“I don’t have anything against Christians or Buddhists or Jews,” Kathrin Oertel said. “They don’t demand I observe certain rules so as not to offend them.”
Human Rights
Assassination in Moscow
The murder of Boris Nemtsov is a watershed for Russia. The culture of violence fueled by the war in Ukraine has claimed its first victim on the streets of Moscow.
Nemtsov tirelessly challenged lies, injustice, and war. His assassination is an attack on freedom-loving people everywhere.
Obama’s Response to Invasion of Crimea Is ‘Pathetic’
“The Sixth Fleet should be here,” said Ali Hamzin. “Today only the U.S. can preserve the territorial integrity and independence of Ukraine.”
The Olympic Land Grab
Officials in Sochi introduce a new Olympic discipline.
Khodorkovsky and Me
It was a very strange feeling to find out that Mikhail Khodorkovsky had landed in Berlin. I’d moved to the German capital in part to kick the adrenaline addiction of reporting from Russia. I was tired of the news always coming to me.
The Baddest Town in Russia
I ask my driver about the “bandits” who hide out in the mountains and attack the police. “The bandits are in Moscow,” he replies. “The boys in the woods are just regular guys. They don’t touch us. They’re against Russia.”
Proxy Warlord Interview
“You’ll be forced to write what’s expected,” Alvi Karimov says. “If it’s raining, you’ll write the sun is shining. Who wants to know that it’s peaceful in Grozny and that women don’t wear headscarves?”
Self-Censored Blog Post
I meet with a Chechen who asks me just to call him “a public figure.” I’m going to censor myself by redacting any other identifying clues. Even if the fighting is over, fear still inhabits the neat and tidy streets of Grozny.
Mothers of the Disappeared
“Here’s a future suicide bomber,” Gasan mutters under his breath so the woman can’t hear. “If she doesn’t get anywhere, she’ll blow herself up in front of a government building.”
Barbarians at the Gate
There’s a refugee camp in the center of Berlin filled with people who have fled conflicts around the world. They sleep in tents and eat donated food. Almost all of them are breaking German law just by being here.
