Special Coverage

Behind the scenes of Madonna's gay propaganda trial

We had been told prior to our arrival that the courtroom would be quite small and the battle for seats quite brutal. As it turned out, “small” meant about the size of a walk-in closet. As journalists began accumulating in the corridor of the building that looked remarkably like a space ship from an old sci-fi novel, the tension was palpable.

18:18 28.11.2012

Bizarre ways the world continues to fail its children

November 20 marks the Universal Children's Day. RAPSI has decided to celebrate the occasion with a look at a several unique trends in child protection legislation around the world. In some cases, we will explore the legal grey areas that have given rise to unexpected hotbeds of abuse. In others, we will look at instances where legislation and longstanding cultural tradition face off, leaving children’s rights precariously positioned.

11:46 20.11.2012

Dispute over parallel imports in Russia

The Russian Supreme Commercial Court is soon expected to define its position on parallel imports, or the import of goods by unauthorized distributors without the trademark holder's consent. Its presidium will consider the lawsuit between businessman Sergei Chudov and the customs authorities on November 13.

17:11 06.11.2012

Legal methods of fighting filicide

Last year, 1,762 children were murdered in Russia. Of those, 30% were killed by parents or other close relatives and relations. This is the fourth year in a row that child murder-rate figures have neared 2,000.

09:00 06.11.2012

Profile: opposition activist Sergei Udaltsov

Sergei Udaltsov has been at the forefront of Russia’s opposition movement since before it gained popularity in December 2011. He is well-known in Russia both for his zealous advocacy for democratic reform, and for his unparalleled propensity toward getting arrested. In November 2011, Amnesty International reported that he had been arrested approximately 37 times. Since then, in light of the post-election protest movement that has taken Moscow by storm in the past year, the number of arrests has likely increased dramatically.

18:32 22.10.2012

Top news

Russian courts allowed not to implement rulings of Europe's human rights court

Russia's Supreme Court proposed not to implement rulings of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) and the provisions of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (ECHR).

12:53 09.12.2025

Redomiciliation stalls: How sanctions are shaping new practices for Russian companies

The mechanism for redomiciliating foreign companies to Russian jurisdiction, in effect since 2018, has recently encountered serious obstacles. Taking into account the background of sanctions-related restrictions introduced in 2022 through 2025, it has become extremely difficult to achieve the goal. The situation gave rise to the phenomenon of dual domicile and led to a rise in the number of new litigations, both in Russia and abroad.

12:32 09.12.2025

Soldiers jailed for killing US journalist Russell Bentley

A military court in Donetsk sentenced three soldiers to up to 12 years in prison for torturing and killing Russell Bentley, a 63-year-old U.S. national who collaborated with Sputnik news agency.

14:05 08.12.2025