Archive for December, 2012
«Евгений Ройзман, глава екатеринбургского фонда «Город без наркотиков» — антигерой западных журналистов…
Либералы среди моих московских друзей от «списка Магнитского» в восторге. Это понятно: дело Магнитского — действительно жуть. Налоговый советник британского Hermitage Capital пытался разобраться с рейдерами, отчасти сотрудниками силовых структур, которые отняли у Hermitage Capital несколько дочерних компаний. В ответ самого Магнитского арестовали, обвинив в том, что он помог британцам уклониться от уплаты налогов. В СИЗО он заболел, его так «лечили», что «залечили», он умер… 
Ответ Москвы свидетельствует об истинном состоянии Великой России… Похоже, самому Путину стало стыдно, раз он убеждал журналистов, что запрет усыновления русских детей американцами — это ответ не на «закон Магнитского», а на то, что американские власти не пускают российских представителей следить, как в США относятся к усыновленным детям. Другими словами, у России нет ответа на американский закон…
…российская оппозиция с энтузиазмом взялась за дело, учредила Независимый совет по правам человека. Его главная задача — как раз составлять новые списки, в качестве возможных фигурантов которых совет уже назвал судей по делам Ходорковского и Pussy riot. И это только начало…
А что выиграют оппозиционеры-правозащитники от своей новой функции внесудебного трибунала для выявления негодяев в госструктурах? … Такая оппозиция напоминает деревенскую бабу, которую постоянно мутузит муж-алкаш. Она зовет соседа, чтобы тот урезонил мужа. Сосед здоровый, мужа пугает, но как только уходит — муж снова мутузит бабу.
Может быть, пора развестись?… Мне кажется, России не нужны американские или европейские списки возмездия. России нужны люди типа Ройзмана, для которых свои наркоманы дороже иностранных корреспондентов».
Статья – Штефан Шолль – Московский Комсомолец № 26126 от 24 декабря 2012 г. Stefan Scholl Moskovskij Komsomolets
Ukraine, The Second Azarov’s Cabinet.
29 Dec 2012Serhiy Arbuzov, former head of the National Bank, was appointed First Vice Prime Minister.
Yuriy Boyko and Oleksander Vilkul were appointed Vice Prime Ministers.
Former foreign minister Kostiantyn Hryschenko appointed another Ukraine’s Vice Premier.
Olena Lukash became a Minister of Cabinet of Ministers. 
Yuri Kolobov remained at the position of Finance Minister.
Ihor Prasolov took a seat of Minister of Economic Development and Trade, which was previously occupied by Petro Poroshenko.
Eduard Stavytsky became Energy and Coal Industry Minister.
Instead of Borys Kolesnikov, the seat of Infrastructure Minister was occupied by Volodymyr Kozak, former Head of the State Railway Administration of Ukraine. While Kolesnikov became a governor of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.
Hennady Temnyk was appointed Minister of Regional Development, Construction and Utilities.
Oleh Proskuriakov became Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources.
Natalia Korolevska was appointed Minister of Social Policy.
Oleksander Klymenko, former head of the State Tax Administration, was appointed Minister of Revenues and Duties. Yanukovych has reorganized the State Tax Service and the State Customs Service into the Ministry of Revenues and Duties of Ukraine.
Pavlo Lebedev became Defense Minister.
Vitaly Zakharchenko remained Interior Minister.
Leonid Kozhara was appointed a new Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Mykhaylo Bolotsky became Head of the reorganized State Emergency Service.
Oleksander Lavrynovych was again appointed Minister of Justice.
Dmytro Tabachnyk remained at the position of the Education Minister.
Raisa Bohatyriova was reappointed Health Minister.
Yanukovych has reappointed Mykola Prysiazhniuk as the agrarian policy and food minister.
This cabinet was appointed by President Viktor Yanukovych on 24 December 2012.
Source: Kyiv Post, Interfax Ukraine
РГГУ признан востребованным вузом.
27 Dec 2012Результаты рейтинга российских вузов, оглашенного в канун нового года Российским союзов ректоров (РСР), не подтверждают итогов мониторинга Минобрнауки. Так, признанный малоэффективным РГГУ вошел в топ-десятку, а бывший Ленпед — в топ-двадцатку самых востребованных университетов. 
И еще об РГГУ. По словам ректорa НИУ ВШЭ Ярославa Кузьминова, «это — сильный вуз со своей школой. Наука там, может, и не очень сильна, но ее финансирование — задача государства. А она до сих пор не решена. Основная проблема РГГУ — 5,5 метров на одного студента. Но это — признак востребованности вуза, а также — сигнал учредителю (т.е. государству), что вузу нужно новое, дополнительное здание. Сам вуз сегодня себе его купить не может. Это — задача государства. А вуз лишь должен пересмотреть свою деятельность и перенацелить ее на традиционно сильные направления». Ректор НИУ ВШЭ также подчеркнул, что у его вуза «нет и не было намерения присоединять к себе РГГУ. И Минобрнауки об этом знает».
Статья – Марина Лемуткина – Московский Комсомолец № 26128 от 26 декабря 2012 г.
Today we held our 30th EU-Russia Summit. This is a real tribute to the important nature of our partnership. It demonstrates the priority which we attach to this strategic relationship. Russia and the EU have a lot to gain from cooperating.
Our economies are strongly linked:
45 % of Russia’s exports go to the EU, while 35 % of Russia’s imports come from the EU.
We are neighbours on our continent. More than 5 million Schengen visas were issued in 2011 in Russia. We may have different positions in some areas but we have more common interests. We must work together to guarantee security and stability on the European continent, to tackle global challenges and governance issues, and to promote economic growth. 
We have had a positive and constructive working summit. It provided us with an important occasion to take stock of main developments and to review progress and challenges across the wide range of EU-Russia relations. We also discussed how we can deepen our cooperation and implement already agreed commitments.
Our Partnership for Modernisation works. We have taken note of the latest Progress Report, and welcome the good results achieved in many areas. Further progress has to be made in the negotiations towards a New Agreement, which can put our future relations on a solid legal basis. The EU is very eager to progress faster in these negotiations.
We have discussed domestic economic developments in Russia and the EU. I explained the decisions of last week’s European Council regarding the strengthening of the EMU and the huge progress we made in stabilising the euro zone.
The EU is deeply convinced that we need to create space for civil society activities in order to achieve an effective modernisation of the economy and of the society.
We have noted the outcome of our latest Human Rights Consultations on 7 December which provided a useful occasion to discuss our concerns on the freedom for civil society activities and the exercise of fundamental rights in Russia. I mentioned also other concerns, including the case of Sergey Magnitsky.
As regards foreign policy, we have discussed ways to deepen our political cooperation at global level. We already work well together on issues like the Middle East Peace Process, Afghanistan or Iran. We have to continue our efforts to find a peaceful political solution on Syria in full support of Mr Brahimi’s efforts.
Russia and the EU work closely together in the Quartet, and we remain committed to a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In this respect I would like to highlight the joint statement by Foreign Minister Lavrov and High Representative Ashton today on the Middle East Peace Process.
As regards our Common Neighbourhood, I highlighted the need to achieve stability and security as well as democracy and a market-oriented economy. This is the aim of EU’s support within the Eastern Partnership Programme, especially as regards to Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia.
We welcome that the elections in Georgia open up new opportunities to improve bilateral relations and work towards stability in the Southern Caucasus, on the basis of the respect for territorial integrity.
It is particularly important to address the protracted conflicts. I also raised the importance of moving forward in the ‘5+2’ talks on the conflict in Transnistria and expressed concerns regarding developments in Nagorno-Karabakh.
By working together, the EU and Russia can make a decisive contribution to global governance and regional conflict resolution, to global economic governance in the G 8 and G 20, and to a broad range of international and regional issues. I would like to congratulate President Putin for taking over the presidency of G 20.
I am pleased that President Putin and the EU have discussed all these issues openly in a very constructive atmosphere. I want to thank the President of the Russian Federation for the constructive and productive exchange.
Press statement
by the President of the European Council
Herman Van Rompuy
following the 30th EU-Russia Summit.
Brussels, 21 December 2012
EUCO 243/12
PRESSE 557
PR PCE 206
«Первый. «Российские сироты, усыновлённые в Америку, лишаются Родины». Это лицемерие. У маленьких детей нет политического мышления. Они даже папа-мама ещё не говорят (а некоторые вообще не заговорят). У них нет абстрактного мышления. Нет понимания философских категорий (Родина, Добро, Зло)…
Второй аргумент. «Надо, чтобы нашим сиротам здесь было хорошо». Этот довод вы повторили на пресс-конференции и даже сослались на премьер-министра Медведева: мол, вы с ним это обсуждали. 
Спасибо большое. Мы полностью согласны: надо, чтобы здесь было хорошо. Ещё надо, чтобы здесь делали хорошие машины…
В Америке пытают — это третий расхожий аргумент.
Да, там пытают террористов, пойманных живьём, и тех, кого подозревают в терроризме. Что поделаешь, это война. Когда наши ловят террориста (или подозреваемого), то из него любым способом достают всю информацию. Это, увы, необходимость. Надо, чтобы пойманный как можно скорее сообщил пароли, явки, адреса — это поможет предотвратить теракт, спасти людей. И в Москве любым способом достают из пленника информацию, и в Чечне, и в Америке. Недавно показали человека, который, как утверждалось, планировал ваше убийство. Рожа этого парня была распухшая и вся вымазана зелёнкой — думаете, это ему прыщики прижигали? …
Каждый младенец, как только вылез на свет божий, — уже гражданин РФ. Ему повезло — его интересы защищает Конституция РФ. Там есть статья 27: «Каждый может свободно выезжать за пределы Российской Федерации».
Ну, и с какой стати эти депутаны, нарушая Конституцию, препятствуют гражданам РФ свободно выезжать отсюда куда угодно? …
Ещё один постоянный аргумент против усыновления в Америку: там погибло 19 детей из России. Да, из десятков тысяч усыновлённых там погибло 19. За эти же годы здесь, в России, погибли тысячи. На днях опубликован список — бесконечный мартиролог! — детей, которых родные матери, отцы, отчимы убили всего лишь за то, что они плакали, мешали. Детей выбрасывают из окна, душат, морят голодом до смерти, разбивают голову об угол; откройте в интернете — почитайте сами. »
Статья – Александр Минкин – Московский Комсомолец № 26124 от 21 декабря 2012 г. – Aleksandr Minkin.
Rapporti con gli Stati Uniti, crisi siriana, questioni interne. Vladimir Putin è stato incalzato da circa mille duecento giornalisti per quattro ore e mezza, molto più a lungo di quanto preventivato. Ad un certo punto è quasi sembrato che il capo del Cremlino non volesse più chiudere la mega-intervista per mostrare ai presenti di essere tornato in forma come ai bei tempi. I problemi di salute alla schiena di quest’autunno sono apparsi quindi superati. 
Il piglio del presidente russo nel rispondere alle domande, anche a quelle più scomode, è stato quello solito. Dopo aver sciorinato le cifre più che buone sullo stato dell’economia federale – Pil +3,7%, inflazione al 6,3%, tasso di disoccupazione al 5,4%, riserve valutarie pari a 527 miliardi di dollari – è iniziata l’interminabile maratona mediatica.
Vladimir Putin è d’accordo con l’iniziativa della Duma di bloccare le adozioni di bambini russi da parte di cittadini statunitensi. “Hanno cambiato – ha rimarcato il capo del Cremlino, andando all’attacco contro il Congresso Usa, – una legge anti-sovietica (ndr. la Jackson-Vinik del 1974) con una anti-russa”. Washington intende in quel modo colpire i corrotti e chi calpesta la democrazia in Russia. Una simile legge è già approdata anche all’Ue, a Strasburgo. Mosca ha subito reagito con una contro iniziativa legislativa anti-Usa. Non si è capito, però, perché siano state scelte le adozioni internazionali. Conclusione: a rimetterci saranno le migliaia di bambini abbandonati negli orfanatrofi russi.
I giornalisti presenti hanno fatto notare che le adozioni nazionali sono ben poca cosa rispetto all’enorme necessità di dare una casa alle centinaia di migliaia di sfortunati. Ma non c’è stato nulla da fare.
Parlando delle questioni aperte con la Casa bianca e sottolineando che i problemi sono sorti con la guerra in Iraq, Putin ha ricordato la spinosa questione dello Scudo anti-missilistico, che gli occidentali sono intenzionati a dislocare nel Vecchio Continente. “Che gli interessi russi vengano rispettati”, è stato il suo appello.
Mosca non è preoccupata per la sorte di Bashar al-Assad e capisce che “certamente servono cambiamenti in Siria. Quello che a noi interessa è cosa succederà dopo”. La vicenda libica ha insegnato che le soluzioni politiche vanno preferite a quelle militari, quando ci si trova di fronte al rischio della dissoluzione di uno Stato.
Putin ha negato che lo Stato da lui creato sia “autoritario”. Se fosse così l’attuale leader russo avrebbe fatto emandare nel 2008 la Costituzione, che vieta più di due mandati presidenziali. Così non è stato. “Abbiamo garantito la stabilità”, ha contro ribattuto Putin, secondo il quale “la democrazia non significa anarchia”. Per quanto riguarda l’ex oligarca Michail Khodorkovskij, ora in carcere, il capo del Cremlino ha messo in evidenza che il sistema giudiziario in Russia è indipendente da quello politico e lui non ha nulla a che vedere con quel caso. Anzi Putin si è augurato che una volta libero nel 2014 l’ex uomo più ricco del Paese goda di buona salute.
“Se Gerard ha bisogno di un permesso di soggiorno o di un passaporto russo – ha detto sorridendo Putin riferendosi all’attore francese Depardieu, che sta emigrando per evitare l’elevata imposta appena decisa da Parigi – il problema è risolto”.
Un primo colpevole siede in prigione da venerdì scorso. Dmitrij Pavljuchenkov è stato condannato ad 11 anni di colonia penale a regime duro. E’ stato provato che l’ex ufficiale di polizia ha pedinato per giorni la giornalista ed ha fornito al killer l’arma del delitto.
Pavljuchenkov non ha, però, fatto il nome dell’assassino né tanto meno quello dei mandanti. Ha raggiunto un accordo preventivo secondo il quale lui ammetteva quanto attribuitogli, evitando di testimoniare pubblicamente in aula. 
Questa scelta della Procura ha provocato polemiche a non finire, ma l’obiettivo di tale decisione è stato quello di arrivare ad una svolta per stabilire un primo punto fermo, dopo anni in cui gli inquirenti hanno letteralmente brancolato nel buio.
Pavljuchenkov si è fatto soltanto scappare di bocca che prima dell’omicidio non erano solo i “criminali” a seguire la scomoda giornalista, famosa per le sue inchieste sul malaffare e per le sue posizioni anti-Cremlino, ma anche vari “servizi”.
Da qui la conferma di quanto da sempre affermato dalla famiglia Politkovskaja, ossia che dietro all’uccisione della congiunta si celi un vero complotto. Come si ricorderà la reporter venne uccisa sul pianerotto dello stabile in cui aveva affittato nel centro di Mosca un appartamento il 7 ottobre 2006.
Nel 2009 sono stati processati tre fratelli ceceni, poi assolti per mancanza di prove. Secondo gli investigatori Rustam Makhmudov sarebbe stato il killer della giornalista, mentre gli altri due avrebbero avuto il compito di palo ed autista del commando.
Il terzetto, insieme al condannato Pavljuchenkov, sarebbe stato al soldo di un boss loro connazionale, tale Lomali Gaitukaiev, adesso in galera per altri reati. Un altro figurante in questa vicenda è un secondo poliziotto, che avrebbe fornito al gruppo di fuoco aiuto logistico.
In sintesi, se più o meno gli inquirenti sono riusciti a ricostruire la scena del delitto è invece buio fitto sui mandanti. In passato Dmitrij Muratov, il direttore della Novaja Gazeta, la testata per la quale lavorava la reporter uccisa, ha puntato il dito contro le autorità, sostenendo che esiste “un tabù politico” che blocca l’identificazione di chi ha materialmente pagato il commando.
Impossibile capire anche il movente dell’omicidio. La Politkovskaja aveva nemici ovunque, nella galassia della criminalità organizzata ed in quella dei servizi deviati, in Russia come in Cecenia.
The Ministry of Justice has received the independent report of the law firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, following its investigation of the Yulia Tymoshenko prosecution for exceeding her official powers at the conclusion of contracts between Russian Gazprom and Naftogaz Ukraine.
In accordance with the signed agreement, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP has delivered an independent report that clearly documents the events that were the subject of the trial and the trial itself. Through detailed analysis and a focus on the evidence, the report addresses critics, who have challenged the legal process and also the conviction, based on Yulia Tymoshenko’s claims that the prosecution was politically motivated and that her human rights have been abused. For this reason, the Ministry of Justice asked the leading international law firm to investigate the matter, taking into account all legal documents and opinions of all parties. 
This report, published today on the Ministry’s website without amendment, concludes as groundless Yulia Tymoshenko’s claims that her prosecution was politically motivated and states that she has provided no factual evidence that would be sufficient to overturn her conviction under European or American standards.
The report also points out that Yulia Tymoshenko’s conduct in court would have been unacceptable in other countries and would likely have resulted in a contempt of court finding.
The Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP report shows how Yulia Tymoshenko overstepped her authority and committed this crime:|
1. by drafting Directives that set forth the terms that she and Prime-minister of Russian Federation had agreed to;
2. by ordering the head of NAK Naftogaz Ukraine to sign an agreement with Gazprom in the absence of approval from the Cabinet of Ministers;
3. by threatening to fire the head of NAK Naftogaz Ukraine if he did not sign the agreement;
4. and by deceiving the head of NAK Naftogaz Ukraine into believing that the Cabinet of Ministers had approved the agreement after producing an official looking document bearing her signature and the seal of Ukraine’s Cabinet of Ministers, despite the fact no such approval had been given for the document named “Directives”.
Even where the Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP Report questions certain procedural decisions by the court, it concludes that these decisions were based on actions by Tymoshenko designed to disrupt the court’s work.
The court concluded that Yulia Tymoshenko’s actions caused grave damage to Ukraine, since citizens of Ukraine continue to pay the highest prices in Europe for their gas due to Tymoshenko’s deal with Russia. In this sense, every citizen of this country is a victim of this crime.
The Ministry of Justice is grateful to Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP for this professional analysis that unconditionally lays out the facts of this matter.
Contact: Press Office – Ministry of Justice
Telephone: +38 044 271 17 33
Email: press@minjust.gov.ua
«Очень трудно слушать Путина непредвзято: слишком долгая пройдена с ним семейная жизнь. И срок этой политической семейной жизни — 13 лет — он симптоматичный… 
«непреодолимыми противоречиями» — так супруги называют причину в суде, чтобы не полоскать прилюдно малоприятные подробности… Но раз в год собирается семейный совет, и глава семьи рассказывает, как он видит жизнь в будущем году… Cовет этот в масштабах страны называется Посланием Федеральному собранию, и мы стали тому свидетелями… »
Статья – Матвей Ганапольский – Московский Комсомолец № 26117 от 13 декабря 2012 г.
Ukraine, the new Rada among fists and protests.
12 Dec 2012The Verkhovna Rada faction registered the Regions Party faction of 210 MPs. Yefremov was elected the head of the faction. The faction of the Batkivschyna United Opposition includes 99 MPs. The head of the faction is Arseniy Yatseniuk. The parliament also registered the UDAR Party faction of 42 deputies. The head of the faction is Vitali Klitschko. The Svoboda Party faction includes 37 MPs. The head of the faction is Oleh Tiahnybok. The faction of the Ukrainian Communist Party includes 33 MPs. It is headed by Petro Symonenko.
Five out of 450 Parliament seats remain empty after allegations of fraud and ballot-stuffing led election officials to schedule new votes in five dispute election districts. 
Lawmakers from Tymoshenko’s party showed up wearing black jerseys with her portrait on the front and the phrase “Freedom to Political Prisoners” written on the back. A fist fight began when opposition lawmakers shouting “No to defectors!” attacked two legislators, Oleksandr Tabalov and Andrei Tabalov (a father and a son), who had been elected on the opposition ticket but were suspected of preparing to defect to Yanukovych’s party. The three oppositional parties, which have a total of 178 out of the 445 filled seats at Verkhovna Rada, managed to block most of the pro-presidential Party of Regions initiatives.
Outside the building, members of the famous feminist group Femen took off their clothes to protest against the incompetence and corruption of the nation’s lawmakers.
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