Andrey Kotov in court in Moscow, 2 December 2024. Photo: Mediazona A Moscow court has remanded a travel agent in custody for two months for organising tours aimed at queer customers, independent news outlet Mediazona reported on Monday. The investigator said a criminal case against Andrey Kotov, the director of Men Travel, was opened on 28 November. He has been charged with participating in and organising the activities of an “extremist community”. Kotov has denied the charges against him.

The Golovinsky District Court of Moscow arrested the director of the travel agency Men Travel, Andrei Kotov, for two months in the case of organizing travel for queer people. This was reported by a Mediazona correspondent. The investigator stated that a criminal case against Kotov was opened on November 28. He is charged with participating in and organizing the activities of an “extremist organization” (Parts 1, 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code).

How Russian propagandists worked over the years Vladimir Putin takes part in the parade of the Presidential Regiment on the Kremlin Cathedral Square after the inauguration ceremony, Moscow, May 7, 2024. Photo: Sergey Guneev / EPA-EFE Since February 2022, funding for state media in Russia has increased significantly. Propaganda, which 30 years ago was losing to independent media, has strengthened its position.

Ukrainian servicemen train at a shooting range near Kharkiv in eastern Ukraine, 29 February 2024. Photo: EPA-EFE/SERGEY KOZLOV Ukrainian prosecutors opened 60,000 desertion cases between January and October this year, almost double the figure recorded for 2022 and 2023 combined, The Financial Times (FT) reported on Sunday.

Irina Rogova (Moseikina), photo: social networks The Polish prosecutor's office brought charges under articles of espionage and complicity against Irina Rogova (Moseikina), the wife of ex-Open Russia activist Igor Rogov. This was reported “Like this” by the department’s press service. The prosecutor's office clarified that the main article in the charge is espionage, which involves complicity in an attempt to commit a crime. Rogova was arrested for three months.

Seda Suleymanova. Photo: Where is Seda? Chechnya’s representative in Russia’s State Duma has told activists investigating the disappearance and possible “honour killing” of missing Chechen woman Seda Suleymanova that he is unable to help them locate her, saying the matter went beyond his remit, human rights group North Caucasus SOS said on Monday.

Conversation with Sergei Aleksashenko The editor-in-chief of Novaya Gazeta Europe, Kirill Martynov, discussed with economist Sergei Aleksashenko the Russian economy through the eyes of Vladimir Putin, rising food prices and the effect of European sanctions.

Novaya Gazeta Europe republishes the final statement made in court by political prisoner Alexey Gorinov Alexey Gorinov in court on Friday. Photo: Dmitry Serebryakov / AP Photo / Scanpix / LETA A military court last week added three more years to the existing seven-year prison sentence given to former Moscow local councillor Alexey Gorinov after finding him guilty of “justifying terrorism” for a conversation he had with a prison informant.

Experts explain how far the offensive of anti-government forces in Syria can go Opposition fighters patrol the streets after taking control of the town of Maarat al-Numan, which passes through the M5 highway to Damascus, Syria, November 30, 2024. Photo: Bilal Al Hammoud / EPA-EFE On the evening of November 27, in the north-west of Syria, in the provinces of Idlib and Aleppo, an offensive of anti-government forces began, led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group.

Soldiers take part in military exercises during the Slavic Brotherhood-2019 drills held in Serbia. Photo: Russian Defence Ministry Russia’s Defence Ministry plans to deploy a further 300,000 servicemen to Ukraine after the completion of a gigantic military training programme, a Russian defence official wrote in an article for Krasnaya Zvezda, the ministry’s official newspaper, which was published on Monday.

Police use water cannons to disperse Georgian opposition supporters protesting in front of the Parliament building in Tbilisi, Georgia, 01 December 2024. Photo: EPA-EFE/DAVID MDZINARISHVILI Police use water cannons to disperse Georgian opposition supporters protesting in front of the Parliament building in Tbilisi, Georgia, 01 December 2024.

Photo: Maria Senovilla / EPA-EFE From January to October 2024, Ukrainian prosecutors opened 60 thousand criminal cases of desertion of citizens. The Financial Times writes about this. According to the publication, more soldiers deserted from the Ukrainian army in just 2024 than in 2022 and 2023 combined.

"Conclave" with Ralph Fiennes became an unexpected hit at the global box office. This is an interesting but ambiguous film from the point of view of meaning. Still from the film "Conclave". Photo: IMDb The Pope has died, the throne is vacant, who will become the new head of the Catholic Church?

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz during a visit by Zelensky to Berlin, on 11 October 2024. Photo: EPA-EFE/FILIP SINGER German Chancellor Olaf Scholz arrived in Kyiv on Monday in a surprise first visit to the Ukrainian capital since 2022, he announced on X. “Ukraine can rely on us.

More than 300 thousand Russian military personnel have been trained in reserve regiments, they are being prepared to participate in the war in Ukraine. The head of the main combat training department of the Russian Armed Forces, Ivan Buvaltsev, stated this in an article for the Krasnaya Zvezda magazine; Kommersant drew attention to the publication.