The largest Russian language human rights website is facing a major and clearly deliberate DDoS attack. Such dirty tactics are an outrage and we must be united in fighting them.

A memorandum in which the Russian Federation answered questions put by the European Court of Human Rights states that of the 665 people taken to hospital, six people died, this coming to 0.9 percent. Lawyer for the victims Igor Trunov maintains that 71 people died

Russia’s President Putin has spoken approvingly of “positive moves” in the teaching of history. It would appear that whether or not ones hair stands on end reading parts of modern history depends on … the Ministry of Education

A mass opposition protest took place on 14 October in Belarus for the first time in six months. According to its organizers, up to 7 thousand people took part in the “European March”.

This address written for Amnesty International in Italy to mark the first anniversary of Anna Politkovskaya’s death, like Anna’s own voice, cries out to be heard

Recommended reading for those who think nothing has changed in Ukraine, and for those who need reminding that civic society in Russian and Belarus needs support

A Russian court hearing did not take place on 10 October. As a news item this has certain problems which may well be what the Russian authorities are hoping for Mikhail Trepashkin remains in illegal solitary confinement

The Russian Human Rights Ombudsperson has called on the regions forcing children to study the subject to remove the compulsory element however thus far without success and parents are planning to take their case to the European Court of Human Rights

On Sunday 7 October meetings in memory of the journalist and human rights defender murdered a year ago were held in Russia and in many other countries

Several foreign human rights activists in Russia to attend a forum in memory of Anna Politkovskaya were detained by law enforcement officers in Nizhny Novgorod today

An international forum in memory of Anna Politkovskaya has been prevented in Nizhny Novgorod on the grounds that its organizers, the Foundation to Support Tolerance is on the “blacklist” of terrorist and extremist organizations

In Kyiv, on the first anniversary of Anna Politkovskaya’s murder, a moment’s silence will be held in memory of the Novaya Gazeta journalist and human rights defender who was murdered by a hired killer on 7 October 2006.

The Court found violations of various Articles of the European Convention on Human Rights, including the right to life, over life-threatening attacks and extra-judicial executions of unarmed civilians by Russian servicemen

The other two candidates are a human rights defender from Sudan Salikh Makhmud Osman, and two Chinese human rights defenders put forward together

New textbook “The Newest History of Russia” which describes Stalin as "one of the most successful leaders of the USSR" gets official stamp of approval

Russian lawyer Mikhail Trepashkin, serving a sentence widely considered to be politically motivated has been held in solitary confinement for six months. This is despite questionable grounds, despite the relevant court ruling not being in force and regardless of the serious state of Trepashkin’s health. These are only a few of the “despites” and yet the response from the European Union and other international institutions remains pitiful

While remembering Georgy Gongadze on this seventh anniversary of his disappearance, light your candles today also, and raise your voices loud, about Belarus where there are many political prisoners NOW. The difference requires no analysis. It needs action.

Despite the Russian Supreme Court having acceded to the Prosecutor General, the Moscow City Court has upheld its ruling on the illegality of holding the investigation into new charges against Khodorkovsky and Lebedev in Chita

Yelena Bonner, widow of Andrei Sakharov and prominent human rights defender has stated that the Russian authorities are attempting to destroy the Andrei Sakharov Prize “For Journalism as an Act of Conscience”

He was detained today at the same court which sentenced him after arriving with dozens of people to show support for activist of the Youth Front Yaroslav Gryshchenko who is charged with activities on behalf of an unsanctioned organization