Details are beginning to emerge about the the two suspects held on suspicion of gunning down fearless human rights lawyer Stanislav Markelov and Novaya Gazeta intern Anastasia Baburova on January 19th this year.  It appears that one of the pair, both of whom are suspected of being members of an untranationalist organization, has confessed to the crime.  Whilst we are often lamenting the lack of justice in relation to the astounding number of slayings of journalists and activists which remain unsolved (indeed in some cases, unremarked upon by the Kremlin), many rights advocates are wary of jumping to the conclusion that what we are seeing today represents a breakthrough in transparency and justice-seeking. ...

It's no mystery that Russian journalists are an endangered species. Beyond the headlines grabbed by the famous cases of Paul Klebnikov and Anna Politkovskaya, there are so many more who are threatened, beaten, harassed, and forced out of work, home, and country all thanks to their unpardonable nature of the work. They write things that powerful people wish to remain secret.

The journalists of modern Russia forced to seek asylum for their own safety is long, including Yelena Tregubova, Yuri Bagrov, Fatima Tlisova, and on and on, many of whom were involved in some manner in reporting on Chechnya.  There are also other very successful journalists, such as Natalia Morari, who are expelled from Russia against their will, and even unknown young interns,

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strongGuardian Unlimited /strongbr /br /strongJason Corcoran:/strong emRather than reversing Putin's policies, Medvedev has only hinted at reform. Time will tell if he can step out of the shadows/embr /br /Dmitry Medvedev was destined to be a lame duck leader when he was elected Russia's third president a year ago. His inauguration ushered in a ruling tandem with his mentor and predecessor Vladimir Putin seemingly shifting a gear to become prime minister. Putin, however, has so far done all of the steering while Medvedev has been along for the ride.br /br /Russians have not been duped, judging by the latest opinion poll by the respected Levada Centre, which indicate only 12% believe Medvedev wields real power. Another 34% believe it lies with Putin, while 50% believe it is shared between them.br /br /Buoyed by rising commodity prices, Putin's eight-year reign restored Russia's shattered economy, raised living standards for many and re-established ...