Usmanov, a metal tycoon and owner of Russia’s leading Kommersant publishing house, fired Kommersant Vlast magazine editor-in-chief Maxim Kovalsky and Kommersant-Holdingexecutive director Andrey Galiev. The reason for the dismissals,...
Moscow prison whistleblower under pressure
Senior lieutenant Alexey Kozlov, responsible for educational work at Butyrka pre-trial prison in Moscow, has virtually lost his job after having publically criticised the penitentiary system. He has appealed to rights activists and journalists...