Claire Bigg covers Russia, Ukraine, and the post-Soviet world, with a focus on human rights, civil society, and social issues.
A car wash belonging to a former paratrooper and opposition activist was demolished overnight in Moscow. Mikhail Vistitsky, an amateur singer whose anti-Kremlin tunes have become an Internet sensation, believes the move is linked to his opposition activities.
Jailed Belarusian opposition activist Zmitser Dashkevich has married his longtime girlfriend, fellow activist Nasta Palazhanka. The pair wedded in prison during their first meeting in two years.
Anastasia Hagen may be the first porn actress to ask for asylum in the European Union. The Ukrainian mother of three fled to the Czech Republic last year after criminal charges were leveled against her under tough new laws on pornography. Hagen is now battling deportation from the Czech Republic, where her asylum request has been rejected.
As some people brace for the end of the world on December 21 -- the day the ancient Mayan calendar comes to an end -- the fears cause panic and sparked numerous schemes to capitalize on doomsday fears.
Novy Urengoi, in northwestern Siberia, has imposed harsh new restrictions on entry to the city, which is known as Russia's "gas capital." Both Russians and foreigners will now have to apply for special permission to visit Novy Urengoi. Local authorities say the move will help curb what they describe as an alarming boom in immigration and criminality.
Authorities in Kazakhstan have launched an unprecedented legal assault against the country's opposition media. Prosecutors have asked for some 30 independent media outlets to be shut down for allegedly propagating extremism and attempting to topple the government following deadly riots in the oil city of Zhanaozen. The first media outlet was formally banned on December 4.
Russian physicist Valentin Danilov has walked free after a decade in jail for espionage that he and others claim was a politically motivated conviction at the height of Russian "spy-mania."
RFE/RL took the political temperature in its broadcast region ahead of the November 6 U.S. presidential election. According to online polls, RFE/RL readers overwhelmingly expressed support for Barack Obama. Only Belarusians and Ukrainians indicated preference for his Republican challenger Mitt Romney.
A report commissioned by Russia's Central Election Commission says the U.S. presidential election will be unfair and skewed in favor of Barack Obama. The report, penned by a group of Russian nongovernmental organizations, also describes the election campaign as marred by irregularities.
A conflict is brewing over the commercialization of Pussy Riot, the Russian all-women punk collective. Group member Yekaterina Samutsevich, released last month after being initially sentenced to two years in jail for participating in the stunt, accuses her former lawyer and his wife of seeking to cash in on Pussy Riot's global notoriety.
A controversial new law has come into effect in Russia under which authorities can now blacklist websites deemed offensive or harmful to children. While some say the legislation is a severe blow to Internet freedom, others say it could bring some transparency to Russia's online sphere.
An ongoing standoff between the Russian Orthodox Church and the country's consumer rights watchdog deepened this week after the group's director was questioned by police. Church leaders accuse the Society for Consumer Rights' Protection of defamation over accusations that Moscow's largest cathedral is involved in unlawful trade activities.
A court in Belarus ordered that jailed opposition activist Dzmitry Dashkevich be sent to a maximum-security prison to serve the remainder of his sentence.
As Ukrainians prepare to go the polls on October 28 in key parliamentary elections, some are openly offering to sell their votes on the popular Russian-language social network vKontakte. The illegal practice is just one in a string of electoral violations observers are warning could take place.
Investigators in Tatarstan say they are probing a video purportedly showing a man being tortured to death in a police station. The video, obtained and released by a local rights group, is the latest torture scandal to hit the Tatar police.
A bill broadening the definition of high treason is drawing outrage in Russia after lawmakers hastily approved it. Lawyers and human rights campaigners say the draft law means any Russian who has contacts with a foreigner could be accused of betraying the state and stress that the vague definition of treason opens the door to abuse.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered the creation of a new agency to restore national pride and foster feelings of patriotism among Russians.
As relatives and friends prepare to commemorate the 130 victims of the hostage crisis at Moscow's Dubrovka theater, anger is still simmering over what many see as a protracted cover-up by Russian authorities. Ten years after the tragedy, grieving families say they are still waiting for the truth about the botched rescue operation that ended the siege.
Alyaksandr Lukashenka, Belarus' authoritarian leader, has condemned efforts to "demonize" Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin. Lukashenka said that he lags "far behind" Stalin as a leader and described the Belarusian opposition as provocateurs.
Russian investigators say they are wrapping up their probe into 17 protesters who allegedly took part in "mass disorders" during a May 6 opposition rally in Moscow. Investigators on October 15 asked that one of the protesters be forcibly detained in a psychiatric ward and said another defendant will be tried behind closed doors after pleading guilty to assaulting a police officer. Lawyers and rights groups are stunned by the severity of the charges against the demonstrators, some of whom face up to 10 years in jail.
Load more
