TODAY: UN human rights chiefs chides Russia on activist slayings; Microsoft to institute changes following NY Times allegations; Luzhkov pledges to sue; new ruling reduces pressure for income declarations; law to release ill suspects deemed vague.  Moscow castigates EU for lack of movement on visas; Georgian accusations of Russian war crimes heard in the Hague.  Putin claims demographic decline in reverse; wild fire victims to monitor rebuilding of homes via webcam

The United Nations’ human rights chief Navi Pillay has launched an attack on Russia for its failure to address attacks on rights workers.  ‘We unequivocally abhor any attempt to leverage intellectual property rights to stifle political advocacy or pursue improper personal gain‘:  Microsoft has responded to the New York Times’ reports of complicity in abuses of human rights via its anti-piracy division with a series of major changes to its policy.  Bloomberg has an Inside Track video with Richard Falkenrath on the issue here.  Prominent journalist Olga Romanova has accused departing Federation Council Senator Vladimir Slutsker of being behind the unjust incarceration of her businessman husband: a case of neat timing as the Senator’s immunity from prosecution will disappear with his departure.  Opposition politicians are apparently disappointed with the Duma’s new bill to release gravely ill suspects from pre-trial detention, as it does not specify the illnesses which would justify their release.  Another blow to Medvedev’s apparent transparency objectives: a Finance Ministry order will apparently allow family members of civil servants to dodge filing their income declarations.