Articles - The Moscow Times

Support The Moscow Times!

Contribute today

'justifying terrorism'

Russian Teen Faces Decade In Prison Camp for Anti-War Posts

Olesya Krivtsova, a first-year university student from the northern Russian city of Arkhangelsk, is facing more than 10 years in a penal colony for publicly...

The Desperate Chechen Lawyer Offering Kadyrov a Human Swap

Human rights lawyer Abubakar Yangulbaev is no novice when it comes to standing up to Ramzan Kadyrov, the strongman leader of Russia’s republic of...

'killing him slowly'

Ailing Navalny Ordered to 6 Months in Punishment Cell

Jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny has been ordered to spend six months in a designated punishment cell, he said Wednesday as his supporters expressed...

stream of letters

‘Not Forgotten’: Pen Pals Offer Solace to Russia’s Political Prisoners

YEREVAN, Armenia — At a recent event in Armenia’s capital, Olga Yelsakova was composing a letter to a longtime correspondent. That correspondent...

'Final Nail in the Coffin': Activists Lament Moscow Helsinki Group Closure

Russian and international human rights activists on Thursday condemned the dissolution of the Moscow Helsinki Group (MHG), Russia's oldest independent...

Moscow Helsinki group

Court Orders Closure of Russia's Oldest Human Rights Group

A court in the Russian capital ordered the closure of the Moscow Helsinki Group, one of Russia’s most prominent and respected human rights...

rising repression

Russia Records 20,000 Political Detentions in 2022 – Watchdog

Russia detained at least 20,467 people for political reasons in 2022, according to end-of-year statistics published last week by OVD-Info, one of Russia&rsquo...

Russia’s Justice Ministry Seeks Dissolution of Moscow Helsinki Group

Russia's Justice Ministry has filed for a court order to shut down one of the country's most prominent and respected human rights organizations, the state-run...

opinion Anatoly Buzinsky

Russia's Anti-LGBT Law Is a Dangerous Kremlin Ruse to Stay in Power

The new legislation signed into law by Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday banning any favorable public depiction of LGBT relationships or identities...

Moscow Court Upholds 22-Year Jail Sentence for Defense Journalist

A Moscow court on Wednesday rejected an appeal by the jailed Russian journalist Ivan Safronov against his 22-year jail sentence for treason earlier this...

continuing crackdown

Russian Court Deems Human Rights NGO Vesna 'Extremist Organization'

A St. Petersburg court on Tuesday recognized the Russian human rights NGO Vesna as an extremist organization, the group announced in a statement, a move...

Putin Signs Expanded 'Gay Propaganda' Ban

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law expanding the existing ban on so-called “LGBT propaganda” toward the entire population, not just...

relatives snubbed

Russian Soldiers' Mothers Accuse Putin of Avoiding Them

The relatives of Russian servicemen fighting in Ukraine have accused President Vladimir Putin of avoiding them after they were not invited to a meeting...

change in composition

Putin Names War Supporters to Russia’s Human Rights Council

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday named several supporters of the war in Ukraine to the presidential Human Rights Council in a shake-up of the...

high-level recognition

Jailed Kremlin Critic Kara-Murza Receives European Rights Award

Jailed Kremlin critic Vladimir Kara-Murza received the Vaclav Havel Human Rights Prize for “outstanding actions of civil society in the protection...

violations watch

UN Rights Council to Monitor Russia in Historic Move

The UN Human Rights Council on Friday agreed to monitor the rights situation in Russia, marking the first-ever resolution focused on violations inside...

prestigious award

Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian Rights Defenders Awarded Nobel Peace Prize

The Norwegian Nobel Committee on Friday awarded the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize to Russian, Ukrainian and Belarusian human rights champions. Russia's Memorial...

Prison Torture Victim Dies From Pneumonia – Reports

Makarov was 29 at the time of his death from double pneumonia in a hospital bed.

‘Where Are You Taking Me?’: Illegal Detentions of Mothers on the Rise in Russia

Russian law states that women with children under 14 cannot be detained for more than three hours.

create your own

Russia Says Planning Domestic ‘Alternative’ to European Rights Court

Russia was expelled from the Council of Europe in March over its invasion of Ukraine.

View more articles