Navalny faces new criminal charges that will add years to jail time PRO Members Public
Opposition figure Alexei Navalny’s prison sentence is due to end in mid-2023, but this week it emerged there are plans to keep him behind bars for far longer. The powerful Investigative Committee launched Thursday a case against Navalny and the other directors of his Anti-Corruption Fund (designated an extremist
Will Russia ban YouTube? PRO Members Public
When YouTube blocked state-owned media outlet RT’s German-language channels Tuesday, accusing them of spreading fake news about coronavirus, the Russian authorities promised “retaliatory measures”. These could include the complete shuttering of YouTube in Russia — the Kremlin has more than one way of doing this. * YouTube deleted two of RT’
Cyber-CEO arrested PRO Members Public
Hello! This week our top story is the arrest of prominent cyber-executive Ilya Sachkov on treason charges. We also look at what’s at stake in the new criminal case against jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, why YouTube could be banned, record COVID-19 deaths, a large batch of ‘foreign agents’
How United Russia won the State Duma elections PRO Members Public
Online voting turned out to be the biggest issue at last week’s parliamentary elections. But there are different opinions about its effect: some experts are certain it was used to carry out mass electoral fraud; others believe it just meant state-sector employees voted online for the ruling United Russia
What to ban after fatal high school shooting in Perm? PRO Members Public
An 18-year-old student at Perm State University brought an automatic weapon onto campus Monday and opened fire, leaving six people dead and 43 injured. * The 20-minute killing spree was carried out by freshman Timur Bekmansurov. Among the pieces of harrowing footage to subsequently appear online was a video showing terrified
Russia’s ‘top informer’ sets his sights on The Bell PRO Members Public
The state campaign against independent media in Russia shows no sign of relenting. Pro-Kremlin activist Alexander Ionov — who successfully suggested outlet Meduza be made a ‘foreign agent’ earlier this year — requested Wednesday that The Bell be given the same designation. * Ionov, who describes himself as a human rights activist, told
Online voting spat PRO Members Public
Hello! This week our top story is on the fallout from Russia’s parliamentary elections, particularly arguments about the impact of online voting. We also look at a fatal shooting at a university in the central Russian city of Perm, why Russia’s ‘informer-in-chief’ is now targeting The Bell, and
Russia goes to the polls PRO Members Public
Hello! This week events have been dominated by the build-up to tightly-controlled elections to the State Duma, Russia’s 450-seat parliament. For the first time in history, voting is taking place over three days — polls close Sunday. We’ll look at what to expect from the vote, problems for United
Who are the ‘New People’ in Russian politics? PRO Members Public
The big story in upcoming parliamentary elections is the New People political party. A survey by pro-Kremlin pollsters recently suggested they even have a chance of getting past the 5-percent threshold and into the State Duma as a result of next weekend’s vote — even if The Bell’s sources
Russian minister, Putin confidante dies in cliff-top tragedy PRO Members Public
Minister of Emergency Situations Yevgeny Zinichev died Wednesday in the Krasnoyarsk region of Eastern Siberia. The ministry said that Zinichev — also a military general — hit a rock when he jumped into a river to try and rescue a renowned film director. But there is an alternative – less heroic – version of
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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.
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