The Real Russia. Today. A new game from the mind of Russia's most prominent political prisoner; Igor Sechin will be called to the stand in Ulyukayev's trial; and Russia's antitrust head in Crimea is found dead

Wednesday, November 8, 2017

• Play Meduza's new game on surviving prison, designed and illustrated by Russia's most prominent political prisoner
• Igor Sechin will be called to the stand in Alexey Ulyukayev's trial
• The Kremlin isn't interested in a civil rights leader who fled the country
• A Navalny activist is hospitalized in prison after losing 22 pounds in a hunger strike
• Lawmakers want the people to have access to Russia's state seal, so long as it's not for jokes
• Russia's Antimonopoly Service chief in Crimea is reportedly found dead
• An ex governor accused of trying to have a journalist killed gets a new gig in the Federation Council
• Moscow wants the U.S. to extradite Grigory Rodchenkov
• Pussy Riot has a new music video

A new game from the mind of Russia's most prominent political prisoner 🎲

For almost three years now, Oleg Navalny, the brother of one of Russia’s most prominent opposition politicians, has lived behind bars, getting a rigorous education in the rules of Russian prison life — both the official and unofficial rules. At Meduza’s request, he created a game where you have to navigate several prison situations, finding ways to remain at peace with the guards and the mobsters around you. Safeguard your health and cultivate the other inmates' respect. In other words, try to survive Russian prison. Don’t be discouraged if you’re roughed up the first time through the game — almost everyone is. And hopefully you’ll never need to use the knowledge you gain here.

• Play the game here.

Sechin will be called to the stand, after all ✋

Moscow’s Zamoskvoretsky District Court has decided to call Rosneft head Igor Sechin to the stand in the corruption case against former Economic Development Minister Alexey Ulyukayev. Meduza’s correspondent at the courtroom reports that the prosecution petitioned for Sechin to take the stand and the defense supported the motion. The court, however, rejected a request by Ulyukayev’s attorneys to call Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich for questioning.

• In trial on November 8, the prosecution brought to court the box that allegedly contained Ulyukayev’s $2-million bribe, unpacking the cash and stacking it on the prosecution’s table for the judge to see. Ulyukayev refused to say if he received the money as a bribe, promising to address the issue when the defense presents its evidence.
• Alexey Ulyukayev was arrested in mid-November 2016 on charges of extorting a $2-million bribe from Igor Sechin for greenlighting Rosneft’s acquisition of a stake in the oil company Bashneft. Ulyukayev says Sechin framed him. According to the newspaper Novaya Gazeta, the man who went to the police was Federal Security Service General Oleg Feoktistov, who testified earlier in Ulyukayev’s trial in a closed session of court.

A civil rights leader has fled Russia, but don't ask Putin about it 🙉

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov says it’s beneath the office of the president to get involved in yesterday’s news that Olga Romanova, the head of civil rights organization “Jailed Russia,” fled the country in September, following police raids in response to a complaint filed by the Federal Penitentiary Service. Peskov told reporters that it’s a matter for Russian law enforcement agencies, if there are any allegations against the country’s prison officials. He also reiterated the need for strict control over the allocation of public money to social organizations.

• Romanova’s group “Jailed Russia” provides assistance to prisoners and their families. The organization says its funding comes from private donations and contracted work, including agreements with the World Bank and former Finance Minister Alexey Kudrin’s Center for Strategic Research.
• In early June 2017, police raided Jailed Russia’s Moscow office, carrying out a preliminary investigation into embezzlement allegations. Romanova says her group has received no government funding, arguing that the raid is connected to Jailed Russia’s work on proposed reforms to the Federal Penitentiary Service. She later accused the agency’s deputy director, Anatoly Rudoi, of instigating the raid, claiming that the allegations apparently concern financial literacy seminars for inmates that were paid for but never took place.
• On November 7, Romanova revealed that she moved to Germany after the raids and has no plans to return to Russia, while she feels she is in danger of political persecution.

An imprisoned Navalny activist loses 22 pounds on a hunger strike and lands in the infirmary 🍽

Igor Slivin, the assistant coordinator of Alexey Navalny’s campaign office in Tambov, who’s currently serving out a 20-day prison sentence for repeated violations of Russia’s law on public assemblies, has been transferred to the infirmary after losing 22 pounds over five days in a hunger strike.

• On October 29, Navalny supporters held a campaign rally on private property made available by a local entrepreneur. In the face of an apparent nationwide ban on Navalny’s demonstrations, the presidential hopeful has resorted to staging rallies at shopping malls, warehouses, theaters, and anywhere else he can obtain permission to gather his supporters.
• On November 8, a Moscow court rejected Navalny’s attempt to sue Vladimir Putin for allegedly coordinating Russian city officials’ refusal to issue demonstration permits to the Navalny campaign. The court reportedly concluded that the lawsuit “is not subject to review under administrative procedures.”

A surefire boost to Russia's global reputation 🌏

Lawmakers in the State Duma have introduced draft legislation that would legalize the unofficial use of Russia’s national coat of arms, so long as it’s not in ridicule. Russian law currently permits only the official use of the state seal, for example in government banners, state awards, insignia, and so on. Unauthorized use of the state seal can result in small fines. The law’s sponsors say they hope the change will help “popularize government symbols” and “boost Russia’s reputation in the world.”

Russia's antitrust honcho in Crimea is found dead 🕵️

Timofey Kuraev, the head of the Russian Federal Antimonopoly Service’s Crimea branch, was found dead in his home on Wednesday, sources in law enforcement told the news agencies RIA Novosti and Interfax. Kuraev allegedly killed himself, though his agency has yet to comment officially on the reports of his death.

• Timofey Kuraev served as head of Russia’s Federal Antimonopoly Service in Crimea since 2014, following Moscow’s annexation of the peninsula. Before, he reportedly worked in Russia’s Interior Ministry.

The ex governor who may have ordered a hit on Oleg Kashin just got a sweet new job 🤝

Russian senators have voted to make Andrey Turchak, the former governor of Pskov, their new vice speaker. Nominated by Federation Council Chairwoman Valentina Matviyenko, Turkchak is now one of the Senate’s six vice speakers.

• Turchak joined the Federation Council earlier this fall after resigning his post as Pskov governor, which he’d held since 2009. He was quickly given a high-ranking spot in the Senate as acting secretary of the General Council of the ruling political party United Russia. Turchak reportedly owes his political career in part to family connections: according to journalists, his father is one of Vladimir Putin’s former judo sparring partners.
• Journalist Oleg Kashin accuses Andrey Turchak of ordering an attack on him in November 2010, when Kashin was severely beaten near his home and almost killed. Turchak denies any involvement in the attack, and police have never pressed charges against him.
• During Turchak’s appointment to the Federation Council’s deputy speaker position, Senator Lyudmila Narusova asked Turchak to explain why he was never questioned in the Kashin investigation. Turchak told her, “I’ve commented repeatedly on this matter. Your information is erroneous.”

Hand him over, Yanks 💉

Russia said on Wednesday it plans to ask the United States to extradite Grigory Rodchenkov, the ex-head of Russia’s anti-doping laboratory who alleged a state-sponsored doping cover-up at the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics. Read the story at Reuters.

They're back with a brand new track 👩‍🎤

The Russian punk group “Pussy Riot” has released a new music video titled “Police State,” featuring people in police uniforms, a ballerina, children in balaclavas, and frontwoman Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, who is unmasked near the end of the song. The video, which also features the American actress Chloë Sevigny and is the group’s first tune without any guitar, appears to be an effort at a pop hit.

• The song appears on Pussy Riot’s upcoming album “Nice Life,” which Tolokonnikova told BuzzFeed is meant to “inspire listeners to take action and organize.”