Journalists named in new #metoo accusations PRO Members Public
A new #metoo campaign on Twitter this week was led by female journalists working at independent media outlets who described sexual assault and harrassment they suffered at the hands of fellow journalists. State-owned media happily gave the story lots of coverage. * All the accused belong to progressive circles. They include
Navalny ramps up fight with independent journalists PRO Members Public
навальThe most discussed topic on Moscow social media this week was a spat between opposition leader Alexei Navalny and top investigative reporter Ivan Golunov. The disagreement is the latest battle in a long-running conflict between Navalny and a group of prominent journalists. Navalny alleges that many journalists have an inflated
Rolling protests in Far East after governor arrest PRO Members Public
Last week saw a series of high profile arrests, this week came the protests. Most significantly, there were big demonstrations over multiple days in the Far East city of Khabarovsk after the detention of local governor Sergei Furgal. There were smaller protests in Moscow. * Khabarovsk has seen daily protests this
Biggest regional protests in 10 years PRO Members Public
Hello! This week our top story is on a wave of protests: large ones in the Far Eastern city of Khabarovsk and smaller ones in Moscow. We also look at the bad blood between opposition leader Navalny and some prominent independent journalists, and a series of #metoo allegations in the
A week of repression follows constitutional referendum PRO Members Public
Many believed there would be a reckoning after Russia’s constitutional referendum, but few expected the authorities to act so quickly, and with such ferocity. In the week since Russians voted to allow Putin to ‘reset’ his presidential term count, two major criminal cases were opened: one into a prominent
When Russian celebrities and Western brands collide PRO Members Public
The reaction of some Russians to the Black Lives Matter movement has led to Western brands re-thinking their collaborations. Xenophobia and other types of abusive behavior look like they will become more financially risky for Russian celebrities. * Last week we wrote about how socialite and former presidential candidate Ksenia Sobchak
Belarus heads for political turmoil as election approaches PRO Members Public
As Putin puts the pieces in place to remain president through 2036, his Belarussian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko is facing a serious political challenge. Belarus will hold presidential elections on August 9 and, according to surveys, Lukashenko will get only a tiny percentage of the vote. Two of his three main
Constitutional referendum delivers big win for Putin PRO Members Public
The outcome of Russia’s constitutional referendum was exactly as predicted and the stage is now set for Vladimir Putin to remain president through 2036. In the end, neither coronavirus nor an economic crisis was a problem for Kremlin planners, and 77.9 percent of Russians voted in favor of
Repression follows referendum PRO Members Public
Hello! This week our top story is about a series of high-profile arrests and searches that have followed the recent constitutional referendum. We also look at a record $2 billion environmental fine for mining giant Norilsk Nickel, and messaging app Telegram’s unexpected rapprochement with the Russian authorities. A week
Putin’s referendum victory PRO Members Public
Hello! This week our top story is on how Russians voted ‘yes’ in Putin’s constitutional referendum marred by unprecedented levels of electoral fraud. We also look at the political turmoil in neighboring Belarus, and what happens when Russian celebrities fall foul of the ethical standards upheld by Western brands.
We are working for you
The Bell was founded in 2017 by journalists Elizaveta Osetinskaya, Irina Malkova and Peter Mironenko as a news outlet independent from the Russian authorities, after its founders have been sacked as top editors at the largest Russian news website RBC because of pressure from the Kremlin.
Read about us
