May 26, 2011 By Citizen M

RA’s Daily Russian News Blast – May 26, 2011

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TODAY: Activist’s wife facing drugs charges; independent newspaper shut down after supporting opposition candidate; Moscow says no to gay rights parade; United Russia remove posters; Duma intern fired for revealing session secrets; Khodorkovsky ruling responses; Russia moves closer to OECD; cultural cold war; Cameron to visit Moscow; Putin cult.
Is the drug-dealing charge against activist Taisia Osipova a government frame designed to punish her husband, a member of the Other Russia party?  She says a raid on her house was attended by an anti-extremism officer.  Independent weekly newspaper Krestyanin has been shut downfor allowing its printing press to print campaign flyers‘ for a Communist Party mayoral candidate. Moscow has reconfirmed its decision to reject gay rights activsts’ application to hold a gay pride parade.  The law says that a deceased person’s image can only be used with the permission of their relatives: but that didn’t stop United Russia from launching a poster campaign using the faces of St Petersburg’s historic residents without permission. ‘They [United Russia] have long been living in a dream world.‘  Soviet-era activist Aleksei Manannikov has been sentenced to 48 hours’ detention for missing a police appointment.  A Duma intern has been fired for revealing that deputies were playing cards and surfing the internet during sessions.
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