Week-ending 25 October 2024
Russia’s War against Ukraine
Vladimir Putin, labeled a potential war criminal by the International criminal court, hosted 36 world leaders at a summit of the Brics group. (The Guardian, 22/10/24)
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told Russian President Vladimir Putin his invasion of Ukraine violated the UN charter and international law. (RFE/RL, 24/10/25)
Yulia Navalnaya slammed the UN secretary general, António Guterres, for meeting Vladimir Putin and ‘shaking hands with a murderer.’ (The Guardian, 25/10/24)
A Moscow court sentenced film producer Alexander Rodnyansky to eight-and-a-half years jail in absentia for spreading “fake” information about the Russian army. (The Guardian, 22/10/24)
Ramilya Saitova (aka Galim), jailed for five years for an online post against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, has been placed under strict conditions in a Perm prison. (RFE/RL, 18/10/24)
Russia and Ukraine swapped 190 prisoners of war on October 18 under an agreement completed with the help of the United Arab Emirates. (RFE/RL, 18/10/24)
Russia has not returned the body of Ukrainian journalist Viktoria Roshchyna, who died in Russian captivity, to her homeland. (RFE/RL, 21/10/24)
Kyiv claimed Russian forces executed four captured Ukrainian servicemen in the Donetsk region, the latest war crime allegation against Moscow. (The Moscow Times, 24/10/24)
Serbia’s Interior Ministry has reversed an earlier decision to expel Russian anti-war activist Anton Bobryshev. (RFE/RL, 24/10/24)
Other news
A law that would ban “propaganda” seeking to champion a childfree lifestyle has cleared its first hurdle in Russia’s lower house of parliament. (The Guardian, 18/10/24)
The former US marine Paul Whelan says Brittney Griner provided “great help” to him by advocating for his freedom after she was released. (The Guardian, 19/10/24)
Navalny’s autobiography has been published posthumously. He wrote,’If they do finally whack me, this book will be my memorial.’ (The Guardian, 22/10/24)
Roman Shklover was detained in Yerevan on an international warrant from Russia, where he is wanted for “public justification of terrorism using the Internet.” (RFE/RL, 21/10/24)
Ambassador to Belarus Boris Gryzlov said Moscow will provide assistance to Minsk if asked to counter “destabilization” of the 2025 presidential elections. (RFE/RL, 22/10/24)
In a landmark ruling, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) said Russia’s “foreign agent” law violates the European Convention on Human Rights. (The Guardian, 22/10/24)
Authorities in Kazan limited access to mobile internet services as part of enhanced security measures during this week’s BRICS summit in the city. (The Moscow Times, 22/10/24)
A group of coal miners in Kemerovo region said they were launching a hunger strike after their employer failed to pay them millions of rubles in wages. (The Moscow Times, 21/10/24)
Lupta, a non-profit providing mental health and legal support services to LGBTQ+ people in Yekaterinburg, announced it will have to close. (The Moscow Times, 21/10/24)
Zarema Musaeva, imprisoned mother of a critic of Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, has been sent to the hospital to undergo medical treatment. (The Moscow Times, 21/10/24)
Apple has removed Current Time’s app from the Russian version of its App Store at the request of Roskomnadzor, Russia’s media regulatory agency. (RFE/RL, 18/10/24)
Uzbek authorities have opened a criminal investigation into the death of 47-year-old Russian journalist Inessa Papernaya and two others at a hotel in Tashkent. (RFE/RL, 22/10/24)
