Russian Couple Tried for Treason Over ‘Photobombing’ Secret Agent – Kommersant

A couple from Russia’s western exclave of Kaliningrad is on trial for treason over the appearance of a secret agent in their wedding photographs, the Kommersant business daily reported Tuesday. Baltic affairs expert Antonina Zimina and her husband Konstantin Antonets were arrested in 2018 on suspicion of sharing secret information with neighboring Latvia’s intelligence agencies,…

Police Probe Russian TV Host’s Pro-Abortion Instagram Post

A popular Russian television host and Instagram blogger faces extremism charges over her posts criticizing President Vladimir Putin’s efforts to encourage population growth without addressing economic hardship, the online tabloid Super reported Monday. Alyona Vodonayeva sparked controversy in December for urging low-income Russians not to give birth to “slaves to this state.” She doubled down…

Russia Scraps Criticized Restrictions on Scientists’ Foreign Contacts

Russia has scrapped highly criticized restrictions on its scientists a year after issuing them, the Education and Science Ministry’s newly appointed chief was quoted as saying Monday. The February 2019 order that was made public months later had advised government-affiliated scientists to seek formal approval before meeting foreign colleagues and to bring companions to such meetings.…

Controversial Scholar Jordan Peterson Treated for Addiction in Russia

Controversial Canadian author and academic Jordan Peterson has been treated for addiction to anti-anxiety medication in Russia, his daughter has said. Peterson rose to fame in conservative circles in 2016 for opposing what calls “radical political correctness authoritarianism,” and his polarizing stances have drawn widespread controversy. He is estimated to have authored 50 books, including…

Russian Jury Acquits Gay Man’s Murder Suspect

A Moscow jury has acquitted a man accused of killing a gay man last year, the LGBT rights group Stimul reported Thursday. Security cameras captured 40-year-old Roman Yedalov’s stabbing death near central Moscow’s Kursky train station in June 2019. His boyfriend Yevgeny Yefimov, who survived the attack, recounted that the suspect had shouted homophobic slurs. …

Moscow Activists Protest Widespread Facial Recognition With Face Paint

A Moscow activist campaign is encouraging people to protect their privacy by covering their faces in bright, bold designs.  Police-controlled facial recognition technology has been expanding in Moscow’s wide-reaching surveillance network since 2017. While law enforcement says the technology helps catch wanted criminals, critics have spoken out against what they say is non-consensual identification and…

Half of Moscow’s Luxury Suburb Linked to Russia’s Elite – Proekt

Nearly half the landowners in Moscow’s luxury suburb of Rublyovka are linked to Russia’s ruling elite, the Proekt news website has said in a massive investigation published Thursday. Altogether, it said the 800 Kremlin functionaries, governors and mayors own an estimated 1.3 trillion rubles ($20.75 billion) in properties dotting the Rublyovo-Uspenskoye Highway in western Moscow.…

Russia Proposes Internet Ecosystem to Protect Users From ‘Foreign Influence’ – Report

Russia’s state-controlled telecommunications provider is proposing a 260-billion-ruble ($4.1 billion) online ecosystem to “protect users from foreign influence,” the Kommersant business daily reported Wednesday. Rostelecom’s so-called roadmap reportedly envisions the creation of state-run messengers, gaming services, browsers and operating systems. The telecom provider’s ambitious proposal also includes state-controlled content recommendation systems and speech and gesture…