Russia Reform Monitor: No. 1820

February 17:

New U.S. Secretary of State John F. Kerry’s first attempts to engage the Kremlin in foreign affairs were met with a six-day silence. The Washington Post reports that Kerry contacted Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on February 11, immediately after hearing of North Korea’s underground nuclear test, which was in violation of UN Security Council resolutions approved by both Russia and the United States. Lavrov’s failure to return the call until six days later was viewed by many as an intentional snub to the new Secretary of State. A spokeswoman for the U.S. State Department insisted that “we’re making it clear that we would like to talk if they want to. If they are too busy or otherwise engaged, the offer stands, and we’ll continue to do other diplomacy.” A meeting between the two officials is expected to take place in the next several weeks.

February 18:

A Moscow court postponed until early March a pre-trial hearing in the case against deceased lawyer Sergei Magnitsky. The controversy surrounding Magnitsky’s arrest and subsequent death while in prison in 2009 continues to affect relations between Russia and the United States, and has led to controversial legislation, retaliatory bans, and increased tensions. The BBC reports that Magnitsky’s case is believed to be the first in Soviet or Russian history to try a defendant posthumously. His family members maintain that the proceedings are illegal.

February 19:

Despite North Korea’s recent nuclear test – its third since 2006 – Russian officials remain opposed to new economic sanctions against the rogue country. Reuters reports that Russia is against any measures “that would affect normal trade and economic relations with North Korea.” Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov added that “any additional measures of pressure on North Korea should be aimed exclusively at the sphere of non-proliferation of nuclear arms and rocket launches.” As a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, Russia retains the power to veto proposals, which will force the Council’s other members to gain Russia’s support before moving forward with new sanctions.

February 20:

A prominent member of the dominant United Russia party resigned over corruption claims. According to the Guardian, the scandal began last week after opposition activist Alexei Navalny posted deeds for at least three properties in Miami Beach, Florida, owned by Vladimir Pekhtin. Pekhtin, a member of the Russian parliament since 1999 and the current head of the Duma ethics committee, initially denied owning foreign property, but resigned less than 48 hours after the deeds were posted. His resignation came amidst an official campaign to “nationalize” the Russian elite, which Kremlin officials tout as an anti-corruption measure, and opposition members claim is an attempt to spread fear among the ruling class and strengthen the Kremlin’s grip. Gennady Gudkov, of the Just Russia party, was thrown out of the Duma in the fall of 2012 over claims that he was running a company while serving in parliament, and Konstantin Shirsov, of the Communist party, was expelled last week over allegations of fraud.

February 21:

A year after the members of the punk band Pussy Riot were arrested for storming the altar at a Moscow cathedral, bandmate Yekaterina Samutsevich maintains that the protest served its purpose. Samutsevich, the only one of the three arrested members who wasn’t sent to prison, says that the protest succeeded by drawing attention to what they regarded as President Vladimir Putin’s “unhealthy and dangerous relationship with the church and a lack of genuine political freedoms.” “We wanted to start a discussion in society,” she added, “show our negative view of the merging of the church and state...The problem was raised internationally, the problem of human rights was put sharply into focus.” The women’s protest quickly sparked an international debate over human rights and the separation of church and state, drawing comment from foreign leaders and pop culture figures. Reuters reports that two of the band’s members are in labor camps in Siberia, while another two members remain at large, and are believed to have left the country.

February 22:

United Russia Deputy Anatoly Lomakin submitted his resignation only hours after Vladimir Pekhtin’s departure, and analysts expect a number will follow suit as the party works to preserve its reputation. A source in the Kremlin suggested six more United Russia deputies may resign on similar grounds, reports the Moscow Times, while opposition blogger Alexei Navalny claimed to have information about another three Duma deputies with undeclared property abroad. Analysts question whether the party’s rapid drop in popularity as a result of the corruption scandals will push the Kremlin to create a new political party. “It used to be an instrument of control,” noted one expert, “and now it’s an instrument of discreditation and shame and the Kremlin understands that . . . Sooner or later the Kremlin will have to do away with United Russia because it has turned into a burden.”