April 20:
An updated version of the Magnitsky Act has been introduced in the U.S. Congress. The bill,, reports RIA Novosti, An updated version of the Magnitsky Act has been introduced in the U.S. Congress.imposes a visa ban and asset freeze on Russian officials suspected of involvement in the wrongful death in November 2009 of lawyer Sergei Magnitsky, as well as on “individuals responsible for other gross violations of human rights” in Russia. A statement by the House of Representatives' Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission said that the act aims to “end the impunity for those responsible for this crime, while also holding accountable individuals responsible for other gross violations of human rights against people seeking to expose illegal activity by Russian officials or to exercise fundamental rights and freedoms.” The Kremlin has reacted angrily to the bill, with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov calling it “anti-Russian” and an attempt to meddle in Russian internal affairs.
April 21:
The Kremlin is considering increasing its $10 billion contribution to the International Monetary Fund, in coordination with its fellow BRIC members China, Brazil and India. According to Reuters, the recent Euro-zone debt crisis has brought emerging markets to a new level of influence, as developed economies struggle to stay afloat. The G-20 group has promised that in return for financial support, emerging economies’ voting powers in the IMF (known as quotas) will increase by the end of this year. Although Russia insisted its support is not dependent on quotas, officials suggested that the new quota distribution should be based on the gross domestic product of each country and the volume of its gold and foreign exchange reserves. These indicators would dramatically increase Russia’s influence, given that it holds the world’s third largest foreign exchange reserves.
April 22:
China and Russia have begun six days of joint naval exercises in the Yellow Sea. The Voice of America reportsthat 16 Chinese surface ships and two submarines, along with four Russian warships, are conducting drills in maritime air defense, anti-submarine tactics, search-and-rescue, th rescue of hijacked ships, and anti-terrorism maneuvers. The two countries have conducted such joint military exercises since 2005.
April 23:
Russian President Dmitri Medvedev has issued a decree ordering 14 prisoners freed on “humanitarian grounds.” Several of those released were part of a list of political prisoners presented to the Russian president by opposition activists back in March, according to the Wall Street Journal. The fate of the other 32 names on the list, including former oil tycoon Mihail Khodorkovsky, remains unclear. Lev Ponomarev, a prominent Russian human rights activist, has called the decree “worthless,” although others expressed hope that more would be pardoned in the final two weeks of Medvedev’s presidential term. Prosecutors were ordered to review Khodorkovsky’s case, but critics believe the gesture to be an empty one. One of Khodorkovsky’s lawyers called it “a ploy to divert attention from injustice to his client.”
April 24:
President-elect Vladimir Putin has promised to step down from his position as the head of the ruling United Russia party following his inauguration in early May, and has nominated current president Dmitry Medvedev as his replacement. Putin is the only man to serve as party leader since the position’s creation in 2008, RIA Novosti reports, although he is not an official party member. Opposition activists, however, do not view the announcement as a sign of change in Kremlin policy; Maksim Rokhmistrov of the Liberal Democratic Party faction has said that is “unlikely that Medvedev will form a truly new government if he takes the post [as prime minister].” He added that if Medvedev truly seeks change, “he should turn down the proposal.”
April 25:
"Yabloko" party officials are calling for legal action after a Chechen lawyer said in a televised interview that Russian authorities should legalize sharia courts or face “violence and bloodshed.” The party’s head, Sergey Mitrokhin, has claimed that the comments fall under Articles 280 and 282 of the Russian Criminal Code, involving calls for extremism and sowing national hatred, and pointed out that people have been jailed under the same articles for much milder offenses. The lawyer in question, Dagir Khasavov, told Russian tv that, "You think that we come here to Russia as if it was some alien place to us. But we think that we are at home here. Maybe you are aliens here and we are at home. And we will impose the rules that suit us, whether you want it or not. Any attempts to stop us will end in blood.
"The day after the interview, Khasavov claimed that he did not understand his words were being recorded, and planned to sue the channel. Moscow's Mufti, Albir Krganov, quickly distanced himself from the lawyer, stating that Khasavov's statement "should not be perceived as the opinion shared by the majority of Muslims." The Russian Interior Ministry is expected to rule on "Yabloko's" complaint in the near future.
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