Stories about Russian from April, 2021
A runaway judge’s disappearance could mar Ukraine-Moldova relationship
Ukrainian judge Mykola Chaus’ escape to Moldova and his subsequent disappearance demonstrate the risks that elite abuse of law enforcement and judicial powers for personal gain poses for regional security.
Czech-Russian relations hit new low after Prague accuses Moscow of ‘state-sponsored terrorism’
On April 17, the Czech government announced it would expel 18 Russian diplomats, following revelations by its intelligence agency that Russian agents played a role in the 2014 explosions at an arms depot.
Feminist activist in Russia faces prison term for ‘body-positive’ drawings
Human rights groups have labeled Yulia Tsvetkova a prisoner of conscience and have called on Russia to remove all charges and to "stop targeting feminist, LGBTI and other activists."
Russian authorities crack down on student journalism outlet over protest explainer video
Supporters of DOXA journal have called the charges against its editors "preposterous" and demanded that "all harassment of students immediately cease."
‘Our homeland is where the money is': pragmatic citizenship in Tajikistan
Every year, thousands of Central Asian citizens try to overcome the restrictions attached to the citizenship they acquired at birth and apply for a Russian passport.
Israeli phone hacking firm stops sales to Belarus and Russia
Cellebrite, an Israeli software company known for making tools used to extract data from smartphones, has announced it will halt sales to Russian and Belarus state bodies and law enforcement.
Can the Eurovision Song Contest change Russia's views on migrants from Central Asia?
Russia has nominated Tajik-Russian singer Manizha as its representative for the 2021 Eurovision Song Contest. But many Russians reject her as the chosen face of their country at the international event.
Belarus banned from 2021 Eurovision contest for controversial song lyrics
The European Broadcasting Union found Belarus to be "in breach of the rules of the competition that ensure the Contest is not instrumentalized or brought into disrepute."