More from: Civil society and Media

«What we need is more cross-border journalism»

His newspaper is banned by Moscow, but Thomas Nilsen and the Barents Observer continue reporting in Russian.
February 20, 2019

The Barents Observer is now blocked in Russia

A Moscow rat race against the independent Norwegian newspaper leads to its closure on Russian territory.
February 19, 2019

Eco-group Bellona continues to work in Russia, despite being declared foreign agents

«We won’t throw away our very important work over such small change,» says Aleksandr Nikitin, Chairman of ERC Bellona.
January 17, 2017

No Punk Prayer in borderland after pressure from Putin’s diplomats

Norwegian folk musician Moddi will preform banned or censored songs from around the world, but removes his version of Pussy Riot’s controversial Punk Prayer from the play-list.
November 15, 2016

Bomb threat against investigative journalists

The workshop in Komi headed by renown journalist Grigory Pasko did not proceed as planned.
November 10, 2016

Human Rights Court calls on urgent action in Dadin-case

Meanwhile, the convicted activist is taken to hospital in Petrozavodsk.
November 03, 2016

Ildar Dadin: deadly torture in Karelian prison

«If they again start to torture me, beat me and rape me, I will hardly last more than a week».
November 02, 2016

Levada rejects inclusion in foreign agent list, gets 300.000 ruble fine

The independent pollster insists it should not be on the disgraced list.
October 27, 2016

Protested abolishment of ministry of environment, was detained by police

Activist Nina Ananina staged a silent protest in front of the Komi government building. She was not allowed to stand there long.
October 24, 2016

Border town newspaper saved last minute from closure

We are now looking for a new way forward, which secures our economy and promotes good journalism, Editor of Sør-Varanger Avis Tor Sandø says.
October 14, 2016

News agency in Murmansk fined by Election Commission

«I consider it a revenge for our disobedience», says Editor of SeverPost Dmitry Visotsky.
October 13, 2016

Human rights defenders on foreign agent list, for second time

The Russian Ministry of Justice puts International human rights society Memorial on the list of Foreign Agents. The decision is unlawful and will be appealed in court, Memorial says.
October 06, 2016

Activist Ildar Dadin sent to Karelian penal colony

He will spend up to two years in the labor camp of Segezha, the place where Mikhail Khodorkovsky was locked up.
September 30, 2016

State funding for media will be cut - Finance Ministry

An increasingly cash-strapped Russian treasury can no longer afford to pay more than 80 billion ruble to state media.
September 15, 2016

Levada Centre pollster listed as foreign agent ahead of elections

Vladimir Putin’s ruling party United Russia got all time low in the latest poll before the Ministry of Justice took action.
September 06, 2016

FSB raids environmental organization

Environmentalists in the SPOK group has since 1996 worked to protect vulnerable forest land in Karelia. This week, their offices were searched by security agents.
September 06, 2016

Oleg runs for elections with the slogan «Don’t lie, don’t steal»

Oleg Drozdov with the Yabloko Party in Murmansk runs for a seat in the State Duma, but is not allowed to do street campaigning, gets limited media coverage and zero access to the closed military towns where nearly 100.000 voters live.
August 30, 2016

Newspaper editor criticized local legislator, got fired

Nadezhda Gongeleva takes her case to court after she was dismissed from Karelian newspaper Prizyv.
August 25, 2016

Gay activists sue Murmansk, will take case to Strasbourg

Local authorities fret, while activists go to court for the right to organize a gay parade in town.
August 16, 2016

FSB detains Arkhangelsk editor

Aleksandr Sukhanov runs the site Kompromat29, which reports on regional corruption and economic crimes.
August 03, 2016

Supreme Court rules, Karelian opposition politician to remain behind bars

The disgraced former town mayor and Yabloko politician Svetlana Chechil loses appeal case.
June 29, 2016

In Kandalaksha, people stand up in protest against public services

Popular discontent is on the rise as the local heating supply company boosts electricity costs.
June 21, 2016

Traveling artists in the borderland

The Dark Ecology project has over the last three years explored people and nature along the Norwegian-Russian border.
June 17, 2016

Independent Karelian journalists acquitted in court

The regional Supreme Court rules against local police, in favor of newspaper Severnye Berega.
June 02, 2016

Per Adde - the man, the painter, the activist

One of the Barents Region's most famous painters turns 90. Meet the artist known for fighting the rights of Sami reindeer herders and the rights for rivers to flow free.
May 31, 2016

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