Empowering activists, defending human rights, and fostering civil society resistance to authoritarian regimes
The main political event in Russia in 2021 was the elections to the State Duma, or the lower house of parliament. On the one hand, the elections brought closure to the long period of preparation for them; on the other hand, they signified the onset of a new period in the development of Russia’s political system
Assessment of the Election Results
As the dust settles after the September elections into the State Duma, several important factors define the outlook for 2024, when Putin will likely seek to extend his Presidential tenure for another term— and, if in case of success, stay in power indefinitely
Over the last several months, harassment of Russia’s political opposition has intensified, with legislative elections as a clear cause. Many people have erroneously believed that once the elections were over, the repressions would ease, if not entirely disappear.
2021 saw widespread political repressions across Russia
Dog owners in Russia have to make sure that their dogs don’t try to eat anything during their walks — as it is not rare to come across poisoned meat set out as baits by dog hunters
On July 12, 2021, yet another amendment to the legislation on Undesirable NGOs entered into force in Russia. The changes mean that now anyone who works with an “undesirable” organization can be subject to administrative penalties
It was shocking for Western friends of Georgia, and supporters of Georgia’s bid for membership at NATO and the EU, to learn that an angry mob in Tbilisi stormed LGBTQ activists’ centers, attacking journalists and tourists. Yet, as we saw on July 5, 2021, this is precisely the reality on the ground in the Georgian capital.
Today, it is hard to say whether the unraveling COVID-19 pandemic provided the reason for the Russian government to dust off their old textbooks, but the spread of the disease beyond China’s borders served as the occasion for the Russian propaganda to open a new “front” in the information war.
The profound and longstanding negligence which characterize Moscow’s attitude toward the Far East as Russia's extractive colony and periphery is most clearly manifested in environmental disasters continuously ravishing the region.
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