Our readers are likely familiar with the unfortunate fate of Yevgeny Gontmakher, an economist who published the article Novocherkassk-2009 (translated on this blog), providing a bleak outlook of what many one-factory Russian towns are experiencing in the economic crisis.  Now it seems that another figure, Aleksandr Bragin, is being targeted for having published an article on the economic crisis.  Didn’t he know that it’s against the law for the media to cover the recession?

From RFE/RL:

Bragin’s article was posted on December 29 on the website of the Russian Popular Democratic Union, an opposition party led by former Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov, whose regional Ulyanovsk branch is headed by Bragin.

Yelena Dikun, a Kasyanov aide, told RFE/RL’s Russian Service that law enforcement agencies are accusing Bragin of tarnishing the region’s image.