21 and counting

The magazine Russia Profile published in their December 2006 issue a list of "murders of politicians and journalists in Russia since 1994". The list includes:

* Dmitry Kholodov (Commentator for Moskovsky Komsomolets, Oct. 1994)
* Alexei Baryshnikov (Head of department of transportation and communications in Moscow City, Winter 1995)
* Vladislav Listyev (General director of ORT TV, Mar. 1995)
* Andrei Ulanov (Chief Editor Tolyatti Segodnya, Oct. 1995)
* Anatoly Stepanov (Dept. Minister of Justice, May 1996)
* Nikolai Lapin (Ed. of Vse Obo Vsem Tolyatti, Jan. 1997)
* Mikhail Manevich (Dept. Governor of St. Petersburg, Aug. 1997)
* Galina Starovoitova (Duma member, Nov. 1998)
* Alexei Kotlyar (Dept. Governor Kamtchatka, Mar. 2000)
* Igor Domnikov (Ed. Novaya Gazeta, Jul. 2000)
* Sergei Novikov (Pres. Vesna Radio Smolensk, Jul. 2000)
* Sergei Ivanov (Dir. Lada-TV Tolyatti, Oct. 2000)
* Mikhail Sirot (Duma member, Feb. 2001)
* Valery Golovlev (Duma member, Aug. 2002)
* Valentin Tsvetkov (Gov. Magadan region, Oct. 2002)
* Sergei Yushenkov (Duma member, Apr. 2003)
* Alexei Sidorov (Ed. Tolyatitinskoye Obozreniye newspaper, Oct. 2003)
* Paul Klebnikov (Russian Forbes, Jul. 2004)
* Andrei Kozlow (Deputy Head of Central Bank, Sep. 2006)
* Anna Politkovskaya (Novaya Gazeta, Oct. 2006)

Not included on the original list are:
* Larisa Yudina (Editor of the Sovetskaia Kalmykia Segodnia, Jun. 1998 Source: Amnesty International)
* Yevgeny Gerasimenko (Saratovsky Rasklad, Jul. 2006 Source: UNESCO)

The Center to Protect Journalists (CPJ) issued many warnings for Russia in the past. In 2005 Mosnews had reported CPJ's statment on Russia that:
"Russia has been named one of the “five most murderous countries” by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). Murder is the leading cause of job-related deaths among journalists worldwide, and the Philippines is the most murderous country of all, a new analysis by the New York based CPJ has found. Iraq, Colombia, Bangladesh, and Russia round out CPJ’s list.
In Russia, contract-style killings pose a grave threat to journalists. The CPJ found that at least seven journalists died in contract-style slayings in direct reprisal for their work; it is still investigating the motives in four other contract killings that may have been related to the victims’ work.
Most of the victims were print journalists investigating organized crime and government corruption, while a few were broadcast journalists who had criticized the policies of influential local politicians. A politicized criminal justice system, crippled by corruption and mismanagement, has perpetuated a climate of impunity in Russia."


(Can't your read this?, UK NUJ Protesters outside Russian Embassy Courtesy of Tomroyal FLickr).

Did we say 21? The JRL prooved us definitelly wrong. What a mess.

I am not stupid, am I? - Ja ne durak!

The consumer electronics retail giant from Germany, Mediamarkt has finally arrived in Russia. Moscow, Rostov na Don, St. Petersburg. It sounds a bit like a frontline in the global war for retailing and in fact it is. Shoppers will find a haven for brand goods and affordable white goods as well as audio, video and PC equipment soon.


(Loved by valued customers around the world; courtesy of "nygus" on flickr)

The primary selling argument for Media markets is always variety and price, which sounds a bit like Wal Mart. Now that German consumers have had enough of "Closefistedness is phat" and turn increasingly to quality products and no longer base purchasing decisions only on price, Russian consumers can celebrate to face many years of cheap mostly Chinese and Vietnamese manufactured consumer goods coming their way (of course with a nice brand label on top). Also Media Markt has a special interest in bloggers, so we better shut up now and buy some more DVD recorders.