Latest posts by Daniel Alan Kennedy
No Justice for Battered Russian Journalist
Journalist Oleg Kashin was severely beaten and almost killed three years ago, presumably for his political writing. His assailants are still at large.
Facepalm Politics in the Russian Parliament
Tension is mounting in Russia's managed party system. What will one pseudo-opposition group, A Just Russia, do to maintain its grip on power?
“Let Russians Sweep Their Own Streets”: Minorities Ponder Ethnic Violence
Non-ethnic Russians have been keen to express their views on the Biryulyovo riots online, using the language common to many of them - Russian.
United Russia MP Scorned for Public Debauch
A United Russia deputy and his aide were thrown off an Aeroflot flight, accused of being intoxicated, threatening the crew, and delaying the flight.
Russian News Websites Black Out to Protest Journalist's Arrest
A photographer was among the 30 activists arrested by Russian border guards on board Greenpeace's Arctic Sunrise. His detention has riled up Russian journalists and other media figures.
How Russians Read McCain's Pravda Op-Ed on Putin
While Americans were incensed at being lectured by a foreign politician whom many regard as either an idiot or a hypocrite, many Russians, it turns out, reacted no differently.
Presidents, Oligarchs and Potash: Russia's Trade War With Belarus
Belarusian authorities arrested Vladislav Baumgartner, CEO of Uralkaliy, a large Russian potash mining company. Russia retaliated by cancelling some of its subsidies and banning Belarusian pork imports.
Russia's Political Firebrand: What Makes Navalny Tick?
Russia's best-known political blogger earned his fame fighting corruption in the private sector, but may now face five years' jail time on (possibly trumped-up) embezzlement charges. In the meantime, he's running for mayor of Moscow.
Russians Wary of Snowden Asylum
Snowden's decision to hitch his wagon to Putin's makes opposition and human rights activists uneasy, while his status as a defected "spy" alienates many of Putin's supporters.
Six Years in a Russian Prison for Sharing Porn?
A Russian blogger gets into trouble with local authorities after he reposts pictures of half-naked patrons, engaged in striptease contests and public sex acts, from a nightclub's social networking page.
A Jewish Russian Mayoral Candidate Even the Nazis Can Love
With his half Jewish heritage, Evgeny Roizman would be an unlikely political star in Russia, were he anyone but Evgeny Roizman.
Snowden Airport Saga Polarizes Russian Human Rights Community
Are some of Russia's human right defenders guilty of letting the Kremlin score a few PR points?
Egypt's “People's Revolution” in the Eyes of Russians
As with past protests in the region, Russians have been actively following the events in Egypt.
How Edward Snowden Divides Russians
When Edward Snowden left Hong Kong for Moscow, it placed Russia at the center of what had primarily been an American story. For Russians, his prolonged stay in Sheremetyevo has turned the question of what should be done with him from academic to practical, as his fate now rests largely in Russia's hands.
Russian NGOs Learn to Invest in Paper Shredders
At 3AM, last Saturday, Russian riot police and private security raided the offices of one of the country's oldest human rights organizations. Those inside, including the group's leader, Lev Ponomarev, were forcibly evicted from the premises. Later, allegations arose that the group was involved in certain "unpatriotic" activities.
Russians See Themselves in Turkish Protests
As Turkish protests continue, Russians draw parallels between events in Turkey and their own protest movement and hard-line political leader.
Russia Eyes Another Orphan Experiment
Pavel Astakhov's idea of sending Russia's highly-politicized orphans to the restive North Caucasian Republics as a kind of social "experiment" was overwhelmingly condemned by netizens of all political stripes.
Russians & Cigarettes: A Hard Goodbye
The Russian government aims to end Russia's love affair with cigarettes, and a new law passed June 1 will ban smoking in a wide array of public spaces, paving the way to even stricter regulations in the future. Not everyone in the Russian blogosphere, however, is happy about it.
Tinker, Tailor, Compass, Wig: Russia's Amusing American Spy Scandal
Fogle's alleged letter (written in awkward if grammatically correct Russian) looked like "Nigerian spam run through Google translate".
After Fatality, May 6 Displays Troubles & Resilience of Russian Protest Movement
The Russian opposition, it seems, can't catch a break. Sometimes, this is because the Kremlin's political technologists outmaneuver them. Other times, it is thanks to internal bickering. On May 6, however, the culprit was plain bad luck. For one man, that bad luck was fatal.
Russian Conspiracy Theories About Boston Bombings Abound
"Bush blew up the Twin Towers, Putin blew up [the towns of] Buinaksk and Volgodonsk. Obama blew up the marathon." The RuNet, just like the Internet at large, has always had a penchant for conspiracy theories.
