TODAY: Internet blacklist to remain secret; public see Orthodox Church’s political influence increasing; Pussy Riot artist must pay fine; opposition to hold online vote to find a leader; activists seek asylum in Ukraine; Rosneft responsible for most Khanty-Mansiisk oil spills.

The Kremlin is planning to draw up an Internet blacklist of sites that will be blocked to the public – but it will not publicly reveal which websites will make the list, apparently because ‘declassifying the websites would advertise them’.  A new VTsIOM poll shows a growing awareness of the Orthodox Church’s political influence, in conjunction with falling influence in the daily lives of citizens, with 49% saying they ignore the church.  The Society for Consumer Rights Protection is fighting back against Orthodox charges of extremism, after it argued that commercial activities at the Christ the Savior Cathedral (the home of Pussy Riot’s first protest performance) violated consumer protection law.  A Novosibirsk artist will be forced to pay a small fine for replacing light-box advertisements with pro-Pussy Riot posters earlier this year.  The Royal Court Theatre in London is to stage verbatim readings of Pussy Riot’s testimony on Friday morning, when the group will be in court to await their verdict.  This piece argues that, although Vladimir Putin’s actions with regard to various opposition figures this year have been ‘thuggish’, he still ‘has yet to create the anger and the hunger for change that led to the Arab Spring.’