Claire Bigg covers Russia, Ukraine, and the post-Soviet world, with a focus on human rights, civil society, and social issues.
A Russian-born woman who has spent almost a decade in Norway faces deportation as an illegal migrant in a case that has sparked a storm of protest in her adoptive country. Maria Amelie, who could be sent to Russia within days, says her real home is in Norway.
The racially motivated rioting by ultranationalists and football hooligans this past weekend has shocked Russians. The violence, in which more than 30 people were injured, also cast a long shadow on Russia's victorious bid to host the football World Cup in 2018.
Critics have raised questions about the accuracy of articles in the Russian magazine "Russky Reporter" purporting to be based on diplomatic cables exposed by WikiLeaks. The growing controversy illustrates that while the WikiLeaks revelations have exposed a treasure trove of information, they have also opened the door to potential misinterpretation and deception.
While the U.S. Congress continues to scuffle over the START arms reduction treaty with Moscow, critics say another pending treaty could turn Russia into a nuclear wasteland.
A court in Azerbaijan has ordered the release of the second of two jailed bloggers whose case has sparked an international outcry. The order to release Emin Milli came after a court approved the early release of blogger Adnan Hajizada on November 18.
A court in Azerbaijan has ordered the release of the second of two jailed bloggers whose case has sparked an international outcry.
A leading Russian journalist has been severely injured in a brutal attack that his editor believes was linked to his work.
With widespread reports of intimidation against opposition sympathizers and new visa rules that will keep many foreign observers out of the country on voting day, Azerbaijan is preparing for parliamentary elections that few believe will bring any change in the oil-rich country.
A United Nations office was attacked near the western Afghan city of Herat. However, no casualties were reported in the attack, which was claimed by the Taliban.
A Russian gay activist has successfully sued his country for repeatedly banning gay pride parades in Moscow.
Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov has been actively promoting his republic as Russia's new Muslim hub. The recent departure of Tatarstan's strongman leader has fired up his ambitions, but Tatars are not impressed.
A Russian gay-rights activist who disappeared after being detained at a Moscow airport on September 15 has reappeared after what he says was two days in police detention.
The pro-Kremlin youth organization Young Guard are being criticized for a video of them fighting Russian wildfires that many bloggers and journalists claim is fake.
Protesters remain camped out in the Khimki forest, near Moscow, as they attempt to prevent its destruction to make way for a new highway.
A year after his first controversial trip to Ukraine, Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill is back in the country for a visit that is once again dividing Ukrainians. While some welcome him as their spiritual leader, others see his visit as part of an aggressive campaign to reassert Russian domination over the predominantly Orthodox Christian nation.
One year has passed since rights campaigner Natalya Estemirova was killed, and friends and colleagues say they're losing hope of seeing justice done.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev signed new legislation in April prohibiting the pretrial detention of suspects accused of economic crimes. But the move provides little relief to the country's entrepreneurs, who say racketeering and bribery by law enforcement are out of control.
Russia said this week Islamic militants were planning attacks on the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in its southern city of Sochi. The announcement came just days after a senior U.S. adviser suggested the sporting event be used as a lever to pressure Moscow into backing off Georgia's breakaway regions. Critics say the decision to hold the Games so close to the volatile Caucasus was a mistake that will dangerously fan tensions in the region.
Peter Nalitch first won public attention when a low-budget but engaging video clip of his song "Guitar" went viral on the Internet three years ago. Now he's become Russia's candidate for the Eurovision Song Contest, whose final in Norway on May 29 will feature 25 performers from across Europe. For fans accustomed to the glitzy showmanship of past Russian finalists like Dima Bilan, Nalitch is a decidedly low-tech alternative.
A television channel in Moldova's breakaway region of Transdniester has aired a video showing a jailed local journalist confessing to spying
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