VISUAL REPORTS
THE POWER VERTICAL: Surprise! It's Another Western Plot
Russian State Duma Deputy Vyacheslav Nikonov has called last weekend’s protests the latest manifestation of a U.S. plot to undermine Russia.
Journalist Describes Detention During Belarus Crackdown
Independent journalist Filip Warwick was covering antigovernment protests in Minsk on March 25, when he was detained and manhandled by Belarusian security forces.
Caught In Protest Dragnet, Belarusians Accuse Police Of Brutality, Lies
Pavlo Belavus went out for groceries with his pregnant wife in central Minsk on March 26, only to be herded into a police van minutes later, taken away and charged with participating in an unlawful protest.
Chechen Woman Beaten By Police Forced To Apologize
Official Chechen TV has published a video in which a woman abjectly apologizes to the speaker of the Chechen parliament for an incident in her village of Davydovka during which police beat her and other local residents, seized their mobile phones, and fired shots in the air after residents refused to pay approximately $1,332 in fines for allegedly failing to register an old house with local authorities. (in Russian, Current Time TV)
Kyrgyz Supreme Court Keeps Opposition Leader In Detention
Supporters of opposition leader Omurbek Tekebaev gathered outside Kyrgyzstan’s Supreme Court to protest a decision to uphold his detention.
OTHER NEWS
NATO-Russia Council Holds First Session This Year Amid Tensions
Ambassadors from NATO nations and Russia gathered at the alliance’s headquarters in Brussels for the first NATO-Russia Council session of 2017.
On Northern Tour, Putin Urges Greater Arctic Presence For Russia
Russian President Vladimir Putin, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, and other senior officials are in the Arctic archipelago of Franz Josef Land in a visit aimed in part at emphasizing Russia's role in the Arctic region.
Russian Activist Kara-Murza Tells U.S. To Engage Pro-Democracy Movement
Russian opposition political activist Vladimir Kara-Murza Jr. has urged Washington to remain engaged with Russia’s pro-democracy movement.
Russian Filmmakers Urge Kremlin To Heed Young Protesters
Several Russian filmmakers used their acceptance speeches at the annual Nika film awards to condemn police violence against protesters and appeal to the Kremlin to heed the calls of young people.
Truck Drivers In Russia Continue Strike Against Road Tax
Hundreds of Russian truck drivers continued their strike for a third day, demanding the government repeal a road tax they say is onerous and ineffective.
Children’s Military-Patriotic Club Opens In Russia’s Cherepovets
A military-patriotic club named Reserve opened at a kindergarten in the town of Cherepovets, in Russia's Vologda region, with a ceremony featuring children acting as border guards, navy officers, and special forces, and attended by members of the ruling United Russia party. (in Russian, Current Time TV)
Patriarch Blames Intellectuals For Russia's 20th-Century 'Meat Grinder'
Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill has blamed "the intelligentsia" for Russia's misfortunes in the 20th-century.
Easter Ceasefire Agreed For Donbas
Members of a trilateral contact group negotiating in Minsk on March 29 have agreed to a ceasefire in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region for the Easter holidays, effective April 1. (Ukrainian Service)
Ukraine PM Calls For Resignations At Anticorruption Agency
Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Hroysman has called on all members of the state anticorruption agency to resign over persistent technical problems on a website where government officials declare their assets.
Lawyer For Jailed Tajik Human Rights Attorney Flees To Germany
A lawyer for jailed Tajik human rights attorney Buzurgmehr Yorov has fled Tajikistan in fear for her safety.
LIVE STREAM: Navalny Appeals 15-Day Jail Sentence In Moscow Court
RFE/RL will live-stream the end of the hearing, due to a decision by the judge to prohibit broadcasts of earlier parts of the proceedings.
COMMENTARY: Generation Z’s Quiet Rebellion
Vlada Gekhtman, a prominent sociologist with the independent Validta Centre, spoke to RFE/RL about the high rate of youth participation in last weekend’s anticorruption protests in Moscow, saying, “The youth who came out to the streets had a very specific purpose and a specific idea – they were against injustice and it concerned them directly. This is a situation where quiet rebellion could grow into open and loud disobedience.” (Russian Service)
POLYGRAPH.Info: Lavrov Cites International Pact To Defend Protest Crackdown