Ukraine Crisis II: Electric Boogaloo

[Lemanrussland]

Security operations in eastern Ukraine have apparently been officially resumed, in light of the refusal of various militant groups to disarm, and the killing, torture, and kidnapping of several people in eastern Ukraine.

http://www.interfax.com/newsinf.asp?pg=2&id=499572

KYIV. April 23 (Interfax) - An active phase of an antiterrorist operation in the eastern regions of Ukraine has been resumed, Ukrainian First Deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Yarema said.

"In line with the acting president's directive, the antiterrorist operation is continuing. Its active phase was suspended during the Easter holidays, but the active phase has been resumed now. Law enforcement agencies are working on eliminating all groups that are acting today in Kramatorsk, Slovyansk, and other cities of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions," Yarema told journalists in Kyiv on Wednesday.

At the same time, Yarema noted that the law enforcement did not take active steps last night.

It was reported earlier that Verkhovna Rada Chairman and interim President Oleksandr Turchynov demanded on Tuesday that an efficient antiterrorist operation be resumed in the eastern part of the country.

EDIT: Also, more news on Right Sector

http://www.interfax.com/newsinf.asp?id=499623

Full OSCE report available here: http://www.osce.org/ukraine-smm/117912

Right Sector tells OSCE mission it is being transformed into party, its military wing dissolved

KYIV. April 23 (Interfax) - The Lviv group of the OSCE monitoring mission in Ukraine has met with the local leadership of the nationalistic organization Right Sector.

"The Lviv team met with the Head of the Right Sector in the city. He declared that all activities of the Right Sector were aimed at supporting the efforts to enhance the defense of the country (including registering volunteers, providing them with basic physical training without weapons) and that they were coordinated with the National Security Council of Ukraine and the Ukrainian Armed Forces," the mission said in a report available on the OSCE website.

The leadership of the Lviv branch of Right Sector also assured the OSCE mission that "Right Sector had dissolved its militant wing. It was transforming into a political party and did not consider itself to be a part of the "armed groups" mentioned in the Geneva Statement," it said.

[Costa Fierro]

so who here has accepted Russia as owners of Crimea?

I haven't. As far as I am concerned (and that of my government), Crimea is Ukrainian territory illegally occupied by Russia.

Trying to prove that it'd go from bad to worse no matter what Putin did. If things are going to shit, you might as well grab a Crimea or two

Why can't Putin invade countries that deserve it?

Joking aside, you're not getting it, so let me write it in caps for you: UKRAINIANS ARE TIRED OF OLIGARCHS!!!

Ogilarchs are really the only people who have the power to run the country. Kinda sad, but that's how it is. Unless you think that Putin can somehow pull a bureaucrat from the sunshine that radiates from his colon and bless Ukraine with the gift of competent governance.

IF, INSTEAD OF IMPOSING MORE OLIGARCHS ON EASTERN UKRAINE.

They weren't imposed. Unless you think being appointed by the Parliament within the confines of the Ukrainian constitution is imposed. Maybe the self-appointed mayors and government officials of eastern Ukraine have been imposed, correct?

KIEV WOULD'VE SACKED AN OLIGARCH OR TWO NOT TIED TO YANUK'S CLIQUE, THERE MIGHT'VE BEEN A CHANCE TO RECONCILE, HOWEVER SLIGHT.

Yeah no. Even if the government had shown leniency (and that I very much doubt), the people wouldn't have.

Got that?

I get that you think whatever Russia does, it can't be blamed even slightly and that it's all everyone else fault. I get that. We all do.

[Gravlen]

The Russian authorities have barred a senior Crimean Tatar leader from returning to Crimea, sending alarm bells ringing in a community that largely opposed Moscow’s annexation of the peninsula.

Mustafa Jemilev, a member of the Ukrainian parliament and a former head of the Mejlis, the Crimean Tatar assembly, said he had been presented with a document by border officials barring him from entering Russian territory for five years.

“They are trying to deport all people who they consider unsuitable,” Mr Jemilev, a former Soviet dissident, told the FT.

A statement issued by the Mejlis said he was given the document as he crossed the border between Crimea and Ukraine early on Tuesday morning.

The Mejlis’ website published a copy of the document, which had no signature or official letterhead, and was headed: “Notification of non-permission to enter the Russian Federation”.

It said Mr Jemilev, “a citizen of Ukraine”, had been barred on the basis of a Russian law “on the procedure for entering and exiting the Russian Federation”.

Russia’s Federal Migration Service said the decision had likely been taken by another ministry, such as the FSB, Russia’s domestic security agency.

Russia bars Tartar leader Mustafa Jemilev from entering Crimea

This is not a good move...

[Ixzara]

What?

That.

Or are you going to claim that Mali wasn't coverd, Egypt wasn't coverd, Syria wasn't coverd ect.
If that is the case, then i really want to know what kind of news you're watching.

Either it's the news network that won't shut up about missing planes, or the one that's trying to convince you that Obamacare is a sign of the apocalypse.

[Lemanrussland]

http://tvrain.ru/articles/narodnyj_mer_ ... go-367390/ (Russian)

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/pro-russ ... st-hostage (English)

The militants in Slovyansk have now admitted they are holding Simon Ostrovsky hostage.

[Lemanrussland]

Sorry to double-post, but this next update really has too much information to just add on.

Russia is basically continuing it's crackdown on the Internet. Foreign email services, instant messaging services and so on will be required, along with Russian companies, to retain 6 months of user data (sent messages, retrieved pages and so on). If foreign services fail to comply, they can now be blocked by the Russian government. In this way, companies providing internet services to Russian citizens will be coerced into being "little birdies" for the Russian intelligence services and police. Similar regulations existed in the EU (since 2006), but they were struck down by the the Court Justice of the European Union on April 8th as being inconsistent with the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). Yandex has protested the new law, claiming it will hurt competitiveness and the growth of Russia's internet sector, and pointing out that the law essentially violates the EHCR, just like the EU directive did.

Last month, the Russian government blocked several major independent news sites, including Grani, kasparov.ru, the livejournal of Alexei Navalny, and the web pages of Ekho Moskvy. The list was published by Russia's Prosecutor General on March 13th, under the authority of a law passed in 2012 which authorized the Russian government to censor websites (the government claimed it would be primarily used to combat child pornography, drug use, and material promoting suicide).

http://lenta.ru/articles/2014/04/22/services/ (Russian source for this new data retention legislation, shitty Google translation will be provided below)

Foreign Internet e-mail services , and instant messaging will be required along with Russian companies, provide storage of data on the activity of its users in six months and certainly in Russia. This follows from the text of " anti-terrorism package" of laws that the State Duma finally adopted on Tuesday in the third reading . According to experts, if the foreign company will refuse to carry out the new law , access to their services in Russia can be blocked .
Wrote that legislators

Amendments to the law "On Information, Information Technologies and Protection of Information" included in the " anti-terrorist package ", adopted by the State Duma in the third reading . According to them, companies operating on the electronic communications of Internet users are required within six months to store information about all sent messages . Moreover, this information must be stored on the territory of Russia , which in this case is the location of the servers in the country , where all messages sent to Internet users in six months.

The law exempts from these requirements licensed operators, including the data transmission operators ( ISPs ) , as well as public information systems.

Thus, to store information about users correspondence should be service Internet company , operating the e-mail, instant messaging services ( messengers ), IP- telephony , as well as social networks.

Head of Strategic Research of the Russian Association of Electronic Communications ( RAEC ) Irina Levova confirmed " Lente.ru " that the requirements of the new law fall into this category of companies and they will be the main subject of its application.

Text of the law makes no exceptions for Internet services depending on the membership providing their companies - whether they are Russian or foreign . Consequently , Google ( Gmail, owns and video service YouTube), Facebook or Microsoft ( owner of Skype) will have to provide storage correspondence users servers located in Russia in the same way as " Yandex », Mail.ru, Rambler , or "Vkontakte" .

However, the Russian authorities have no legal instruments to ensure that foreign Internet services requirements of Russian legislation : providing these services companies registered abroad and do not lead to the Russian economic activity , and their technology infrastructure is also located outside Russia.
How to make law-abiding foreigners

An expert in the field of corporate law , the chairman of the Bar of Moscow " Vash legal attorney " Konstantin Trapaidze believes that this is an important fact that significantly affect the application of the new " anti-terrorism " law.

"Foreign companies that provide Internet services are outside the Russian jurisdiction . Therefore, the legal instruments of influence on them by public institutions in Russia is not "- said Trapaidze " Lente.ru . "

According to the lawyer , if Google or Microsoft will refuse to install in Russian servers to store user and correspondence , as required by law, provide access to representatives of special services , no one can force them to do so or to punish for non-compliance of the Russian legal framework .

On the other hand , the new law should be carried out in the country and all. One way to do this in relation to foreign Internet companies is blocking access to their services on the territory of Russia . Other way to comply with the law to force those who do not agree to do so voluntarily , is not there.

At the same time, the expert sure to military solutions , likely will not come as closing access to Gmail, Skype, WhatsApp and other foreign Internet services become overt manifestation of isolationism on the part of Russia .

But in this case, the new " anti-terrorism " law, like some others before him , would be limited to work because some - Russian - companies will implement it , while others - foreign - no.

" It will turn out that the law will not work against players of the same market . This will be another evidence received neprorabotannosti law Duma deputies that it was offered , and accepted , "- said the lawyer.
What do companies

Representatives of the major players in the Russian market for Internet services is not very willing to comment on the prospect of waiting for them .

Representatives of Google, Facebook, Microsoft did not respond to the questions " Heathcliff " about their possible actions when the " anti-terrorism " law.

At the same time some of the largest Russian companies have already expressed about the new law and its consequences.

In Rambler & Co said they would comply with the law and regulations after approval by the Parliament and the Government of the Russian Federation.

Asked whether the company is ready to meet the requirements of the law on the storage of user data , security director Rambler & Co Rylik Alexander said: " At the moment we are collecting only the information about user activity , which is necessary for normal functioning of our hardware-software complex . To assess their readiness , it is necessary that the law (or laws that will , most surely , developed by the government) in technical formulations elaborated list of data to be collected . "

As for the timing of the realization of the requirements of the law and of the necessary costs , then , according to Rylik , everything will depend on the range of data storage and the shape of their issuance , as this will affect the required storage capacity.

The press service of " Yandex " said : "In our opinion , the adoption of the law will be another step towards the strengthening of state control over the Internet in Russia , which has a negative impact on the development industry.

It is important to understand that the regulation provided for a bill can be applied not only to the hosting of blogs and social networks, but also to virtually any services on the Internet , including e-mail, applications for mobile devices and so on . "

The company believes that the duty of the organizers electronic messaging store data on all the facts of exchange between all users within six months contradicts Russia's international commitments made ​​in the framework of the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.

In addition, " Yandex " noticed that at the beginning of April 2014 the Court invalidated the European Union directive, which prescribes the last few years keeping logs all user activity in telecommunication networks (Internet , telephone network). The Court considered that this directive is contrary to articles on the right to respect for private and family life and personal data protection. According to the logic of the court , like the collection of information about a citizen is only possible if he is suspected of committing an offense .

The press service of Mail.Ru Group could not comment on the situation promptly .

[Costa Fierro]

The founder of Russia's largest social networking website is also on the run for allegedly not giving the details of users to Russian law enforcement. Things are definitely starting to go very wrong there.

[Lemanrussland]

The founder of Russia's largest social networking website is also on the run for allegedly not giving the details of users to Russian law enforcement. Things are definitely starting to go very wrong there.

Putin's approval ratings have gotten enough of a boost from the jingoistic euphoria over Crimea to allow him to take more aggressive moves against critics. He had Alexei Navalny put in jail on Tuesday for "slandering a lawmaker". His trial will start on Thursday; if he's found guilty he will be sent to prison. He's also begun labeling critics and dissenters as "national traitors".

[Ixzara]

The founder of Russia's largest social networking website is also on the run for allegedly not giving the details of users to Russian law enforcement. Things are definitely starting to go very wrong there.

Someone being chased down by Russian authorities for refusing to release info about people making insulting jokes about Putin's nipples? That's....typical.

[Baltenstein]

The eastern and western Ukrainian working class really need to unite their forces against "shock doctrine" austerity and look for inspiration from the uprising in Bosina, ("Down with nationalism" was also written on a wall)! The money Washington is giving will be used to put down protests from the working class in Ukraine opposing the "shock doctrine".

Lol
^Thinks the Muslims protests in Bosnia were not nationalistic.
^Doesn't know that the protests in Bosnia were initiated and supported by the Americans.

I think he is talking about the recent protests in Bosnia concerning the unemployment and crappy economic perspective.

[Scholmeria]

The founder of Russia's largest social networking website is also on the run for allegedly not giving the details of users to Russian law enforcement. Things are definitely starting to go very wrong there.

What is Russias largest social networting web site?

[Respawn]

The founder of Russia's largest social networking website is also on the run for allegedly not giving the details of users to Russian law enforcement. Things are definitely starting to go very wrong there.

What is Russias largest social networting web site?

VK.

[Scholmeria]

Lol
^Thinks the Muslims protests in Bosnia were not nationalistic.
^Doesn't know that the protests in Bosnia were initiated and supported by the Americans.

I think he is talking about the recent protests in Bosnia concerning the unemployment and crappy economic perspective.

Yes, I was talking about those protest. Officialy they were targeted against the elite and corruption. But as said the people who organised it had different motives. Than again people outside Bosnia have not a the whole perspective of the situation.

[Lemanrussland]

Bloggers in Russia with more than 3,000 visitors a day will also apparently have to provide personal information and be put on a special list, and will face similar restrictions on their speech that mass media currently does within Russia, under the same "counter-terrorism" package passed by the Duma and mentioned in the previous post. The first violation of regulations will result in a hefty fine, the second will result in a seizure of the blog for 1 month.

This definitely cannot be abused.

http://en.itar-tass.com/opinions/1750

[Baltenstein]

Bloggers in Russia with more than 3,000 visitors a day will also apparently have to provide personal information and be put on a special list, and will face similar restrictions on their speech that mass media currently does within Russia, under the same "counter-terrorism" package passed by the Duma and mentioned in the previous post. The first violation of regulations will result in a hefty fine, the second will result in a seizure of the blog for 1 month.

This definitely cannot be abused.

http://en.itar-tass.com/opinions/1750

Erdogan and Putin are having a contest on who's going to completely choke off Internet freedom first.

EDIT: I really wonder what the two statesmen think about each other at times, seeing how their rise and policies parallel each other in many regards.

"Things were really swell when my country still was a glorious empire."
"I know where you're coming from, bro."
"Unfortunately, self-styled "democracts" continued to made a mess of things only to appeal to those decadent Westerners, who never respected us as equals anyway."
"Same thing over here. Luckily for my country, I came along, ended the crisis and got the economy up and running again."
"Yup, and I also pacified the non-stop shenanigangs of those border minorities and their delusions of separatism."
"Of course, some internal dissenters/traitors/foreign agent provcateurs (often posing as so-called 'journalists') had to be taught a lesson in obedience."
"Everybody should know his place!"
"I also propped up my country's religion and traditional values again, because let's face it, they're awesome!"
"Mine too!"
"But, instead of congratulating me for doing what any great statesman should do, all the West can do is criticize, criticize, criticize!"
"'Baaaah, you're violating human rights and free speeeeech!'"
*bothlaugh*
"The one thing - the only thing - that matters is, the common people love me! Just look at my approval rates!"
"Exactly!"
"Brofist?"
"Brofist."

[Ixzara]

Bloggers in Russia with more than 3,000 visitors a day will also apparently have to provide personal information and be put on a special list, and will face similar restrictions on their speech that mass media currently does within Russia, under the same "counter-terrorism" package passed by the Duma and mentioned in the previous post. The first violation of regulations will result in a hefty fine, the second will result in a seizure of the blog for 1 month.

This definitely cannot be abused.

http://en.itar-tass.com/opinions/1750

Erdogan and Putin are having a contest on who's going to completely choke off Internet freedom first.

I vote on Comcast and AT&T taking that trophy first.

[Lyttenburgh]

BBC is starting to doubt some "doubtless" proof-pics of the "direct Russian involvement" in the Eastern Ukraine's separatism movement. Even The Guardian, more or less, repeats the same arguments (the epic fail of journos and “experts” to make a distinction between AK-47 and other modifications delivers).

How dare are they! By Jingo, they must follow the example of Gen Philip Breedlove, Nato's commander in Europe, who, without using (or, probably, even seeing) any photos, argued convincingly last week that they must be "Russian forces".

As for the "blogger oppression" - relax! This law was in action for several days now and no changes (or charges) so far happened to all LJs or personal sites, that I frequent. As the great XIX centaury Russian poet, writer and journalist M.E. Saltykov-Shiedrin said "The strictness of Russian laws is ameliorated by their rare enforcement".

[Baltenstein]

As for the "blogger oppression" - relax! This law was in action for several days now and no changes (or charges) so far happened to all LJs or personal sites, that I frequent. As the great XIX centaury Russian poet, writer and journalist M.E. Saltykov-Shiedrin said "The strictness of Russian laws is ameliorated by their rare enforcement".

Quelling voices critical of the current rulers is something of a Russian tradition.

[Lemanrussland]

BBC is starting to doubt some "doubtless" proof-pics of the "direct Russian involvement" in the Eastern Ukraine's separatism movement. Even The Guardian, more or less, repeats the same arguments (the epic fail of journos and “experts” to make a distinction between AK-47 and other modifications delivers).

How dare are they! By Jingo, they must follow the example of Gen Philip Breedlove, Nato's commander in Europe, who, without using (or, probably, even seeing) any photos, argued convincingly last week that they must be "Russian forces".

As for the "blogger oppression" - relax! This law was in action for several days now and no changes (or charges) so far happened to all LJs or personal sites, that I frequent. As the great XIX centaury Russian poet, writer and journalist M.E. Saltykov-Shiedrin said "The strictness of Russian laws is ameliorated by their rare enforcement".

I'm sure it won't be enforced uniformly or regularly, but rather selectively. It's just another tool in the toolbox if you want to land someone in jail or shutdown their website.

[Soviet Russia Republic]

The founder of Russia's largest social networking website is also on the run for allegedly not giving the details of users to Russian law enforcement. Things are definitely starting to go very wrong there.

Putin's approval ratings have gotten enough of a boost from the jingoistic euphoria over Crimea to allow him to take more aggressive moves against critics. He had Alexei Navalny put in jail on Tuesday for "slandering a lawmaker". His trial will start on Thursday; if he's found guilty he will be sent to prison. He's also begun labeling critics and dissenters as "national traitors".

No, he's not in jail for slander. Unfortunately, that is where ethnic nationalists like him belong. He was fined for slander. Although he has other legal issues that he's also dealing with and jail is a possibility for him.

[Lemanrussland]

Putin's approval ratings have gotten enough of a boost from the jingoistic euphoria over Crimea to allow him to take more aggressive moves against critics. He had Alexei Navalny put in jail on Tuesday for "slandering a lawmaker". His trial will start on Thursday; if he's found guilty he will be sent to prison. He's also begun labeling critics and dissenters as "national traitors".

No, he's not in jail for slander. Unfortunately, that is where ethnic nationalists like him belong. He was fined for slander. Although he has other legal issues that he's also dealing with and jail is a possibility for him.

Was he not jailed on a temporary basis for the libel charges (or moved into custody pending his trial, I suppose, in the US we call this jail) after a few months of house arrest, and isn't he due to appear in court tomorrow, where he faces a possibility of prison?

[Soviet Russia Republic]

No, he's not in jail for slander. Unfortunately, that is where ethnic nationalists like him belong. He was fined for slander. Although he has other legal issues that he's also dealing with and jail is a possibility for him.

Was he not jailed on a temporary basis for the libel charges (or moved into custody, I suppose), and isn't he due to appear in court tomorrow, where he faces a possibility of prison?

I don't know, I didn't hear or read anything like that. Shof would properly know though. Temporary detention while fighting charges wouldn't be the same thing as being put into jail for slander...which isn't even something you are given for those charges. Yeah, for anther reason. Currently he's under house arrest, but there's the possibility of the court sending him to jail.

[Divair2]

Bloggers in Russia with more than 3,000 visitors a day will also apparently have to provide personal information and be put on a special list, and will face similar restrictions on their speech that mass media currently does within Russia, under the same "counter-terrorism" package passed by the Duma and mentioned in the previous post. The first violation of regulations will result in a hefty fine, the second will result in a seizure of the blog for 1 month.

This definitely cannot be abused.

http://en.itar-tass.com/opinions/1750

Russia's govt is hella authoritarian. Big surprise.

[Lemanrussland]

Was he not jailed on a temporary basis for the libel charges (or moved into custody, I suppose), and isn't he due to appear in court tomorrow, where he faces a possibility of prison?

I don't know, I didn't hear or read anything like that. Shof would properly know though. Temporary detention while fighting charges wouldn't be the same thing as being put into jail for slander...which isn't even something you are given for those charges. Yeah, for anther reason. Currently he's under house arrest, but there's the possibility of the court sending him to jail.

Right, I know he hasn't been convicted and put in jail for libel, my wording was poor.

Whenever you're detained and held when accused of a crime, even if it is temporary, you're jailed. At least that's what we call it here. When you're convicted and actually sentenced, you go to prison. I read that he was put in jail on Tuesday, then brought before the court and fined 300,000 roubles. Tomorrow he goes back again, and he could either have his house arrest extended, or he could go back to prison for the embezzlement/theft charges.

In any case, these small details (whether he was detained or not and so on, though I read he was, Shof can let me know exactly what happened later, because I can't actually read any of the Russian language news sites barring shoddy translations, and most of the English language ones don't go into great detail about such things -- if he wasn't I'll happily concede I'm wrong) are not the main point I was trying to make. My point is that he's being targeted for political reasons. They shut down those websites I mentioned earlier for supporting unauthorized protests, which is the slimmest excuse to completely block out the opposition.

[Gravlen]

Was he not jailed on a temporary basis for the libel charges (or moved into custody, I suppose), and isn't he due to appear in court tomorrow, where he faces a possibility of prison?

I don't know, I didn't hear or read anything like that. Shof would properly know though.

Or anyone with the ability to use Google?

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was fined $8,400 on Tuesday for slandering a lawmaker. His second trial starts Thursday, and prosecutors who previously secured his house arrest are widely expected to ask for jail for him pending trial, with Tuesday’s verdict making him a recidivist. If there’s a guilty verdict at that trial, he could get a prison term.

http://www.bostonglobe.com/news/nation/2014/04/22/navalny-conviction-russia-chilling-message/uLZmYA8G5gi7iSei0YmsAI/story.html

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was convicted of libel on Tuesday in a ruling his lawyer said could potentially lead to the jailing of the anti-corruption blogger who is one of President Vladimir Putin's most prominent critics.

The verdict added to the pressure on Navalny, who is serving a suspended five-year sentence on a theft conviction he says was orchestrated by the Kremlin and faces trial on a separate theft charge later this week.

"This is clearly just another attempt to chase me into a corner," Navalny, who has been under house arrest since March, said as he left court.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/04/22/us-russia-navalny-idUSBREA3L0UH20140422