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Persoverzicht Tsjetsjenië - juni 2018
1 juni 2018

Chechen human rights activist Titiyev case: A court in Grozny (Chechnya's capital) has extended until 9 July the arrest of the head of Memorial's Chechen office Oyub Titiyev accused of the 'illegal possession of drugs'. (Novaya Gazeta, RBC)

14 juni 2018

FIFA World Cup: President Putin is scheduled to attend the opening ceremony of the 2018 FIFA World Cup and to watch the opening game 'Russia vs. Saudi Arabia' on Thursday in Moscow. Speaking at the FIFA Congress on Wednesday, Putin said that "Russia has always adhered to the principle that 'sport is out of politics'." In an article, called 'Soft power of the Mundial', MK reports that the Kremlin expects foreign leaders to come to Russia during the World Cup and reminds that only the UK authorities have categorically refused to visit Russia. British Ambassador to Russia Bristow recently reiterated that no members of the British Royal Family or government members will attend the World Cup in Russia in the wake of the Salisbury incident. In an editorial, Nezavisimaya Gazeta writes that for countries, such as Russia or China, the major sport event is a "symbolic recognition of ambitions." Vedomosti remarks that after the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi and the 2018 World Cup, Russia is unlikely to get the right in the foreseeable future to host sports tournaments of such level. In a separate article, Vedomosti views the World Cup as a chance for Russia to become a more tolerant and non-discriminatory society. (ii) Press cites remarks by the head of the Duma's Committee for Family, Women and Children Affairs Tamara Pletnyova, who suggested in a radio interview that Russian women abstain from sex with foreign men during the World Cup as this could lead to an increase in the number of single mothers. She is also quoted as saying that “it’s one thing if the parents are of the same race but quite another if they are of a different race." (iii) The Russian media space was hit by a controversial song by Russian singer and comic Semyon Slepakov, suggesting that Chechen head Ramzan Kadyrov should become the Russian national football team's coach. The video was for the song was released ahead of the World Cup and has been viewed more than 5 million times on YouTube. (All media)

15 juni 2018

British LGBT rights activist briefly detained in Moscow: Moscow police on Thursday detained British LGBT rights activist Peter Tatchell as he was holding a one-man picket in Moscow's Red square to protest against the persecution of LGBT people in Chechnya. Later on Thursday, Tatchell was released. (Kommersant, MT)

19 juni 2018

Rotation of senators: According to RBK daily, at least 17 members of the Federation Council would leave the upper chamber of the Russian Parliament after the 9 September regional elections. The daily does not rule out that a total of 42 senators could be replaced this fall. On 9 September, direct gubernatorial elections are planned to be held in 22 Russian regions, while the heads of four regions (Dagestan, Ingushetia, the Nenets and the Yamalo-Nenets autonomous districts) will be elected by regional legislatures. Regional legislative elections will be held in 16 regions. (RBK)

22 juni 2018

Regional elections: Nezavisimaya Gazeta reports that nomination of a candidate for Moscow mayor is among issues on the agenda of a conference of the opposition party Yabloko's Moscow branch. On Wednesday, the general meeting of Yabloko's Moscow branch failed to secure a quorum to nominate a candidate. (ii) Rossiysskaya Gazeta does not rule out that Muscovites could able to cast their ballots in the Moscow mayoral elections on 9 September in the Moscow, Kaluga, Tver, Vladimir, Yaroslavl and Tula regions. (iii) Putin will nominate Dagestan's acting head Vladimir Vasilyev for the head of Dagestan, writes RBK daily. The head of Dagestan is elected by the regional legislature for a five-year term. (NG, RBK, RG, Vedomosti)

25 juni 2018

Appointments: President Putin has reappointed Nikolai Patrushev as Secretary of the Russian Security Council. Putin also signed decrees on appointments in the Presidential Administration. Vedomosti writes in a comment that the Presidential Administration's composition remained almost unchanged. The daily mentions the appointment of Alexander Kharichev as the head of the Presidential department for supporting activities of the State Council and appointment of former Chechen prime minister Abubakar Edelgeriyev as Presidential adviser. Media also highlight the appointment as the President's pro bono adviser of Valentin Yumashev, the former head of the Presidential Administration of the first Russian President Yeltsin and the husband of Yeltsin's daughter Tatiana. (RBC, RG, Vedomosti)

26 juni 2018

Railway infrastructure projects: Tatarstan authorities ask the federal government to extend the future high-speed railway link Moscow-Kazan to Naberezhnye Chelny. The project's costs could amount to 400 billion roubles. Construction of the high-speed railway link Moscow-Kazan is included in Russia's transportation strategy. Meanwhile, the head of Chechnya Ramzan Kadyrov asked President Putin to include construction of a high-speed railway link Krasnodar-Grozny in the country's transportation strategy. Putin asked Ministers to consider this proposal. The project could be worth 1.2 trillion roubles. (Vedomosti, Kommersant)

27 juni 2018

Appointments in Federal Districts: Putin has re-appointed Yury Trutnev as Presidential envoy to the Far Eastern Federal Districts, Sergey Menyailo as Presidential envoy to the Siberian Federal District, Alexander Beglov as Presidential envoy to the Northwestern Federal District and Vladimir Ustinov as Presidential envoy to the Southern Federal District. Putin has relieved Oleg Belaventsev of his duties as Presidential envoy to the North Caucasus Federal District and appointed Alexander Matovnikov as new envoy. Putin has appointed Igor Shchegolev as Presidential envoy to the Central Federal District and Nikolai Tsukanov as Presidential envoy to the Urals Federal District. Tsukanov will replace Igor Kholmanskikh, who may be appointed chairman of the Uralvagonzavod board of directors. Uncertainty remains over Presidential envoy to the Privolzhsky Federal District Mikhail Babich. Commenting on the appointment of Maj. Gen. Matovnikov as Presidential envoy to the North Caucasus Federal District, experts speak of the strengthening of positions of siloviki (representatives of Russia's military and security structures): until now, Matovnikov has been the commander of the Russian General Staff's Special Operations Forces. Previously, he served in the FSB. (ii) Vice Admiral Moiseyev has been appointed the Russian Black Sea Fleet commander. He will replace Admiral Vitko. (iii) According to RBK daily, former Minister of Emergency Situations Vladimir Puchkov may become member of the Federation Council. (Kommersant, KP, RBK, Vedomosti)

28 juni 2018

Karelian historian Dmitriyev detained again: Reportedly, the head of Memorial's Karelian branch, historian Yury Dmitriyev has been detained. Earlier this month, the Karelian Supreme Court overturned the verdict handed down on Dmitriyev, who faced child pornography charges, and sent the case for review. According to some reports, a new case against Dmitriyev has been launched: he is suspected of committing violent acts of a sexual nature. Meanwhile, in a statement on Wednesday, the European Union described as 'questionable' the charges against Dmitriyev and the head of Memorial's branch in Chechnya Oyub Titiyev and called on Russian authorities to drop the criminal cases against Dmitriyev and Titiyev. (Interfax, Kommersant, MT, RBC, TASS)

 

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