Politics
Russia blocks the only anti-war candidate from running against Putin PRO Members Public
Russia's Central Election Commission has finally blocked Boris Nadezhdin — the only anti-war campaigner to make it this far — from registering as a candidate in next month's presidential election. * Nadezhdin's campaign submitted 105,000 signatures in support of his candidacy, giving them a possible 5%
How Russia fell in love with Tucker Carlson PRO Members Public
Conservative journalist Tucker Carlson’s visit to Moscow prompted an unprecedented furore among Russian propagandists. Carlson, an active supporter of Donald Trump and an enthusiastic promoter of conspiracy theories, became the first Western journalist to interview Vladimir Putin since the invasion of Ukraine. Putin told him nothing new, but the
Authorities prepare to stop Boris Nadezhdin running for president PRO Members Public
On Feb. 7, the Central Electoral Commission will rule on whether to allow Boris Nadezhdin, the only anti-war candidate in the mix, to run in March’s presidential election. Their decision is already becoming clear as the body claimed to have found significant flaws in the signatures backing Nadezhdin’s
Record sentence for woman who killed pro-Russian blogger PRO Members Public
A Russian court found Darya Trepova, 26, guilty of terrorism over the murder of pro-Russian military blogger Vladlen Tatarsky. He was killed in a bomb blast in a St. Petersburg cafe last April. Trepova was sentenced to an unprecedented 27 years in prison — the longest jail sentence for a woman
Russian anti-war performers under pressure abroad PRO Members Public
Many Russian musicians and performers have left the country since the start of the invasion. While openly criticizing the war, some have managed to continue earning a living by playing venues in the United States, Europe and Asia. However, since the start of this year, some have seen travel bans
Russian lawmakers move to confiscate property of anti-war campaigners PRO Members Public
Russia’s parliament last week backed measures that would allow the confiscation of property and assets from political activists, independent journalists and opponents of the war. The potential new penalties do not go as far as the Soviet practice of stripping convicted dissidents of all their items and property. However,
Kremlin-approved liberal candidate becomes opposition hero PRO Members Public
Only one anti-war candidate is vying for the right to get on the ballot paper for the March 2024 presidential election — Boris Nadezhdin, a veteran of second-tier Russian politics who served as an aide to Kremlin insider Sergei Kiriyenko 25 years ago. Everybody understands that Nadezhdin is a Kremlin spoiler,
Pro-war opposition activist arrested on terrorism charges PRO Members Public
Russian authorities arrested left-wing politician and opposition activist Sergey Udaltsov last week, with prosecutors accusing him of promoting terrorism. Udaltsov had made posts in support of other left-wing figures who are under investigation for creating a terrorist organization. Udaltsov’s arrest is the latest example of how Moscow’s judicial
Kremlin steps in as local heating systems collapse PRO Members Public
Even by Russian standards, it’s a particularly bleak midwinter, with unusually low temperatures sending the mercury below -30°C in places. Across many Russian regions, creaking utility networks have seen central heating systems fail, leaving tens of thousands of people without heating or hot water supply to their homes.
Navalny disappears PRO Members Public
Alexei Navalny has not been seen in court hearings for almost two weeks, triggering growing fears for the fate of Russia’s most prominent opposition leader. Navalny is currently serving a decades-long jail sentence on fraud and extremism charges rejected by him, his supporters and independent rights groups who have
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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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