Law - Institute of Modern Russia

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The Right to Total Lawlessness

Details: Law

The Right to Total Lawlessness

Details: 10 August 2015; Ekaterina Mishina

Police reform in Russia began in 2009 and in a sense is still underway, as is the discussion of its results and achievements. The latest set of draft amendments to the federal law “On the Police” may completely undo the attempts at reform, however. In the opinion of IMR legal expert Ekaterina Mishina, the proposed amendments could lead to the total failure of police reform and the triumph of the “police state.”

Realm of Darkness

Details: Law

Realm of Darkness

Details: 15 July 2015; Ekaterina Mishina

On July 8, the Dynasty Foundation, Russia’s largest private donor supporting science, was shut down after the Ministry of Justice added this organization to its list of foreign agents. Earlier, Dynasty founder Dmitry Zimin announced that he is ceasing its financing, and left Russia. IMR legal expert Ekaterina Mishina analyzes recent changes in the legislation, arguing that they are damaging to the country.

The Secret Protocol That Changed the World

Details: Law

The Secret Protocol That Changed the World

Details: 10 June 2015; Ekaterina Mishina

During celebrations of the 70th anniversary of the Soviet victory in World War II, Russian President Vladimir Putin defended the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, saying it was meant to protect the USSR’s national security interests. IMR legal expert Ekaterina Mishina analyzes the pact, and the implications of its secret protocol, which are among the darkest and most shameful pages in Russian history.

“Divine Totalitarianism”

Details: Law

“Divine Totalitarianism”

Details: 22 May 2015; Ekaterina Mishina

In recent years, religion and the state in Russia have tended to be closely intertwined, with the state using the church as an instrument of manipulation. This is evidenced by the recent conflict over the staging of Tannhӓuser at the Novosibirsk Opera and Ballet Theater. IMR legal expert Ekaterina Mishina analyzes the relationship between the government and the church in today’s Russia and draws parallels with totalitarian and fascist regimes of the recent past.

Risks of Delayed Lustrations

Details: Law

Risks of Delayed Lustrations

Details: 14 April 2015; Ekaterina Mishina

Ukraine’s lustration process has given rise to much unfavorable criticism and triggered heated discussion. IMR advisor Ekaterina Mishina analyzes the experience of lustration, or the purging of government officials previously associated with the Communist Party, in the post-Soviet space and points out its risks in Ukraine.

Will Russia Pay the Yukos Settlement?

Details: Law

Will Russia Pay the Yukos Settlement?

Details: 26 March 2015; Haley S. Anderson

Last July, the Hague issued a ruling that the Russian government had wrongly seized the Yukos oil company from its shareholders and was required to pay restitution in the amount of $50 billion. This February, Russia appealed the court decision. Haley S. Anderson reviews the case, Russia’s arguments, and the possibility that the award will be paid.

Looking into the Abyss

Details: Law

Looking into the Abyss

Details: 18 March 2015; Elena Lukyanova

On the anniversary of the annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol by Russia—an event that was strongly condemned by the international community—Professor Elena Lukyanova of the National Research University of the Higher School of Economics analyzes and finds numerous problems in the decisions by the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation concerning the legislation that applies when a country makes part of a foreign state part of its own territory.

When the State Defends Itself Against Its Citizens

Details: Law

When the State Defends Itself Against Its Citizens

Details: 09 March 2015; Ekaterina Mishina

The case of Svetlana Davydova, the mother of seven children who was accused of high treason for the benefit of Ukraine, was not only the first high-profile case of espionage since the beginning of the Ukrainian conflict, but also the first case that falls under the new provisions of Article 275 of the Criminal Code. IMR legal expert Ekaterina Mishina examines the main pitfalls of these new provisions and draws historical parallels.

Signals From the Top

Details: Law

Signals From the Top

Details: 12 February 2015; Ekaterina Mishina

In late January, Kirill, the Russian Orthodox Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, addressed the State Duma of the Russian Federation for the first time in the history of the country. In his speech, he pointed to the high number of abortions that take place annually in Russia, calling it one of the main problems facing the country today. According to IMR expert Ekaterina Mishina, if the Patriarch’s address results in a prohibition on abortion, this problem will only get worse.

A Return to Feudal Law?

Details: Law

A Return to Feudal Law?

Details: 16 January 2015; Ekaterina Mishina

This December, 14 Chechen police officers died during a counterterrorist operation in Grozny. Chechen president Ramzan Kadyrov’s subsequent threat of retaliation against not only the terrorists but also their relatives sparked a massive public outcry. IMR legal expert Ekaterina Mishina analyzes the issue from a legal perspective.

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