themoscowtimes--2020-07-15--Russia’s Khabarovsk Region Tasted Democracy. Now Voters Feel It Was Ripped Away.

For as long as Valery Nechayev could remember , the ruling United Russia party had been in charge of his home region of Khabarovsk in Russia ’ s Far East .
And , for a while , that was just fine .
But as the years went by , the 23-year-old chef ’ s trust in the party ’ s officials waned .
Investigations into their finances by Kremlin critic and opposition politician Alexei Navalny ’ s local team revealed what Nechayev saw as corrupt practices , underscoring his gradual realization that life in Khabarovsk , near Russia ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be desired .
So in September 2018 , when the region went to the polls for gubernatorial elections , Nechayev decided to vote for change .
At the time , many of his fellow residents were upset that United Russia had raised the retirement age — a decision that sparked nationwide protests and sent the party ’ s ratings plummeting — and so they placed their confidence in a candidate representing a party that had spoken out against the decision .
That was Sergei Furgal , a former timber and scrap metal trader @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s lower house of parliament , the State Duma , for the previous 11 years .
Last week , Furgal , 50 , was detained on charges of ordering the murders and attempted murders of several businessmen in 2004 and 2005 , and whisked to Moscow , where he will be held in pre-trial custody for the next two months .
He has said he didn ’ t commit the crimes .
To widespread surprise , the move sparked the largest protests Khabarovsk has seen since the collapse of the Soviet Union @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 40,000 people in a city of nearly 600,000 taking to the streets on Saturday .
Coming just days after Russia passed a constitutional overhaul that will allow President Vladimir Putin to remain in office until 2036 , protesters saw Furgal ’ s arrest as politically motivated .
They have pointed out that , if he is indeed guilty of the crimes — the plausibility of which few have denied — Moscow turned a blind eye to it for years while he was a deputy .
Although the protests have waned in numbers — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nonetheless continued each of the four days since .
In interviews this week , local activists told The Moscow Times they plan to continue rallying until Furgal is given an open trial in Khabarovsk , where his alleged crimes took place , rather than in the Russian capital .
“ This is our main demand , ” Nechayev , who said he is one of dozens of protesters helping organize another large-scale rally for this Saturday , said by phone .
“ We made our choice and we have to take responsibility for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Back in 2018 , Nechayev voted for Furgal despite the fact that he ballotted with the far-right Liberal Democratic Party of Russia ( LDPR ) — which historically feigns opposition to the Kremlin but in effect does its bidding as part of Russia ’ s so-called “ systemic opposition ” — because the candidate was not part of the status quo , he said .
“ The idea was to try something new as long as it wasn ’ t United Russia , ” Nechayev explained .
At the time , however , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Furgal himself wanted the job , as he campaigned without so much as a slogan .
Nonetheless , he forced incumbent United Russia governor Vyacheslav Shport into a surprise run-off .
“ We had a conversation between the first and second rounds , and [ Furgal ] told me , ‘ I ’ m not sure I need this , ’ ” Alexei Kayan , a local blogger turned LDPR city parliament deputy , recalled .
But Furgal stayed in the race , and in the second round , he beat Shport in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Furgal ’ s supporters interpreted two actions from Moscow as punishment for the vote .
First , the Kremlin moved the Far East ’ s capital from Khabarovsk to the city of Vladivostok .
Then investigators detained former governor Viktor Ishayev , who had publicly supported Furgal .
With United Russia majorities in the Khabarovsk city and regional parliaments , Furgal began to cut a resistance figure — an image buttressed by his joining protesters on the streets , and even visiting with the head of Navalny ’ s local office .
Nechayev @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cut his own salary , ban first-class flights for officials and try to sell the regional government ’ s $ 1 million yacht — though he couldn ’ t find a buyer — as other positive changes .
All of this helped Furgal become “ the people ’ s governor , ” Andrei Pertsev , a journalist who has closely tracked his rise , wrote last week .
A year later , in September 2019 , the region held city and regional parliamentary elections , and LDPR routed United Russia , taking all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the city parliament and all but two of 24 in the regional parliament .
“ People went to vote to defend their choice , ” said Kayan , who was lifted into office on that wave .
“ If before people weren ’ t so political , after [ Furgal ’ s ] election they started closely following what ’ s happening.
” According to the investigative Novaya Gazeta newspaper , 82 % of Russian mayors and governors have had cases opened against them while in office .
The paper sees this practice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in line with the so-called “ power vertical ” that Putin has cultivated since the beginning of his rule .
While nearly half of those cases relate to crimes like fraud , the paper also found that 128 Russian officials have been charged with murder over the past six years .
Alarms that Furgal might be next in line sounded by the end of 2019 , when authorities raided a firm reportedly connected to the governor and arrested his former business partner on murder charges .
Furgal likely got the message .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ended on July 1 , he pitched voters to vote for the reforms .
Still , the Khabarovsk region had one of the worst turnouts nationwide with only 44 % of eligible voters visiting the polls , and only 63 % voting yes compared with 78 % nationwide .
After Furgal ’ s arrest , two fellow LDPR deputies from the region were also detained in cases connected to fraud .
“ He became too popular from the view of the federal center , and the dossier that is kept for all representatives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” said Andrei Kolesnikov , chair of the Domestic Politics Program at the Carnegie Moscow Center .
“ This is a reminder to others of how the Kremlin will fight political opponents.
” If protests continue , worries will grow that the Kremlin will crack down .
After last summer ’ s demonstrations in Moscow over fair elections , four activists were handed long prison sentences .
In the Kremlin ’ s only comments on the discontent so far , spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Tuesday said the protests could worsen Khabarovk ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most deaths from the virus among Far Eastern regions .
But while troops from Rosgvardia , Russia ’ s national guard , have been sent to the city , they have yet to break up any of the protests .
Still , Alexei Mukhin , head of the Center for Political Information , a Moscow-based think tank , believes the Kremlin will find a way to stamp out discontent if it continues for much longer .
“ The federal center won ’ t make any concessions , ” he said .
“ It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t be bent.
” That ’ s why Timofey , 25 , asked that his last name be withheld .
Although he wants to continue protesting , he said he does n't believe street rallies can make any great changes on their own , and so he doesn ’ t want to spend time behind bars for participating in them .
Still , the number of people that took to the streets Saturday has changed his sense of what ’ s possible .
“ I never thought we would see more than 500 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this , we would always laugh and say , well , it ’ s Khabarovsk , it ’ s Russia , ” Timofey said .
“ We ’ ve seen that things can be different.
” Opposition politician Navalny has pointed to his Smart Voting strategy — guiding voters to cast their ballots in elections for any candidates other than those representing United Russia , even if they represent systemic opposition parties , as his allies are typically barred from the ballot — as a contributor to Khabarovsk ’ s shifting political landscape @

For as long as Valery Nechayev could remember, the ruling United Russia party had been in charge of his home region of Khabarovsk in Russia’s Far East. And, for a while, that was just fine. But as the years went by, the 23-year-old chef’s trust in the party’s officials waned. Investigations into their finances by Kremlin critic and opposition politician Alexei Navalny’s local team revealed what Nechayev saw as corrupt practices, underscoring his gradual realization that life in Khabarovsk, near Russia’s border with China, left much to be desired. So in September 2018, when the region went to the polls for gubernatorial elections, Nechayev decided to vote for change. At the time, many of his fellow residents were upset that United Russia had raised the retirement age — a decision that sparked nationwide protests and sent the party’s ratings plummeting — and so they placed their confidence in a candidate representing a party that had spoken out against the decision. That was Sergei Furgal, a former timber and scrap metal trader who had been a lawmaker in Russia’s lower house of parliament, the State Duma, for the previous 11 years. Last week, Furgal, 50, was detained on charges of ordering the murders and attempted murders of several businessmen in 2004 and 2005, and whisked to Moscow, where he will be held in pre-trial custody for the next two months. He has said he didn’t commit the crimes.
To widespread surprise, the move sparked the largest protests Khabarovsk has seen since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, with as many as 40,000 people in a city of nearly 600,000 taking to the streets on Saturday. Coming just days after Russia passed a constitutional overhaul that will allow President Vladimir Putin to remain in office until 2036, protesters saw Furgal’s arrest as politically motivated. They have pointed out that, if he is indeed guilty of the crimes — the plausibility of which few have denied — Moscow turned a blind eye to it for years while he was a deputy. Although the protests have waned in numbers — down to the hundreds — they have nonetheless continued each of the four days since. In interviews this week, local activists told The Moscow Times they plan to continue rallying until Furgal is given an open trial in Khabarovsk, where his alleged crimes took place, rather than in the Russian capital. “This is our main demand,” Nechayev, who said he is one of dozens of protesters helping organize another large-scale rally for this Saturday, said by phone. “We made our choice and we have to take responsibility for it — without interference from Moscow.” ‘The people’s governor’ Back in 2018, Nechayev voted for Furgal despite the fact that he ballotted with the far-right Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR) — which historically feigns opposition to the Kremlin but in effect does its bidding as part of Russia’s so-called “systemic opposition” — because the candidate was not part of the status quo, he said. “The idea was to try something new as long as it wasn’t United Russia,” Nechayev explained. At the time, however, it wasn’t even clear that Furgal himself wanted the job, as he campaigned without so much as a slogan. Nonetheless, he forced incumbent United Russia governor Vyacheslav Shport into a surprise run-off. “We had a conversation between the first and second rounds, and [Furgal] told me, ‘I’m not sure I need this,’” Alexei Kayan, a local blogger turned LDPR city parliament deputy, recalled. But Furgal stayed in the race, and in the second round, he beat Shport in a landslide.
Sergei Furgal in a Moscow court last Friday. Maxim Shpienkov / EPA / TASS
Still, the Khabarovsk region had one of the worst turnouts nationwide with only 44% of eligible voters visiting the polls, and only 63% voting yes compared with 78% nationwide. After Furgal’s arrest, two fellow LDPR deputies from the region were also detained in cases connected to fraud. “He became too popular from the view of the federal center, and the dossier that is kept for all representatives of the elite was taken out,” said Andrei Kolesnikov, chair of the Domestic Politics Program at the Carnegie Moscow Center. “This is a reminder to others of how the Kremlin will fight political opponents.” If protests continue, worries will grow that the Kremlin will crack down. After last summer’s demonstrations in Moscow over fair elections, four activists were handed long prison sentences. In the Kremlin’s only comments on the discontent so far, spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Tuesday said the protests could worsen Khabarovk’s coronavirus outbreak, which has seen the most deaths from the virus among Far Eastern regions.
But while troops from Rosgvardia, Russia’s national guard, have been sent to the city, they have yet to break up any of the protests. Still, Alexei Mukhin, head of the Center for Political Information, a Moscow-based think tank, believes the Kremlin will find a way to stamp out discontent if it continues for much longer. “The federal center won’t make any concessions,” he said. “It needs to show that it can’t be bent.” ‘Can be different’ That’s why Timofey, 25, asked that his last name be withheld. Although he wants to continue protesting, he said he doesn't believe street rallies can make any great changes on their own, and so he doesn’t want to spend time behind bars for participating in them. Still, the number of people that took to the streets Saturday has changed his sense of what’s possible. “I never thought we would see more than 500 people at a rally. Before all this, we would always laugh and say, well, it’s Khabarovsk, it’s Russia,” Timofey said. “We’ve seen that things can be different.” Opposition politician Navalny has pointed to his Smart Voting strategy — guiding voters to cast their ballots in elections for any candidates other than those representing United Russia, even if they represent systemic opposition parties, as his allies are typically barred from the ballot — as a contributor to Khabarovsk’s shifting political landscape.
news The Kremlin Hierarchy Is Fast Decaying Read more


themoscowtimes--2020-07-15--Russia Moves to Ban Gay Marriage

Russia Moves to Ban Gay Marriage

Seven senators submitted a draft bill late Tuesday to amend Russia ’ s Family Code and legally ban gay marriage and adoptions , including , according to its authors , by transgender people .
The move comes two weeks after voters overwhelmingly approved a set of constitutional amendments that include a provision defining marriage as a “ union between a man and a woman.
” Russian lawmakers have swiftly moved to ban same-sex marriage in line with President Vladimir Putin ’ s recent changes to the Constitution .
“ The bill ends the practice of marriage between persons of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ genders , ” its co-author , senator Yelena Mizulina , told Interfax .
The text of the draft bill submitted to Russia ’ s lower house of parliament , the State Duma , makes no mention of banning transgender marriages or adoptions .
“ The bill must be adopted due to changes in public life , including the public demand to preserve traditional family values and strengthen and protect family institutions , ” it reads .
Russia does not currently register same-sex marriages .
However , Russia ’ s Family Code recognizes marriages @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they aren ’ t between close relatives or people who are already registered as married .
Russian clerks have recognized same-sex marriages registered abroad in at least two high-profile cases since 2018 , including that of a prominent LGBT activist .
At least four transgender marriages have been registered in Russia since 2014 .
During his two decades in power , Putin has closely aligned himself with the Orthodox Church and sought to distance Russia from Western values including liberal attitudes toward homosexuality and gender fluidity .
In 2013 , 20 years after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ banning “ gay propaganda toward minors ” that has been used to shut down gay pride events and silence activists .
Legal experts have expressed concern that Russia ’ s constitutional ban on LGBT marriages will encourage anti-gay views .
Another key provision in the constitutional reforms that passed on July 1 clears Putin ’ s four accumulated presidential terms and allows him to stand for re-election in 2024 and 2030 .
The draft bill banning gay marriage will need to go through three rounds of voting in the State Duma and one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Putin ’ s desk for signing .

Seven senators submitted a draft bill late Tuesday to amend Russia’s Family Code and legally ban gay marriage and adoptions, including, according to its authors, by transgender people. The move comes two weeks after voters overwhelmingly approved a set of constitutional amendments that include a provision defining marriage as a “union between a man and a woman.”
Russian lawmakers have swiftly moved to ban same-sex marriage in line with President Vladimir Putin’s recent changes to the Constitution.
“The bill ends the practice of marriage between persons of the same sex, including those who changed genders,” its co-author, senator Yelena Mizulina, told Interfax.
The text of the draft bill submitted to Russia’s lower house of parliament, the State Duma, makes no mention of banning transgender marriages or adoptions.
“The bill must be adopted due to changes in public life, including the public demand to preserve traditional family values and strengthen and protect family institutions,” it reads.
Russia does not currently register same-sex marriages. However, Russia’s Family Code recognizes marriages that were registered abroad as long as they aren’t between close relatives or people who are already registered as married.
Russian clerks have recognized same-sex marriages registered abroad in at least two high-profile cases since 2018, including that of a prominent LGBT activist. At least four transgender marriages have been registered in Russia since 2014.
During his two decades in power, Putin has closely aligned himself with the Orthodox Church and sought to distance Russia from Western values including liberal attitudes toward homosexuality and gender fluidity.
In 2013, 20 years after Russia decriminalized homosexuality, Putin signed legislation banning “gay propaganda toward minors” that has been used to shut down gay pride events and silence activists.
Legal experts have expressed concern that Russia’s constitutional ban on LGBT marriages will encourage anti-gay views.
Another key provision in the constitutional reforms that passed on July 1 clears Putin’s four accumulated presidential terms and allows him to stand for re-election in 2024 and 2030.
The draft bill banning gay marriage will need to go through three rounds of voting in the State Duma and one in the upper-house Federation Council before landing on Putin’s desk for signing.


themoscowtimes--2020-07-15--Spotify Expands to Russia and Eastern Europe

Music streaming giant Spotify announced Tuesday it was launching its service in Russia and 12 other countries around Eastern Europe .
Spotify would become available to users immediately , according to a statement , which added that the Swedish streaming service was now accessible in 92 markets .
In addition to Russia , Spotify was rolling out in Albania , Belarus , Bosnia-Herzegovina , Croatia , Kazakhstan , Kosovo , Moldova , Montenegro , North Macedonia , Serbia , Slovenia and Ukraine .
`` Launching in these 13 markets is an important moment in Spotify ’ s journey , especially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ growing music markets like Russia , where streaming is being widely adopted , '' Gustav Gyllenhammar , VP for Markets and Subscriber Growth , said in a statement .
Spotify said Russia is the 17th largest market for streaming , and is growing at a pace that would see it reach number 10 by 2030 .
Spotify has been relatively unaffected by the Covid-19 pandemic and even returned to profit in the first quarter of 2020 .
In late April the music platform reported 286 million active users , of which 130 million @ @ @ @

Music streaming giant Spotify announced Tuesday it was launching its service in Russia and 12 other countries around Eastern Europe.
Spotify would become available to users immediately, according to a statement, which added that the Swedish streaming service was now accessible in 92 markets.
In addition to Russia, Spotify was rolling out in Albania, Belarus, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Slovenia and Ukraine.
"Launching in these 13 markets is an important moment in Spotify’s journey, especially as we welcome fans and artists in growing music markets like Russia, where streaming is being widely adopted," Gustav Gyllenhammar, VP for Markets and Subscriber Growth, said in a statement.
Spotify said Russia is the 17th largest market for streaming, and is growing at a pace that would see it reach number 10 by 2030.
Spotify has been relatively unaffected by the Covid-19 pandemic and even returned to profit in the first quarter of 2020.
In late April the music platform reported 286 million active users, of which 130 million were paying subscribers.


themoscowtimes--2020-07-17--Russian Police Raid Kremlin Critic Navalny's Offices

Alexander Golovach , a lawyer working for Navalny 's Anti-Corruption Fund ( FBK ) , posted a video on social media of policemen arriving at their offices in southern Moscow .
Russian police on Friday carried out a new raid on the offices of main opposition leader Alexei Navalny as Kremlin critics accuse authorities of ramping up efforts to quash dissent .
Navalny , who was questioned by investigators Friday , said he had been banned from leaving the capital as part of a new criminal case against him .
The 44-year-old said authorities want to prevent him from traveling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voting strategy to oppose loyalists of President Vladimir Putin ahead of regional elections in September .
Last year pro-Kremlin candidates suffered losses in Moscow city polls , and Navalny has called on his supporters to use the same tactic to oust members of the increasingly unpopular ruling party United Russia in September .
Navalny said he was being questioned by investigators as part of a new probe for suspected slander over comments the opposition politician made on social media .
In June , the Investigative Committee , which probes major cases , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ War II veteran .
His close ally Leonid Volkov suggested the raid might be linked to the new case .
Navalny 's spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh did not immediately comment .
Members of Russian 's law enforcement have repeatedly raided Navalny 's offices , and the opposition politician has personally been the target of multiple criminal probes .
He was barred from challenging Putin in 2018 's presidential election .
Kremlin critics have accused Russian authorities of ramping up repression against opponents after Putin oversaw a constitutional vote last month that allows him to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ On Friday , Navalny 's ally and up-and-coming opposition politician Lyubov Sobol accused the Kremlin of tightening the screws on critics .
`` Putin 's approval ratings have crashed , the economy is in doldrums , thousands-strong protests in the regions , '' said Sobol , referring to anti-Kremlin rallies in the Far East region of Khabarovsk .
`` What to do ?
Come search the FBK for the umpteenth time ! ''
she wrote on Twitter .
Navalny says the seven-day vote on the changes to the constitution was not properly observed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ falsified ballots .
This week Moscow police detained nearly 150 people who marched in the city center against the constitutional reforms .

Russia's opposition has accused the authorities of cracking down on opponents to President Vladimir Putin after he oversaw a vote this month allowing him to potentially remain in power until 2036.
Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny was barred Friday from leaving Moscow as police carried out a new raid on his offices.
Navalny said he had been questioned by investigators and banned from leaving the capital as part of a new criminal case against him.
Law enforcement officers searched the offices of his Anti-Corruption Fund (FBK) in southern Moscow while he was being interrogated.
The 44-year-old claimed the ban was an attempt to prevent him from travelling the country to promote a tactical voting strategy to oppose pro-Putin candidates in more than 30 regional elections in September.
"This wretched regime, we have to fight it," Navalny said in a video address on Instagram.
"Take part in the smart voting campaign to crush the swindlers and thieves that have seized power in our beautiful country."
'Putin's ratings have crashed'
Pro-Kremlin politicians suffered losses in Moscow city polls last year after the opposition leader called on supporters to vote tactically.
He has called on Russians to use the same strategy to oust members of the increasingly unpopular ruling party United Russia in the regional ballots.
Navalny said he was questioned by investigators as part of a new probe into suspected slander over comments he made on social media.
He said 15 investigators would be involved in the probe.
In June, the Investigative Committee, which probes major cases, said Navalny was suspected of defaming a World War II veteran.
The trained lawyer said in the video that law enforcement also planned to search two apartments, including one where he lives.
Police have repeatedly raided Navalny's offices, and the Kremlin critic has personally been the target of multiple criminal probes.
He was barred from challenging Putin in a presidential election in 2018 over a prior conviction his supporters said was poltically motivated.
Navalny's ally and up-and-coming opposition politician Lyubov Sobol accused the Kremlin of tightening the screws on critics.
"Putin's approval ratings have crashed, the economy is in doldrums, thousands-strong protests in the regions," said Sobol, referring to anti-Kremlin rallies in the Far-Eastern region of Khabarovsk.
"What to do? Come search the FBK for the umpteenth time!" she wrote on Twitter.
Navalny says the seven-day vote on the changes to the constitution was not properly monitored and set a record for falsified ballots.
This week Moscow police detained nearly 150 people who marched in the city center against the constitutional reforms.


themoscowtimes--2020-07-17--Russian Couple Tried for ‘Treasonous’ Wedding Photos Face Charges of Sharing State Secrets

Baltic affairs expert Antonina Zimina and her husband Konstantin Antonets were charged with treason after Zimina ’ s old classmate , a Federal Security Service ( FSB ) counterintelligence officer , appeared in their wedding photos .
The photographs were said to have circulated on social media and on Baltic television .
A couple from Russia 's western exclave of Kaliningrad who face 20 years in jail for blowing the cover of a secret agent in their wedding photos face new charges of passing state secrets to foreign intelligence , news outlets have reported .
Zimina ’ s father told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the couple have now been formally charged with sharing classified information with a Latvian intelligence operative .
Antonets allegedly obtained the classified documents when he served as a lawyer for the Kaliningrad region ’ s economy ministry , the Kommersant business daily reported last week , citing unnamed sources .
The documents were said to contain information on the activities of regional intelligence agencies and projects financed by the local administration .
On Thursday , the Znak.com news website cited anonymous sources as saying that Antonets allegedly shared a secret protocol to an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s support for residents of its special economic zone .
The region ’ s former deputy economy minister who is currently the deputy head of another Russian region reportedly testified against him .
Zimina ’ s father cited the former deputy minister 's testimony as saying that Antonets and Zimina took the classified documents to Latvia three or four years after Antonets helped draft them .
Zimina and Antonets were first detained in 2018 and their trial began in May behind closed doors .
The couple denies their guilt .
Zimina ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agent , captain Maxim Denisenko , had spoken openly about his work and handed out his business card at the couple ’ s 2015 wedding .
Since the Soviet collapse and the annexation of Crimea , Russia has had tense relations with Latvia and its other Baltic neighbors that are currently members of the European Union and NATO .
Russian authorities in recent years have accused a wide range of individuals , including scientists and journalists , of high treason or disclosing state secrets .

Baltic affairs expert Antonina Zimina and her husband Konstantin Antonets were charged with treason after Zimina’s old classmate, a Federal Security Service (FSB) counterintelligence officer, appeared in their wedding photos. The photographs were said to have circulated on social media and on Baltic television.
A couple from Russia's western exclave of Kaliningrad who face 20 years in jail for blowing the cover of a secret agent in their wedding photos face new charges of passing state secrets to foreign intelligence, news outlets have reported.
Zimina’s father told the U.S.-funded RFE/RL news outlet Thursday that the couple have now been formally charged with sharing classified information with a Latvian intelligence operative.
Antonets allegedly obtained the classified documents when he served as a lawyer for the Kaliningrad region’s economy ministry, the Kommersant business daily reported last week, citing unnamed sources.
The documents were said to contain information on the activities of regional intelligence agencies and projects financed by the local administration.
On Thursday, the Znak.com news website cited anonymous sources as saying that Antonets allegedly shared a secret protocol to an openly available decree on the Kaliningrad administration’s support for residents of its special economic zone. The region’s former deputy economy minister who is currently the deputy head of another Russian region reportedly testified against him.
Zimina’s father cited the former deputy minister's testimony as saying that Antonets and Zimina took the classified documents to Latvia three or four years after Antonets helped draft them.
Zimina and Antonets were first detained in 2018 and their trial began in May behind closed doors.
The couple denies their guilt. Zimina’s father previously alleged that the FSB agent, captain Maxim Denisenko, had spoken openly about his work and handed out his business card at the couple’s 2015 wedding.
Since the Soviet collapse and the annexation of Crimea, Russia has had tense relations with Latvia and its other Baltic neighbors that are currently members of the European Union and NATO.
Russian authorities in recent years have accused a wide range of individuals, including scientists and journalists, of high treason or disclosing state secrets.


themoscowtimes--2020-07-17--Russia to Keep Mass Surveillance After Coronavirus, Activists Say

During the pandemic , the authorities have collected arriving citizens ’ personal data ; introduced pass systems that limited movement and violated citizens ’ rights ; and conducted video surveillance with facial recognition capabilities , the report 's authors say .
Other forms of rights violations include delegating police functions to private entities and nationwide geo-tracking that was prone to embarrassing leaks .
Russian authorities ’ massive surveillance campaign rolled out during the coronavirus pandemic could easily be used to monitor civilians in the future , research by the Agora human rights group said Thursday .
The methods “ immerse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ of total surveillance , ” said Damir Gainutdinov , co-author of the “ Surveillance Pandemic ” research .
Moscow and the surrounding Moscow region , as well as the less-populated republic of Bashkortostan and the Primorye region , ranked highest among Russia 's federal subjects for the amount of surveillance they carried out on residents .
Security experts warned during the early stages of Covid-19 restrictions in early spring that Russia and Moscow in particular intend to keep the surveillance toolkit in use until long after the outbreak subsides .
Activists have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surveillance and other restrictions in court .
“ In future ‘ emergencies ’ that can be declared under any circumstances — from a new pandemic or manmade disaster to mass protests — the experience and resources accumulated during the quarantine will allow the rapid deployment of close surveillance , ” Agora said .
“ Moreover , it turns out the authorities don ’ t even need to declare an emergency ” to limit rights , the group added .

During the pandemic, the authorities have collected arriving citizens’ personal data; introduced pass systems that limited movement and violated citizens’ rights; and conducted video surveillance with facial recognition capabilities, the report's authors say. Other forms of rights violations include delegating police functions to private entities and nationwide geo-tracking that was prone to embarrassing leaks.
Russian authorities’ massive surveillance campaign rolled out during the coronavirus pandemic could easily be used to monitor civilians in the future, research by the Agora human rights group said Thursday.
The methods “immerse us into the ‘brave new world’ of total surveillance,” said Damir Gainutdinov, co-author of the “Surveillance Pandemic” research.
Moscow and the surrounding Moscow region, as well as the less-populated republic of Bashkortostan and the Primorye region, ranked highest among Russia's federal subjects for the amount of surveillance they carried out on residents.
Security experts warned during the early stages of Covid-19 restrictions in early spring that Russia and Moscow in particular intend to keep the surveillance toolkit in use until long after the outbreak subsides.
Activists have been almost universally unsuccessful in challenging the surveillance and other restrictions in court.
“In future ‘emergencies’ that can be declared under any circumstances — from a new pandemic or manmade disaster to mass protests — the experience and resources accumulated during the quarantine will allow the rapid deployment of close surveillance,” Agora said.
“Moreover, it turns out the authorities don’t even need to declare an emergency” to limit rights, the group added.


themoscowtimes--2020-07-17--Putin Orders Massive Snap Military Drills

`` In accordance with the decision of the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Armed Forces snap exercises are being conducted by @ @ @ @ @ Western military districts , '' Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu was quoted as saying in a @ @ @ @ @ has ordered snap military drills involving 150,000 personnel and hundreds of aircraft and naval vessels @ @ @ @ @ Russia 's southwest , '' the Defense Ministry said Friday .
The drills involve nearly @ @ @ @ @ and marine infantry of the Northern and Pacific Fleets , the Defense Ministry said .
@ @ @ @ @ than 400 aircraft and over 100 vessels and will be conducted in the Black and @ @ @ @ @ places .
The drills aim to test the Russian army 's readiness to ensure `` @ @ @ @ @ where a serious threat of terrorism remains '' as well as prepare for the Caucasus-2020 @ @ @ @ @ Ministry said .
Earlier this month Putin , 67 , oversaw a controversial vote that @ @ @ @ @ him to serve two more six-year terms after his mandate expires in 2024 .

"In accordance with the decision of the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Armed Forces snap exercises are being conducted by troops of the Southern and Western military districts," Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu was quoted as saying in a statement.
President Vladimir Putin has ordered snap military drills involving 150,000 personnel and hundreds of aircraft and naval vessels to ensure "security in Russia's southwest," the Defense Ministry said Friday.
The drills involve nearly 150,000 personnel including airborne troops and marine infantry of the Northern and Pacific Fleets, the Defense Ministry said.
The exercises also involve more than 400 aircraft and over 100 vessels and will be conducted in the Black and Caspian Seas, among other places.
The drills aim to test the Russian army's readiness to ensure "security in Russia's southwest where a serious threat of terrorism remains" as well as prepare for the Caucasus-2020 war games, the Defense Ministry said.
Earlier this month Putin, 67, oversaw a controversial vote that amended the Constitution to allow him to serve two more six-year terms after his mandate expires in 2024.