The Economist: Courageous Protestors

It’s refreshing to come across articles about positive human rights developments in Russia.  There’s an optimistic piece in yesterday’s Economist, praising a number of recent protests by Russian citizens, including the juror on the Anna Politkovskaya trial who spoke out about the accusation that the jury had requested the trial be conducted in private, and the drivers who took over the presidential traffic lane last week. 

“The drivers may not change the habits of Russia’s powerful bureaucracy, just as the opening of the Politkovskaya trial to the public is unlikely to uncover the identity of the politician who, according to the prosecution, ordered her killing. But these events do suggest that, for all the government’s best efforts, there are signs of civil vitality still in Russia. The economic crisis that is hitting the country could trigger more protests. The risk is that it may make the Kremlin even more repressive.”

Read the full article here.