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Verbal strategies from Kosovo to Crimea. Part Two

Details: Law

Verbal strategies from Kosovo to Crimea. Part Two

How the Kremlin uses the language of international law as a foreign policy tool

Details: 13 February 2018; Thomas Hodson

Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 has become a turning point for the Kremlin’s relationship with the West. While inside Russia the event is largely viewed as a “restoration of historical justice,” in the West it is perceived as a violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and essentially as the first rewriting of Europe’s borders since World War II. As Russia’s belligerent behavior in the international arena continues to raise concerns, Russia analyst Thomas Hodson investigates the Kremlin’s attempts to manipulate the language of international law to justify its actions.

Verbal Strategies from Kosovo to Crimea. Part One

Details: Law

Verbal Strategies from Kosovo to Crimea. Part One

How the Kremlin uses the language of international law as a foreign policy tool

Details: 06 February 2018; Thomas Hodson

Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 has become a turning point for the Kremlin’s relationship with the West. While inside Russia the event is largely viewed as a “restoration of historical justice,” in the West it is perceived as a violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and essentially as the first rewriting of Europe’s borders since World War II. As Russia’s belligerent behavior in the international arena continues to raise concerns, Russia analyst Thomas Hodson investigates the Kremlin’s attempts to manipulate the language of international law to justify its actions.

The Case of Ildar Dadin: Restoration of Bolshevik-Style Law?

Details: Law

The Case of Ildar Dadin: Restoration of Bolshevik-Style Law?

Details: 29 November 2016; Ekaterina Mishina

The case of Ildar Dadin, the first Russian citizen convicted under Article 212.1 of the Russian Criminal Code for repeated violations of the established rules of holding mass events, has been recently attracting widespread attention of the media and human rights activists. In a letter sent to his wife, Ildar Dadin revealed that since his arrival at the prison colony in Segezha he has been subjected to beatings and torture at the hands of prison staff. IMR legal expert Ekaterina Mishina analyzes Ildar Dadin’s case and notes that it will eventually become one of the most striking textbook examples of the restoration of Bolshevik-style criminal law in post-Soviet Russia.

Priority Tasks for the Constitutional Authorities of the Transition Period, Part 2

Details: Law

Priority Tasks for the Constitutional Authorities of the Transition Period, Part 2

Details: 07 November 2016; Vladimir Pastukhov

The Institute of Modern Russia continues the discussion on the issues of Russian constitutionalism. In the final installment of this essay, political scientist Vladimir Pastukhov proposes the construction of a “tuning fork” that would allow the political tuning needed to breathe new life into civil society and the state.

Priority Tasks for the Constitutional Authorities of the Transition Period, Part 1

Details: Law

Priority Tasks for the Constitutional Authorities of the Transition Period, Part 1

Details: 19 October 2016; Vladimir Pastukhov

The Institute of Modern Russia continues the discussion on the issues of Russian constitutionalism. In part one of this essay, political scientist Vladimir Pastukhov proposes the construction of a “tuning fork” that would allow the political tuning needed to breathe new life into civil society and the state.

The Hamlet Question: Autocracy or Federation? Part 2

Details: Law

The Hamlet Question: Autocracy or Federation? Part 2

Details: 07 September 2016; Vladimir Pastukhov

The Institute of Modern Russia continues the discussion on the issues of Russian constitutionalism. In part two of this essay, political scientist Vladimir Pastukhov explains why Russia’s unitary structure leaves it an autocratic empire, and why a federation would permit it to become a nation-state with functioning authority.

The Hamlet Question: Autocracy or Federation? Part 1

Details: Law

The Hamlet Question: Autocracy or Federation? Part 1

Details: 19 May 2016; Vladimir Pastukhov

The Institute of Modern Russia continues the discussion on the issues of Russian constitutionalism. Political scientist Vladimir Pastukhov explains why Russia’s unitary structure leaves it an autocratic empire, and why a federation would permit it to become a nation-state with functioning authority.

Constitutionalism vs. the ‘Russian Matrix.’ Part 2

Details: Law

Constitutionalism vs. the ‘Russian Matrix.’ Part 2

Details: 01 October 2015; Vladimir Pastukhov

In part one of his article on Russian constitutionalism, political scientist Vladimir Pastukhov, visiting fellow at St. Antony’s College of Oxford University, discussed the need to change Russians’ traditional mindset regarding what kinds of rules govern society. In part two, he explores the differences between Russian and Western views of the key constitutional ideas of liberty, equality and fraternity. This article is part of a periodic series on Russia’s Constitution.

Constitutionalism vs. the ‘Russian Matrix.’ Part 1

Details: Law

Constitutionalism vs. the ‘Russian Matrix.’ Part 1

Details: 22 September 2015; Vladimir Pastukhov

In the West, it is taken for granted that a nation needs a constitution in order to function. But Russia, in many ways, lives more by social codes than by the country’s Constitution. Does the country even need a constitution? If so, what can be done to make it work more effectively? Political scientist Vladimir Pastukhov, who holds a doctorate in political science and is a visiting fellow at St. Antony’s College of Oxford University, takes an in-depth look at Russian constitutionalism in part one of a periodic series.

The Kremlin’s Scorn for Strasbourg

Details: Law

The Kremlin’s Scorn for Strasbourg

Details: 24 August 2015; Ekaterina Mishina

In July, one of the most talked-about events in Russia was the Constitutional Court’s ruling that Russia may deviate from compliance with decisions of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). However, as IMR legal expert Ekaterina Mishina notes, this decision should come as no surprise. Rather, it is the natural extension of a widely held attitude in political circles, according to which Russia can afford not to comply with judgments of the Strasbourg Court if it doesn’t like them.

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