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  St. Petersburg Schoolchildren Screened for LGBT ‘Propaganda’

  Teachers in St. Petersburg were instructed to search their students' social media pages for LGBT symbols and to report any student who posted an LGBT symbol to the police. This order was defended as a way of protecting children's rights, consistent with Russia's law banning "gay propaganda" from being shown to minors. However, this is an example of how LGBT youth are being denied access to crucial resources and support in a country where they are already discriminated against.
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  ‘This case is real’ Belarusian riot police are using sexual violence against protesters

  Protests against the Lukashenko regime in Belarus have been met with increased violence by police authority following the contested elections of August 9th, as officers use similar techniques of brutality against civil dissent as those recently employed in Russia. As the fight for liberal democracy in the region continues, the media plays a distinct role in presenting the harm inflicted on protestors to the general population.
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  How the Russian state media rescued Belarusian broadcasters from political pluralism

  An article describing Russian journalists' activities in Belarus after the Belarus election in 2020.
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  Russia Considers Stripping Coronavirus Bonuses From Medics Who Refuse Vaccine – Reports

  Russia has proposed to refuse coronavirus benefits for medical professionals treating COVID-19 patients, to workers who fail to vaccinate against the virus.
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  Navalny Poisoning, Second Wave Fears and Vaccine Setback Weigh on Russia’s Markets

  A Russian economy already weakened by the pandemic continues to fall, as EU leaders threaten sanctions due to the poisoning of Alexei Navalny. The poor economic outlook, unlikely to change in the near future, may force policymakers at Russia's Central Bank to continue cutting interest rates.
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  Trial by fire A scholar burned himself to death to protest the disappearance of indigenous languages and cultures in Russia. We reported from the city where he lived and died.

  Disappearance of indigenous culture and language
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  Moscow court orders domestic violence victim to pay ex-husband damages over Facebook post

  In a Moscow court ruling, Irina Zhivova was ordered to pay her ex-husband approximately 10,000 rubles for using the words "inflict a beating" in a Facebook post about domestic violence. This court order set a precedent that victims of domestic violence cannot speak out about their experience until a judicial decision has been reached. In Russia, there no law defining domestic violence, making it difficult for survivors to obtain protection. This court ruling further silences women, illustrating the dire need for change in how domestic violence is viewed and dealt with.
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  Serbian president Vucic informs Russia’s foreign minister Lavrov about US-brokered deal with Kosovo

  The United States helps Serbia negotiate deal between Serbia and breakaway region Kosovo, normalizing economic relations. Although this came with benefits to US foreign policy (both Serbia and Kosovo plan to build embassies in Jerusalem and the latter will commence diplomatic relations with US ally Israel), political tensions between Serbia and Kosovo will not falter, as the former still refuses to grant independence to the region. Russia remains adamant that Serbia, a major buyer of Russian natural gas, maintain control over the region.
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  Russia’s Covid-19 Vaccine Breaches Crucial Scientific and Ethical International Standards

  Russia has approved a Covid-19 vaccine called Sputnik V and will start mass vaccinations in October. However, this vaccine does not meet scientific standards and ethical standards, and also has a lack of transparency. If Russia were to release this vaccination in an attempt to "win the vaccine race" and achieve global supremacy, it could greatly worsen the effects of the corona virus
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  Sorry we exist - The emergence, blossoming, and almost complete defeat of Russian drug activism

  The history of drug activism in Russia following the fall of the Soviet Union is one of great significance and turmoil, spanning over twenty-two years and a variety of movements. While calls for the humanization and medical treatment of drug-users in Russia have been persistent, victims of the country's opioid epidemic are continually oppressed by law enforcement, as civil dissent is increasingly prohibited. As Russia's opioid epidemic worsens, and more individuals fall victim thereof, many aspects of the calls for change in the country are strikingly familiar to social justice movements globally.
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  Putin, Lukashenko To Talk 'Integration' Amid Belarus Protests

  This article explores the possibility of Russian and Belarusian integration