TODAY: Surprise clearing of opposition blogger; Russia’s stance on 14th protocol examined; migrant workers to gain legal standing?  Middle-classes in no-man’s land.  Rogozin and Gromov’s advice for NATO; START talks on-going; Senator McCain receives medal from Georgia; Cold War meat

A Russian blogger from the Oborona opposition movement, accused of inciting hatred against law enforcers, has been cleared of all charges, reports the Other Russia.   Oborona leader Oleg Kozlovsky has described the decision as ‘unprecedented’ although has pointed out that there are many other bloggers who are not as fortunate.  Ellen Barry in the New York Times has a feature on long-standing human rights activist Lyudmila M. Alexeyeva.  ‘Moscow creates a problem and then offers to solve it for a price’: will the 14th protocol of the European Convention on Human Rights be treated any differently? asks RFE/RL’s Power Vertical.  lllegal migrants working in private households in Russia may have the chance to attain legal working status under new legislation dealing with the issue of migrant labor.  This article looks at the fragility of the apparently democratic leaning middle-classes in the post-Soviet space.