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“In Putin’s Russia, Law Is Only a Tool”

Details: 04 December 2012

On November 30, Pavel Khodorkovsky, president of the Institute of Modern Russia, took part in a Princeton University discussion panel entitled “Trials of Mikhail Khodorkovsky: A Symposium on Russia and the Rule of Law.” The event featured presentations by a number of prominent experts on Russian affairs and the rule of law and was followed by a screening of Cyril Tuschi’s documentary Khodorkovsky.

Details: Politics

The Autumn of the Dictator. Part One

Details: 30 November 2012; Olga Khvostunova

The Institute of Modern Russian starts a series of articles on the political history of contemporary Belarus. The authoritarian regime imposed on the country by Alexander Lukashenko is often compared to Putin's regime in Russia, but the Belarusian president surpasses his Russian colleague in terms of years in power (18) and the political system’s rigidity. Our research shows that the evolution of authoritarianism in Belarus has reached its final stage: the country has reached a political and economic dead-end. In the history of Lukashenko’s rule there are many lessons for Russia.

Details: Events

IMR Discusses Corruption at the 44th ASEEES Convention

Details: 29 November 2012

On November 17th, the Institute of Modern Russia held a panel at the 44th Annual Convention of the Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies (ASEEES) in New Orleans. The panel’s theme of “No Boundaries for the Russian Government’s Corruption” addressed this critical issue from an interdisciplinary perspective. Panelists Vladimir Rimskiy, Evgeniya Khilji, and Sasha de Vogel presented their papers, with IMR Advisor Ekaterina Mishina participating as discussant.

Details: Nation

Putin’s Irony: How to Disable the Human Rights Council

Details: 28 November 2012

The reforms of the Presidential Human Rights Council initiated by Vladimir Putin have transformed it from a powerless but respected agency into a meaningless decoration along the lines of the Public Chamber. According to IMR analysts, the purpose of these reforms was to silence the last remaining independent voices in the government.

Details: Politics

Four Kinds of Crises for the Putin Regime—and the Beginning of Its End

Details: 27 November 2012; Tatiana Stanovaya

The circumstances surrounding the recent dismissal of Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov and his replacement with Sergei Shoygu (governor of the Moscow region and, prior to that, Emergency Management Minister) have put the crisis faced by the present Russian authorities in plain view. According to IMR expert Tatyana Stanovaya, this controversy indicates that Vladimir Putin’s regime is approaching its days of reckoning.

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