1 Jun 2011 | Index Index, minipost
Russian authorities arrested Rustam Makhmudov in Chechyna on Tuesday (31 May). He is suspected of shooting Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya to death in 2006. Politkovskaya was one of the fiercest critics of now Chechyan President Ramzan Kadyrov, having accused him of torture and corruption. Makmudov’s arrest follows the acquittal of his two brothers and a former police investigator who were tried as accompli to the Politkovskaya murder in 2009. It is now claimed that Makmudov could be the missing link in the murder conspiracy.
25 Mar 2011 | Index Index, minipost
Reporter Sergei Topol was beaten around the head on Wednesday as he left his home in Moscow, leaving him hospitalised. Topol published a series of articles in 2008 in which he alleged that Prime Minister Vladimir Putin was going to leave his wife for a 27-year-old Olympic champion gymnast. Putin denied the claims at the time, and told journalists to keep their “snotty noses” out of his private life. Topol’s assailant is unknown and police have declined to comment on the motive.
1 Mar 2011 | Index Index, minipost
Dmitry Gubin was dismissed from Vesti FM radio station on Friday, after criticising the St Petersburg Governor, Valentina Matviyenko, on his morning show. The station’s general producer has said that he was fired for his “impermissible on-air style”. The offending remarks included his description of St Petersburg as “the hole of a rural loo instead of the window to Europe” and his provocative “Seig Heil, dear Valentina Ivanovna (Matviyenko)”. Unrepentant, he continued to liken Matviyenko to Hitler.
14 Feb 2011 | Index Index, minipost
Guardian journalist, Luke Harding, has been allowed to re-enter Russia after his expulsion from Moscow last week. The Russian officials have renewed his foreign journalist’s accreditation and he was able to obtain a single-entry visa on Friday. He returned to Russia the following day. Harding’s expulsion provoked extensive criticism, and British foreign secretary William Hague intervened. The Russian authorities have claimed that Harding violated regulations which apply to foreign journalists, but Harding has rejected these allegations as pretexts. Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, arrived in London today on a previously arranged visit.
