October 13, 2010 By Citizen M

RA’s Daily Russian News Blast – Oct 13, 2010

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TODAY: 30 detained (including Pomonarev) at unsanctioned Moscow rally; Medvedev appoints human rights council replacement, consults with rock stars over Moscow mayor; Pavlovsk seed bank auction postponed; Schwarzenegger on traffic jams; Lavrov on Kyrgyzstan; UK to seek to mend ties as Lugovoi urges ‘move on’ from Litvinenko case; Russian no longer compulsory in Georgia; Caucasian Stonehenge?
An unsanctioned Moscow rally of ‘several hundred people‘ demanding elections for regional governor posts saw 30 detentions, says RFE/RL, including another one for Lev Pomonarev, who was arrested twice last month. President Dmitry Medvedev has named Mikhail Fedotov the new head of his human rights council: a replacement for Ella Pamfilova, who resigned two months ago (and who, says RIA Novosti, approves of the new appointment).  Fedotov, a journalist and lawyer, apparently wants to focus on Russian society’s positive portrayal of Stalin.  The auction of the grounds housing the Pavlovsk seed bank has been postponed, thanks to environmental campaigners and the support of President Medvedev, who told the manager of Pavlovsk to ‘stick to his guns‘.  Brian Whitmore writes on the need for the Kremlin to get its Moscow Mayor posting right if it wants to avoid ‘clan warfare and chaos‘.  Perhaps this explains why Medvedev is consulting with rock musicians on the next appointment.  Boris Nemtsov has co-authored a report that ‘scathingly criticizes‘ former mayor Yury Luzhkov.