• Italian regional council calls for a review of the EU's policies towards Russia and Crimea

    The Liguria Regional Council in northern Italy has voted in favor of a resolution which calls on the government and parliament to review the EU’s policy towards Russia and Crimea. This was reported by Genova24.

    The Regional Secretary of the Northern League and the author of this initiative, Edoardo Rixi, said that all members that were present at the meeting voted in favor of the resolution. These included representatives of the center-right majority.

    “The unanimous approval for our …

  • In Transnistria, denial of Russia's 'positive role' in maintaining peace is a criminal offense

    Criminal punishment for denial or distortion of Russia’s positive role in maintaining peace in Transnistria has been introduced in the unrecognized Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic (PMR), as reported by the press service of Transnistrian president Yevgeny Shevchuk.

    According to the press service, the relevant amendments to the Criminal Code have been approved by the head of PMR. Earlier in June, they were approved by the parliament on the initiative of Chairman of the Supreme Council of the …

  • Medvedev: Russian sanctions on Turkey should be lifted gradually

    Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said the lifting of sanctions against Turkey should be done gradually so as not to detrimentally affect Russian manufacturers and business partners, RIA Novosti reported.

    "According to the order [to lift sanctions on Turkey], we have to prepare proposals to amend the relevant decisions, that is, an adjustment of the decree and the government resolution. We will act in stages,” Medvedev said.

    “Here it is necessary, on the one hand, to lift these …

  • SOVA Center: Speaking out over the internet is becoming increasingly criminalized in Russia

    The SOVA Center for Information and Analysis reported the tightening up of measures for those speaking out on the internet.

    A report by the center’s expert, Natalia Yudina, released on Tuesday by Mediazona, states that in Russia, there have been 194 convictions for statements on the internet that were recognized as extremist, (84 per cent of the total number of similar sentences), whereas in 2014 there were only 138.

    The Russian human rights organization, Agora, also noted the increasing …

  • Russia initiates first case regarding law on foreign agents

    In Novocherkassk, investigators initiated criminal proceedings against the Chairperson of the Zhenshchiny Dona Foundation, Valentina Cherevatenko, under the Article on willful evasion of implementation of law on foreign agents. It is the first criminal case initiated under this Article in Russia, Radio Svoboda reported. In addition to the Zhenshchiny Dona (Women of the Don) Foundation, Cherevatenko is also the head of the eponymous fund that was added to the Ministry of Justice’s list of NGO …