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The Russian Duma: Countdown to Dissolution

Details: Politics

The Russian Duma: Countdown to Dissolution

Details: 09 April 2013; Vladimir Kara-Murza

There has long been talk about the Kremlin’s plans to dissolve the current State Duma and call early parliamentary elections—not only political analysts, but Duma members themselves have been discussing this possibility. The latest developments only confirm the likelihood of such a scenario. IMR Senior Policy Advisor Vladimir Kara-Murza discusses who—the regime or the opposition—will benefit from early Duma elections.

ARPF: Phantom of a New Ruling Party

Details: Politics

ARPF: Phantom of a New Ruling Party

Details: 08 April 2013; Tatiana Stanovaya

In late March, Vladimir Putin participated in a conference held by the All-Russia People’s Front (ARPF). The ARPF’s first congress, which is supposed to take place in the near future, will finally give the “movement,” which now exists only in newspapers and on TV, a legal form. Political analyst Tatiana Stanovaya discusses whether the ARPF is a prototype of a new ruling party or a parody of a political movement.

Again, Those Annoying Human Rights

Details: Law

Again, Those Annoying Human Rights

Details: 08 April 2013; Ekaterina Mishina

At Vladimir Putin’s request, Russian lawmakers are toughening the rules on residency registration and criminal liability for violating them. According to IMR Advisor Ekaterina Mishina, a prominent Russian legal scholar, the new amendments would de facto annul the priority of rights over obligations that is enshrined in the Russian Constitution.

Sergei Magnitsky Will Be Convicted Posthumously

Details: Law

Sergei Magnitsky Will Be Convicted Posthumously

Details: 03 April 2013; Alexander Podrabinek

On April 5, the Tverskoy District Court in Moscow will resume hearings in the trial of Sergei Magnitsky. The prisoner’s box in the courtroom is empty—Magnitsky died in Matrosskaya Tishina prison in 2009. Author and analyst Alexander Podrabinek affirms that this trial, as well as being immoral and absurd, is also illegal.

Sergei Ivanov Returns to Center Stage

Details: Politics

Sergei Ivanov Returns to Center Stage

Details: 02 April 2013; Donald N. Jensen

KGB General Sergei Ivanov, once considered a likely successor to Vladimir Putin, lost much of his influence after Dmitri Medvedev’s selection as president in 2008. Yet in recent weeks, Ivanov appears to have made a political comeback. Donald N. Jensen, Resident Fellow at the Center for Transatlantic Relations at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, ponders whether Sergei Ivanov is being positioned to succeed Putin after all.

United Russia Party: Failure or Path to Dictatorship?

Details: Politics

United Russia Party: Failure or Path to Dictatorship?

Details: 02 April 2013; Tatiana Stanovaya

In the past year, Russia’s ruling party has been in constant crisis. Despite its stable poll standings, United Russia's reputation has been deteriorating, and its members are being subjected to exposés of wrongdoing by the opposition and the media. According to anonymous government sources, the elite is frightened: the Kremlin has started to "betray" its own. Political analyst Tatiana Stanovaya discusses the ruling party's future in the new political environment.

US Senator Mary Landrieu: “The Dima Yakovlev Law Does Not Hurt the United States, It’s Cruel to Russia’s Own Children”

Details: World

US Senator Mary Landrieu: “The Dima Yakovlev Law Does Not Hurt the United States, It’s Cruel to Russia’s Own Children”

Details: 01 April 2013; Olga Khvostunova

US Senator Mary Landrieu, co-chair of the Congressional Adoption Coalition and a nationally recognized advocate for adoption, spoke about the Dima Yakovlev Law with IMR Advisor Olga Khvostunova. The following are the senator’s words.

The Lives of Others

Details: World

The Lives of Others

Details: 01 April 2013; Olga Khvostunova

On January 1, 2013, the Dima Yakovlev Law came into force in Russia, prohibiting US citizens from adopting Russian children. This legislation was backed by a massive propaganda campaign aimed at discrediting American adoptive families and the United States at large. IMR analyst Olga Khvostunova tried to get to the bottom of the problem and see how Americans really treat their adopted Russian children.

The Western Alternative

Details: Politics

The Western Alternative

Details: 28 March 2013; Alexander Podrabinek

While the advantages of the Western path of development over the Eastern one are evident, for many centuries Russia has been unable to make a definitive choice. According to author and analyst Alexander Podrabinek, the Western model is the only way for the country to avoid ruin and degradation.

The Kremlin and Missile Defense: In Need of a Convenient “Enemy”

Details: World

The Kremlin and Missile Defense: In Need of a Convenient “Enemy”

Details: 27 March 2013

The decision to cancel Phase 4 of the planned US missile defense system in Europe, recently announced by the Pentagon, is good news for the Kremlin. Yet, according to Donald N. Jensen, Resident Fellow at the Center for Transatlantic Relations at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, Moscow may use it not to soften its stance, but to seek further concessions from the Obama administration.

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