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Vladimir Kara-Murza: I Demand a Retraction

Details: World

Vladimir Kara-Murza: I Demand a Retraction

Details: 25 February 2013; Vladimir Kara-Murza

I expect Mr. Lozansky and Nezavisimaya Gazeta to issue a public retraction of the false information contained in “Russian Landing Party in Washington.”

Putin’s War on Three Fronts

Details: Politics

Putin’s War on Three Fronts

Details: 25 February 2013; Tatiana Stanovaya

Two important tendencies have marked Russian political life during the past few months. The first is the Kremlin’s attempt to control officials’ and lawmakers’ foreign accounts and real estate holdings. The second is the growing activity of independent bloggers and civic activists in investigating unaccounted foreign assets of regime figures. Both the government and the opposition seem to be pursuing the same objective of exposing suspicious property owners. However, as political analyst Tatiana Stanovaya points out, the government’s interests and society’s interests do not overlap.

Putin Tries to Bring the Money Home

Details: Politics

Putin Tries to Bring the Money Home

Details: 25 February 2013; Donald N. Jensen

A “deoffshorization” campaign championed by Vladimir Putin is simultaneously designed to demonstrate a fight against corruption and to protect Kremlin allies who could become vulnerable in the West in the wake of the Magnitsky Act. Donald N. Jensen, Resident Fellow at the Center for Transatlantic Relations at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, argues that Putin’s campaign has accelerated internal splits that could prove fatal for his regime.

In a Post-“Reset” Era, Experts Urge More Attention to Human Rights

Details: World

In a Post-“Reset” Era, Experts Urge More Attention to Human Rights

Details: 21 February 2013

As Washington and Moscow move to a post-“reset” relationship, experts on Russia have joined a discussion panel at the Heritage Foundation to talk about the ways forward in bilateral contacts. Stephen Blank, Ariel Cohen, Vladimir Kara-Murza, and Katrina Lantos Swett agreed that, in the context of Vladimir Putin’s crackdown, human rights must be high on the agenda for US-Russia relations.

Europe’s Lawmakers Add Fuel to the Fire of Anti-Semitism

Details: Nation

Europe’s Lawmakers Add Fuel to the Fire of Anti-Semitism

Details: 21 February 2013; Alexander Podrabinek

Criminal penalties for Holocaust denial have been established in several democratic states, primarily in the European Union. According to author and analyst Alexander Podrabinek, such laws clearly violate the freedom of expression—and, in the end, only work to the anti-Semites’ advantage.

Mikhail Prokhorov: Between the Kremlin and the Opposition

Details: Politics

Mikhail Prokhorov: Between the Kremlin and the Opposition

Details: 19 February 2013; Tatiana Stanovaya

Mikhail Prokhorov, one of Russia’s richest men, is actively developing his recently created party, Civic Platform. Prokhorov has the resources, personnel, influence and contacts that will, at the very least, attract considerable attention to his project. Political analyst Tatiana Stanovaya ponders whether Prokhorov is a businessman who decided to ride the wave of growing civic activism, a true fighter against the regime, or simply a Kremlin puppet.

Obama’s Dilemma: Trying to Breathe New Life into the “Reset”

Details: World

Obama’s Dilemma: Trying to Breathe New Life into the “Reset”

Details: 19 February 2013; Donald N. Jensen

With the unraveling of its “reset” with Moscow, the Obama administration is seeking new ways to engage the Russian leadership, relying on the time-tested issue of arms control. According to Donald N. Jensen, Resident Fellow at the Center for Transatlantic Relations at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, the Kremlin will demand a high price for bilateral reengagement.

Details: Politics

One More Try

Details: 14 February 2013; Alexander Podrabinek

Despite its unfortunate historical experience, Russia is not destined for despotism. According to author and analyst Alexander Podrabinek, the liberal opposition still has a chance of success—provided it maintains its political identity and appeals to the “man from the street.”

Yelena Bonner: A Voice that was Heard

Details: Nation

Yelena Bonner: A Voice that was Heard

Details: 14 February 2013; Vladimir Kara-Murza

February 15th marks the 90th anniversary of the birth of Yelena Bonner, a legendary Russian human rights campaigner, co-founder of the Moscow Helsinki Group, and the wife and companion of Andrei Sakharov. IMR Senior Policy Advisor Vladimir Kara-Murza, who knew Bonner, recalls her life and notes the moral importance of her stances for present-day Russia.

Russia’s Protests Researched by US Scholars

Details: Nation

Russia’s Protests Researched by US Scholars

Details: 13 February 2013

Recent protests in Russia have been studied by scholars from the time they began in December 2011. In the last two weeks, the Harriman Institute held two discussion panels, at which US experts shared their thoughts about the prospects for Russia’s opposition movement.

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