Is Russia Google’s next weak spot?
Showing all posts tagged Russia
How a rich, Jewish man came to define human rights in Russia?
Russia under Putin is an unforgiving place. Impunity is the name of the game. In this context, a fascinating feature in this week’s New York Times Magazine about Mikhail Khodorkovsky, once the country’s richest man, is sobering. Here’s a man who made staggering amounts of money in the post-Communist circus, seemingly had a conversion, discovered…
How much is that democracy in the window?
During last year’s war between Russia and Georgia, conflicting narratives were flying around the world, something I wrote about in the Guardian. One year on, it now appears that Western-led, PR companies are leading the way to capture the hearts, minds and wallets of the global elite (via the Guardian): The war between Moscow and…
Putin’s brutal, little war
An extract from a 2,600-word article by recently murdered Russian human rights activist Natalya Estemirova on the situation in Chechnya written in August 2008 but never published: The abductions in Chechnya started nearly a decade ago. In 2000, Russian forces took control of practically the entire territory of the republic, and started extensive mop-up operations…
Russia is a seemingly lawless nation
With the murder of yet another Russian human rights worker, Natalya Estemirova, Human Rights Watch has re-released its 2007 video of this remarkable woman after she won a major award.
Russian freedom of speech in dire shape
I’ve long held an interest in human rights in Russia (or the recent lack thereof.) The late, murdered journalist Anna Politkovskaya remains a hero of mine. Tragically, Russian bloggers document the killing of yet another activist, Natalya Estemirova.
Challenging the notions of reporting in the modern age
Sydney PEN, an affiliate of International PEN, is an association of writers devoted to freedom of expression in Australia and in the world at large. In accordance with the PEN Charter it uses its influence on behalf of writers anywhere who are silenced by persecution, exile or imprisonment and acts as an authoritative source on… matters…
This is an unpopularity contest
The world’s major powers have a serious image problem: Public views of China and Russia have slipped considerably in the past year, according to a new BBC World Service poll across 21 countries. Views of the US have improved modestly over the past year but remain predominantly negative, even though the poll was taken after…
The perilous life of being a journalist
Modern Russia, in all its lawlessness: Alexander Lebedev, the Russian billionaire who co-owns [newspaper] Novaya Gazeta, says the situation is so dreadful that the paper’s staff should now carry guns. Lebedev, the new proprietor of the Evening Standard, also suggested journalists should be taught how to shoot. The authorities are unlikely to grant his request,…
Watching the clueless squirm
Former CIA agent “Werther” explains what a likely Obama victory would do to the usual suspects in the US political and media establishment: The American political system also perceives cases of countries “testing” or “challenging” the United States in many instances where the country in question has a perfect right to pursue its own policies…