Controversial case
American investor Michael Calvey was handed a five-and-a-half year suspended sentence after being found guilty of embezzlement in a highly controversial case that has rocked Russia’s business world.
Calvey’s colleague at the Baring Vostok investment firm and French citizen Philippe Delpal was given a four-and-a-half year suspended sentence late Friday.
Deadly third wave
Russia has recorded more than 531,000 excess deaths since the start of the coronavirus pandemic to June, the latest month for which such data is available, official figures published Friday show.
More than 185,000 people died from all causes in June 2021 — 26% more than during the same month in 2019 in what is the sharpest increase in monthly deaths across the country since January.
Life sentence
A Chechen man was handed a life sentence in Austria on Friday after being convicted of murdering Chechen dissident Mamikhan Umarov, known locally as Martin Beck, a court spokesman said.
His killer, who was identified only as a 48-year-old Chechen man, had the victim's blood on his left shoe and traces of gunpowder on his hands when he was arrested, according to investigators.
Biased judging
Russians expressed outrage Saturday over what they said was "biased" judging in the Olympic rhythmic gymnastics individual all-around final after Israel's Linoy Ashram claimed a victory over three-time world champion Dina Averina, ending two decades of Russian dominance.
The head of Russia's Olympic Committee said the country would lodge a complaint with the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG).
Banned Navalny
Russia has formally banned organizations established by jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny as the opposition says the authorities are trying to stifle dissent ahead of parliamentary elections.
On Friday, the Justice Ministry added the names of three entities linked to Navalny — including the Anti-Corruption Foundation, Navalny's regional offices and the Foundation for Protection of Citizens' Rights — onto its list of banned organizations.
Navalny’s key associate Lyubov Sobol was reported late Sunday to have fled Russia just before she was due to be placed under travel restrictions, but Sobol herself hasn’t confirmed those reports.
Includes reporting from AFP.
