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‘protected from lies’

Russian Lawmakers Approve Punishments for Criticism, 'Fake' Info on Mercenaries

Spreading information deemed to be "fake" about volunteer and private military groups fighting in Ukraine will soon be a crime.

‘Everyone's Tired’: Acceptance and Exasperation in Russian Elite as Invasion Anniversary Looms

The Moscow Times spoke with more than a dozen top officials to gauge the mood as the country appears increasingly bogged down in Ukraine.

opinion Mikhail Shevchuk

How Cancel Culture Works in Russia

The debate about how best to punish "incorrect" cultural figures in Russia — that is, those who criticize the war in Ukraine or the Kremlin &mdash...

punished in absentia

Russian Lawmakers to Consider Seizing Exiled War Critics’ Property

Russian lawmakers will consider confiscating the property of citizens abroad who speak out against Russia’s war in Ukraine and donate to the Ukrainian...

proposed restrictions

Russian Lawmakers Mull Requiring Drivers to Book Border Crossings

Russian lawmakers debated new amendments to existing legislation imposing restrictions on vehicles leaving Russia on Tuesday, with new rules expected to...

upping the pressure

Critical Russian Emigres Should Have Property Seized, Lawmakers Say

Russians who criticize their country after fleeing abroad should have their remaining property confiscated, lawmakers proposed Friday in an apparent effort...

Law Punishing Acts of Sabotage With Life Sentences Wins Duma Support

New legislation that punishes organization, financing and recruitment for acts of sabotage with stiff sentences of up to life imprisonment was approved...

Anti-Gay Law to Push Russia’s LGBT Community ‘Into the Shadows,’ Activists Warn

Anti-gay legislation under consideration by the Russian parliament could drive the country’s embattled LGBT+ community entirely underground, activists...

contentious footage

Russian Lawmakers Urge West to Condemn Ukraine Over Soldiers’ ‘Massacre’

Russia’s lower house of parliament, the State Duma, adopted a resolution Tuesday condemning the alleged killings of captive Russian troops by Ukrainian...

'extraordinary' meeting

Russian Lawmakers Hold Snap Summer Session as War, Economic Issues Loom

The sudden decision to recall parliament less than a week after its spring session ended indicates that an urgent matter is at hand.

capital punishment

Captured Fighters ‘Deserve’ Death Penalty, Top Russian Lawmaker Says

Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin said capital punishment is "especially relevant in wartime conditions."

after zhirinovsky

Leonid Slutsky Elected Leader of Russia’s Nationalist LDPR Party

Slutsky promised to “modify” the party’s political strategy ahead of local elections in September.

hostage property

Russia Says Could Seize Assets of ‘Hostile’ Countries

The remarks follow U.S. President Biden proposing selling off oligarchs' seized assets to "remedy the harm Russia caused" in Ukraine.

Doubtful Future

Zhirinovsky’s Presence Missed as LDPR Scrabbles For Successor

“The LDPR is actually in a state of half-life. The most likely successor is failure,” said one political analyst.

ostracized dissenters

Russian Speaker Proposes Stripping ‘Traitors’ of Citizenship

The statements illustrate the increasingly hostile climate in Russia for anyone opposing the military offensive in Ukraine.

Russia Adopts Controversial E-Voting Nationwide, Bans Navalny From Presidency

Critics of e-voting say the system makes it easier for authorities to falsify results.

ramping penalties

Russian Lawmakers Eye 15-Year Prison Terms for ‘Fakes’ About Ukraine Invasion

Russian authorities have already threatened to block or fine news websites that describe the "special military operation" in Ukraine as a war or invasion...

Russian MPs Greenlight Putin’s Recognition of Rebel Ukrainian Regions

A live video feed of the lower-house State Duma session showed a unanimous vote in favor of the agreements, followed by a standing ovation.

Russian Communist Lawmaker Stripped of Immunity in Elk Poaching Probe

Valery Rashkin, the leader of the Communist Party's radical wing, had called for protests over this fall's State Duma election results.

measure of support

Russians’ Approval of Putin, State Duma on the Rise – Poll

The Russian president's approval rating is increasing 67% despite weeks of record Covid-19 infections and deaths.

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