"Russian bill spikes up fines for any unauthorized protest" by Vladimir Isachenkov | Associated Press, June 06, 2012
MOSCOW - The Kremlin-controlled Russian parliament on Tuesday rammed through a harsh bill that raises fines 150-fold for people taking part in unsanctioned rallies, a move aimed at discouraging the opposition from challenging President Vladimir Putin.
The bill would jack up the current fines from about $60 to $9,000, and comes after a series of massive protests that have reflected growing public frustration with Putin’s 12-year rule.
Wow.
The potential punishment is more severe than for many other crimes, including even violations in the storage of nuclear materials.
The bill’s authors also included similar punishments for any mass public gathering even if it lacks the formal signs of a political protest. That was a clear response to a series of recent creative demonstrations in Moscow, where participants left their slogans and posters at home and walked silently so that their actions wouldn’t count as rallies.
Okay, I would just like to take a moment to point out how instructive is the coverage of protests by my AmeriKan media. You can tell a lot by how the agenda-pushing AmeriKan media treat and describe protest movements.
Those not approved or contrary to the agenda's goals (think antiwar and Occupy, dear readers) are either subtly insulted, disparaged outright, or ignored.
Those that receive rather positive coverage (think gays, illegals, global warmers, and any controlled-opposition coup-attempting or covert destabilization effort) are, sadly, all part of advancing the agenda -- wittingly or unwittingly, makes no difference.
The opposition factions in the lower house, the State Duma, put forward several hundred amendments in an unprecedented attempt to stymie the bill’s passage, reflecting a new willingness to stand up to the Kremlin.
But members of the Kremlin’s majority United Russia party voted the amendments down one by one during a marathon session that lasted nearly six extra hours and ended just before midnight. United Russia then used its majority in the 450-seat parliament to approve the bill in the second and third readings. The final vote was 241-147.
It looks like the way our Congresses and statehouses do business.
The Kremlin wants the new bill to become law by next Tuesday when the opposition plans a protest in Moscow. The bill also will require approval by the upper house and Putin’s signature, but both steps are formalities.
Since returning to the presidency in May, Putin has toughened his line toward the opposition, whose protests over the winter drew up to 100,000 in an unprecedented challenge to his rule.
Is that all? I'm sorry, but either my recollection is faulty or the AmeriKan media at least gave the appearance it was a lot more and a lot broader. WTF?!?!?!
Due to term limits, Putin spent four years in the prime minister’s seat after already serving two consecutive terms as president from 2000 to 2008.
He recently has spoken in support of the bill, saying, “We must shield our people from radical actions.’’
The way Putin is shielding the world from the EUSraeli madmen right now.
Russian authorities routinely deny permission for opposition rallies or offer rally organizers venues away from the city center....
Sound familiar, protest organizers in the U.S.?
“This is a sure path to a civil war.’’
Well, I don't know about that.
Related: Protesters in Russia face stiffer penalties
Also see: Rushing Through Russian Post
Wrapping Up Russian Protests
Protesting Putin
Not anymore.
Others being punished:
"Russian is convicted of spying for US" Associated Press, June 01, 2012
MOSCOW - A retired Russian military officer has been convicted on charges of spying for the United States and sentenced to 12 years in prison, the counterintelligence agency said Thursday, the latest in a raft of espionage cases that come amid tensions between Moscow and Washington....
Related: Russian gets 13 years for aiding CIA
Slow Saturday Special: Stupid Spy Stories
The Boston Sunday Globe Writes a Russian Spy Story
Not the kind of books I want to be reading anymore!
Prosecutors said retired Colonel Vladimir Lazar purchased several computer disks with more than 7,000 images of classified maps of Russia from a collector in 2008 and smuggled them to neighboring Belarus, where he gave them to an alleged American intelligence agent.
Prosecutors said retired Colonel Vladimir Lazar purchased several computer disks with more than 7,000 images of classified maps of Russia from a collector in 2008 and smuggled them to neighboring Belarus, where he gave them to an alleged American intelligence agent.
If any fools are thinking of invading.
Don't you guys ever learn from history?
--more--"
Someone punishing the Russians?
"Russian jet’s data recorder found" Associated Press, June 01, 2012
JAKARTA, Indonesia - Villagers have found the flight data recorder from a Russian passenger jet that slammed into an Indonesian volcano three weeks ago and killed 45 people, officials said Thursday. The data it contains could help explain what caused the crash.
Another part of the Sukhoi Superjet 100’s “black box,’’ the cockpit voice recorder, was found about a week after the May 9 accident during a demonstration flight for potential buyers.
See: Russians Retrieve Black Box in Indonesia
However, the flight data recorder - which logged data
such as the jet’s altitude, speed, and route - was buried in a landslide
after the plane smashed into the side of Mount Salak, said Daryatmo,
chief of Indonesia’s search and rescue agency.
They found the device after rains washed away some of the earth, said the search mission chief, Colonel A.M. Putranto.
Digging with farm tools, villagers also found remains of victims and other parts of the plane, including its tail, a control lever, and a compressor, Putranto said.
