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Fifa whistleblower Phaedra Al-Majid fears for her safety
By Richard Conway BBC Radio 5 live sports news correspondent
Fifa whistleblower Phaedra Al-Majid says she will "look over my shoulder for the rest of my life" after making allegations of corruption against Qatar's successful 2022 World Cup bid.
A two-year investigation has cleared the Gulf state of wrongdoing.
Now Al-Majid, whose testimony was not regarded as reliable, says she is paying the price for speaking out.
"I've been introduced to a whole new culture of paranoia, fear and threats," Al-Majid told BBC Sport.
"I will always look over my shoulder for the rest of my life."
Qatar's World Cup organising body has always "vehemently" denied all allegations of wrongdoing.
Al-Majid's allegations that Qatari bid officials offered to pay for the votes of Fifa members first came to light in 2011. Later the same year she retracted her accusations and signed an affidavit saying they were false.
However, she says she was coerced into changing her statement and repeated her allegations to lawyer Michael Garcia while he was compiling his 430-page report on allegations of wrongdoing in the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bid process.
She also claims the FBI visited her in September 2011 after they became aware of threats against her.
She said: "They questioned me about the Qatari bidding process and they questioned me about all the threats I had received from the Qataris. It was decided at that point that I would help them with their investigation and it was planned that I would talk to a senior official at the Qatar bid.
"So when I talked to the official, and the FBI are recording this, he did admit that there was a deal for the affidavit that I would basically say that they had done no wrongdoing."
Garcia's report has prompted Adidas - one of Fifa's six official partners - to request a meeting with the governing body to discuss allegations of corruption.
Garcia moved to criticise Fifa's summary 42-page publication of his findings hours after its release, prompting FA chairman Greg Dyke to write to world football's governing body requesting the full publication of the investigator's findings.
But in a letter responding to Dyke, Fifa president Sepp Blatter says full publication would break Swiss law and Fifa's own rules.
He says the consent of all parties mentioned in the report would be needed for it to be made fully public and asks Dyke if his own letter may be interpreted as "providing consent" on behalf of everyone connected with England's 2018 bid team.
World Cup vote corruption allegations timeline
13 November, 08:30 GMT: Fifa publishes a 42-page summary of its long-awaited report into the 2018 and 2022 bidding processes. The English Football Association is accused of flouting bidding rules in its attempt to stage the 2018 World Cup - but 2022 hosts Qatar are cleared of corruption allegations.
13 November, 12:30 GMT: Michael Garcia, the man who conducted the two-year inquiry into alleged corruption, says the summary published hours earlier "contains numerous materially incomplete and erroneous representations".
13 November, 16:30 GMT: English Football Association chairman Greg Dyke calls Fifa's report "pointless" and "a joke".
14 November, 12:00 GMT: Fifa ethics judge Hans-Joachim Eckert says he is "surprised" by public criticism of the report in to the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bidding process from Fifa colleague Garcia.
17 November, 06:00 GMT: Former English Football Association chairman David Bernstein tells the BBC the FA should lobby Uefa for a European boycott of the next World Cup - unless Fifa implements meaningful reform.
17 November, 17:00 GMT: Dyke writes to Fifa's top executives to demand Garcia's report into the 2018 and 2022 bidding processes be published in full.
18 November, 16:00 GMT: Fifa submits a criminal complaint to Switzerland's attorney general concerning individuals linked to awarding the hosting rights for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.
19 November, 1715 GMT: Fifa whistleblower Phaedra Al-Majid repeats previous allegations of corruption surrounding Qatar bid and says she will "always look over my shoulder for the rest of my life".
bbc.com
By Richard Conway BBC Radio 5 live sports news correspondent
Fifa whistleblower Phaedra Al-Majid says she will "look over my shoulder for the rest of my life" after making allegations of corruption against Qatar's successful 2022 World Cup bid.
A two-year investigation has cleared the Gulf state of wrongdoing.
Now Al-Majid, whose testimony was not regarded as reliable, says she is paying the price for speaking out.
"I've been introduced to a whole new culture of paranoia, fear and threats," Al-Majid told BBC Sport.
"I will always look over my shoulder for the rest of my life."
Qatar's World Cup organising body has always "vehemently" denied all allegations of wrongdoing.
Al-Majid's allegations that Qatari bid officials offered to pay for the votes of Fifa members first came to light in 2011. Later the same year she retracted her accusations and signed an affidavit saying they were false.
However, she says she was coerced into changing her statement and repeated her allegations to lawyer Michael Garcia while he was compiling his 430-page report on allegations of wrongdoing in the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bid process.
She also claims the FBI visited her in September 2011 after they became aware of threats against her.
She said: "They questioned me about the Qatari bidding process and they questioned me about all the threats I had received from the Qataris. It was decided at that point that I would help them with their investigation and it was planned that I would talk to a senior official at the Qatar bid.
"So when I talked to the official, and the FBI are recording this, he did admit that there was a deal for the affidavit that I would basically say that they had done no wrongdoing."
Garcia's report has prompted Adidas - one of Fifa's six official partners - to request a meeting with the governing body to discuss allegations of corruption.
Garcia moved to criticise Fifa's summary 42-page publication of his findings hours after its release, prompting FA chairman Greg Dyke to write to world football's governing body requesting the full publication of the investigator's findings.
But in a letter responding to Dyke, Fifa president Sepp Blatter says full publication would break Swiss law and Fifa's own rules.
He says the consent of all parties mentioned in the report would be needed for it to be made fully public and asks Dyke if his own letter may be interpreted as "providing consent" on behalf of everyone connected with England's 2018 bid team.
World Cup vote corruption allegations timeline
13 November, 08:30 GMT: Fifa publishes a 42-page summary of its long-awaited report into the 2018 and 2022 bidding processes. The English Football Association is accused of flouting bidding rules in its attempt to stage the 2018 World Cup - but 2022 hosts Qatar are cleared of corruption allegations.
13 November, 12:30 GMT: Michael Garcia, the man who conducted the two-year inquiry into alleged corruption, says the summary published hours earlier "contains numerous materially incomplete and erroneous representations".
13 November, 16:30 GMT: English Football Association chairman Greg Dyke calls Fifa's report "pointless" and "a joke".
14 November, 12:00 GMT: Fifa ethics judge Hans-Joachim Eckert says he is "surprised" by public criticism of the report in to the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bidding process from Fifa colleague Garcia.
17 November, 06:00 GMT: Former English Football Association chairman David Bernstein tells the BBC the FA should lobby Uefa for a European boycott of the next World Cup - unless Fifa implements meaningful reform.
17 November, 17:00 GMT: Dyke writes to Fifa's top executives to demand Garcia's report into the 2018 and 2022 bidding processes be published in full.
18 November, 16:00 GMT: Fifa submits a criminal complaint to Switzerland's attorney general concerning individuals linked to awarding the hosting rights for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.
19 November, 1715 GMT: Fifa whistleblower Phaedra Al-Majid repeats previous allegations of corruption surrounding Qatar bid and says she will "always look over my shoulder for the rest of my life".
bbc.com
Jules Bianchi: Injured Formula 1 driver 'out of coma'
Formula 1 driver Jules Bianchi is no longer in an artificial coma and is breathing unaided, his parents have said in a statement.
The Marussia driver, 25, suffered severe head injuries when he crashed in wet conditions into a recovery vehicle at the Japanese GP on 5 October.
The Frenchman has been flown from hospital in Yokkaichi to intensive care in Nice, where he arrived earlier.
However his condition is still "critical" and he remains unconscious.
"Almost seven weeks after Jules' accident at Suzuka Circuit, and following a challenging period of neurological intensive care, we are able to announce Jules has made an important step," his parents Philippe and Christine Bianchi said.
"His treatment now enters a new phase concerned with the improvement of his brain function.
"Although the situation continues to be serious, and may remain so, it was decided that Jules was sufficiently stable to be repatriated to his native France."
They said they were "relieved" to confirm their son had been transferred to Le Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nice, "where he arrived just a short time ago".
Drivers pay tribute to Jules Bianchi at the Russian GP
Formula 1's drivers paid tribute to Jules Bianchi before the Russian Grand Prix a week after the crash
Bianchi suffered a diffuse axonal injury when he crashed into a tractor vehicle at Suzuka that was recovering Adrian Sutil's Sauber.
The Marussia team ran with one car the following week at the Russian Grand Prix in Sochi, where Lewis Hamilton dedicated his win to Bianchi.
His parents praised the "outstanding care" Bianchi received following the accident from doctors at the Mie General Medical Centre in Yokkaichi, adding they owed "an enormous debt of gratitude".
"We are thankful the next phase of Jules' treatment can continue close to home, where he can be surrounded and supported by his wider family and friends," they said.
Since the crash, Formula 1's governing body the FIA has begun working on a plan for a 'virtual safety car' to force drivers to slow for warning flags in an accident zone.
Drivers tested such a car following first practice for the US Grand Prix on 31 October, however the system cannot be implemented immediately because of the complexity of the cars.
bbc.com
Formula 1 driver Jules Bianchi is no longer in an artificial coma and is breathing unaided, his parents have said in a statement.
The Marussia driver, 25, suffered severe head injuries when he crashed in wet conditions into a recovery vehicle at the Japanese GP on 5 October.
The Frenchman has been flown from hospital in Yokkaichi to intensive care in Nice, where he arrived earlier.
However his condition is still "critical" and he remains unconscious.
"Almost seven weeks after Jules' accident at Suzuka Circuit, and following a challenging period of neurological intensive care, we are able to announce Jules has made an important step," his parents Philippe and Christine Bianchi said.
"His treatment now enters a new phase concerned with the improvement of his brain function.
"Although the situation continues to be serious, and may remain so, it was decided that Jules was sufficiently stable to be repatriated to his native France."
They said they were "relieved" to confirm their son had been transferred to Le Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nice, "where he arrived just a short time ago".
Drivers pay tribute to Jules Bianchi at the Russian GP
Formula 1's drivers paid tribute to Jules Bianchi before the Russian Grand Prix a week after the crash
Bianchi suffered a diffuse axonal injury when he crashed into a tractor vehicle at Suzuka that was recovering Adrian Sutil's Sauber.
The Marussia team ran with one car the following week at the Russian Grand Prix in Sochi, where Lewis Hamilton dedicated his win to Bianchi.
His parents praised the "outstanding care" Bianchi received following the accident from doctors at the Mie General Medical Centre in Yokkaichi, adding they owed "an enormous debt of gratitude".
"We are thankful the next phase of Jules' treatment can continue close to home, where he can be surrounded and supported by his wider family and friends," they said.
Since the crash, Formula 1's governing body the FIA has begun working on a plan for a 'virtual safety car' to force drivers to slow for warning flags in an accident zone.
Drivers tested such a car following first practice for the US Grand Prix on 31 October, however the system cannot be implemented immediately because of the complexity of the cars.
bbc.com
Fanakick, please stop reading eastern articles with propaganda, nobody here believe that Porosenko will give children to cellars.
But, Porosenko told to west part of country, that no money from state pensions will go to east (they probably dont receive any taxes :-D), that they destroyed there so much civilians building that there will be problem have hospital, schools and so. This is fact, you can check situation there yourselft.
So, read solid articles and not east propaganda Fanakick, dont be so poor, thx.
But, Porosenko told to west part of country, that no money from state pensions will go to east (they probably dont receive any taxes :-D), that they destroyed there so much civilians building that there will be problem have hospital, schools and so. This is fact, you can check situation there yourselft.
So, read solid articles and not east propaganda Fanakick, dont be so poor, thx.
Charles, stop spam !, give just link that is enough, look how awful it looks!
Russian PACE mission ready to return - Duma speaker
Published time: November 19, 2014 13:58 Get short URL
General view of the Council of Europe parliamentary assembly in Strasbourg, eastern France (AFP Photo/Frederick Florin)General view of the Council of Europe parliamentary assembly in Strasbourg, eastern France (AFP Photo/Frederick Florin)
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Conflict, EU, Politics, Russia, Ukraine
Despite remaining disagreements the Russian delegation is ready to restart its full participation in the Council of Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly, says the State Duma speaker.
“Our delegation is ready to return to the full-format participation in PACE’s work in 2015 because for us the values of democracy and justice, of parliamentarianism and dialogue are not just empty words,” Sergey Naryshkin wrote in his “Chance for Dialogue” article published by Rossiiskaya Gazeta daily.
The State Duma chief added that in his opinion PACE had a huge potential for overcoming the current crisis of political trust in Europe. He urged his foreign colleagues to renew the assembly’s agenda, removing all unimportant questions, and adding those that are of primary importance.
Russian parliamentarian have also called for large-scale PACE reform that would guarantee real equality for all delegations and all MPs, removing any possibility of “bureaucratic cleanups of unfavorable topics and suggestions.”
According to Naryshkin, the differences between the Russian delegation and other PACE members were still strong and sometimes unsolvable, but also the understanding of the importance of dialogue was growing.
“More PACE parliamentarians understand that without Russia’s full participation the assembly’s potential is significantly undermined. And its reputation as a pan-European and democratic discussion platform is undermined as well,” the Duma speaker wrote.
In April the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe approved an anti-Russian resolution over the political crisis in Ukraine, depriving the Russian delegation of the right to vote, and banning it from participation in PACE’s ruling bodies and monitoring missions till the end of the year.
In reply, the State Duma said nations who repeatedly violated international law, causing thousands of casualties, have no moral right to judge Russia or impose sanctions on it. Russian MPs also said that they considered it impossible to resume discussions at PACE while sanctions against Russia are still in force.
In January, PACE will have to officially reconfirm the Russian delegation.
Published time: November 19, 2014 13:58 Get short URL
General view of the Council of Europe parliamentary assembly in Strasbourg, eastern France (AFP Photo/Frederick Florin)General view of the Council of Europe parliamentary assembly in Strasbourg, eastern France (AFP Photo/Frederick Florin)
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Tags
Conflict, EU, Politics, Russia, Ukraine
Despite remaining disagreements the Russian delegation is ready to restart its full participation in the Council of Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly, says the State Duma speaker.
“Our delegation is ready to return to the full-format participation in PACE’s work in 2015 because for us the values of democracy and justice, of parliamentarianism and dialogue are not just empty words,” Sergey Naryshkin wrote in his “Chance for Dialogue” article published by Rossiiskaya Gazeta daily.
The State Duma chief added that in his opinion PACE had a huge potential for overcoming the current crisis of political trust in Europe. He urged his foreign colleagues to renew the assembly’s agenda, removing all unimportant questions, and adding those that are of primary importance.
Russian parliamentarian have also called for large-scale PACE reform that would guarantee real equality for all delegations and all MPs, removing any possibility of “bureaucratic cleanups of unfavorable topics and suggestions.”
According to Naryshkin, the differences between the Russian delegation and other PACE members were still strong and sometimes unsolvable, but also the understanding of the importance of dialogue was growing.
“More PACE parliamentarians understand that without Russia’s full participation the assembly’s potential is significantly undermined. And its reputation as a pan-European and democratic discussion platform is undermined as well,” the Duma speaker wrote.
In April the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe approved an anti-Russian resolution over the political crisis in Ukraine, depriving the Russian delegation of the right to vote, and banning it from participation in PACE’s ruling bodies and monitoring missions till the end of the year.
In reply, the State Duma said nations who repeatedly violated international law, causing thousands of casualties, have no moral right to judge Russia or impose sanctions on it. Russian MPs also said that they considered it impossible to resume discussions at PACE while sanctions against Russia are still in force.
In January, PACE will have to officially reconfirm the Russian delegation.
Supreme Court puts extremist tag on Ukrainian far right groups
Published time: November 17, 2014 15:15 Get short URL
Reuters / Valentyn OgirenkoReuters / Valentyn Ogirenko
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Hate crimes, Law, Politics, Russia, Ukraine
Russia’s top court has branded two major Ukrainian nationalist groups as extremist and banned their activities in the Russian Federation.
A Supreme Court judge on Monday endorsed the lawsuit filed by Russia’s Prosecutor General’s Office and directed that Right Sector and UNA-UNSO be recognized as extremist Ukrainian ultra-nationalist groups.
This means that any activities of the groups in Russia will be outlawed when the court decision comes into force, and even public demonstration of their symbols will become illegal. Several similar organizations, such as the Ukrainian Insurgent Army UPA, Ukrainian People’s Self-Defense and Stepan Bandera Trident were also tagged as extremist and banned in Russia.
The hearings into the case were closed as much of the evidence was provided by special services and classified. However, the activities of the Ukrainian nationalist organizations are well known and it is easy to get an impression about them from their own manifestoes and everyday reports from Ukrainian and international mass media.
The Right Sector was a federation of radical Ukrainian nationalists formed in 2013 on the basis of football supporters’ clubs, known in Ukraine as “ultras.” While officially declaring their ultimate goal as the foundation of the Ukrainian national state through revolution, at the beginning of their existence the radicals were agitating for EU integration and severing any ties with Russia. Right Sector fighters formed the core of the so-called Maidan protests in Kiev that eventually led to the February coup and the de-facto breakup of the country.
It is also believed that the Right Sector group was behind the May massacre in Odessa, where dozens of people were killed at a rally against the policies of new Kiev authorities.
UNA-UNSO stands for the Ukrainian National Assembly – Ukrainian National Self-Defense and its history dates back to the early 1990s when radical Ukrainians started forming armed groups to fight for independence. The country gained its independence peacefully, but UNA-UNSO members still went to various wars in territories of the former USSR and Yugoslavia.
In March 2014, the Russian Investigative Committee started criminal cases against several members of the radical Ukrainian groups over charges of fighting against Russian military in the Chechen wars of the 1990s. Right Sector’s Dmitry Yarosh also faced a separate criminal case over public calls for extremist activities.
In a separate development, a group of Russian majority party lawmakers asked investigators to prepare an official letter to the International Criminal Court describing crimes by members of Ukrainian nationalist groups - including the infamous Right Sector - and asking they be recognized as extremist. The International Community has yet to react to this initiative.
Published time: November 17, 2014 15:15 Get short URL
Reuters / Valentyn OgirenkoReuters / Valentyn Ogirenko
10295
Tags
Hate crimes, Law, Politics, Russia, Ukraine
Russia’s top court has branded two major Ukrainian nationalist groups as extremist and banned their activities in the Russian Federation.
A Supreme Court judge on Monday endorsed the lawsuit filed by Russia’s Prosecutor General’s Office and directed that Right Sector and UNA-UNSO be recognized as extremist Ukrainian ultra-nationalist groups.
This means that any activities of the groups in Russia will be outlawed when the court decision comes into force, and even public demonstration of their symbols will become illegal. Several similar organizations, such as the Ukrainian Insurgent Army UPA, Ukrainian People’s Self-Defense and Stepan Bandera Trident were also tagged as extremist and banned in Russia.
The hearings into the case were closed as much of the evidence was provided by special services and classified. However, the activities of the Ukrainian nationalist organizations are well known and it is easy to get an impression about them from their own manifestoes and everyday reports from Ukrainian and international mass media.
The Right Sector was a federation of radical Ukrainian nationalists formed in 2013 on the basis of football supporters’ clubs, known in Ukraine as “ultras.” While officially declaring their ultimate goal as the foundation of the Ukrainian national state through revolution, at the beginning of their existence the radicals were agitating for EU integration and severing any ties with Russia. Right Sector fighters formed the core of the so-called Maidan protests in Kiev that eventually led to the February coup and the de-facto breakup of the country.
It is also believed that the Right Sector group was behind the May massacre in Odessa, where dozens of people were killed at a rally against the policies of new Kiev authorities.
UNA-UNSO stands for the Ukrainian National Assembly – Ukrainian National Self-Defense and its history dates back to the early 1990s when radical Ukrainians started forming armed groups to fight for independence. The country gained its independence peacefully, but UNA-UNSO members still went to various wars in territories of the former USSR and Yugoslavia.
In March 2014, the Russian Investigative Committee started criminal cases against several members of the radical Ukrainian groups over charges of fighting against Russian military in the Chechen wars of the 1990s. Right Sector’s Dmitry Yarosh also faced a separate criminal case over public calls for extremist activities.
In a separate development, a group of Russian majority party lawmakers asked investigators to prepare an official letter to the International Criminal Court describing crimes by members of Ukrainian nationalist groups - including the infamous Right Sector - and asking they be recognized as extremist. The International Community has yet to react to this initiative.
Top Russian senator blasts Poroshenko’s ‘total war’ threat
Published time: November 19, 2014 15:14 Get short URL
Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko (RIA Novosti/Alexei Danichev)Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko (RIA Novosti/Alexei Danichev)
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Conflict, Politics, Russia, Ukraine, War
The chair of Russia’s upper house of parliament, Valentina Matviyenko, has said that Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko’s recent statements of readiness for “total war” were irresponsible political bluffing.
“Such statements make no sense, they are irresponsible and they are political bluffing that would never be used by an accountable and independent political leader,” Matviyenko told the Tass news agency. She called for the Ukrainian president to stop the “verbal rattle” and start addressing the real problems of his people.
Senator Matviyenko added that the Russian position regarding the Ukrainian political crisis was transparent and clear, and remains unchanged.
“We are using all of our effort to try to convince the Ukrainian authorities to return to common sense and join their opponents at the negotiations table, because this is the only possible way,” Matviyenko said.
On November 16, Poroshenko said his country was ready for a “total war” against Russia. This was a change of rhetoric on the part of Ukrainian leader, as earlier he said he wanted to stop the conflict and prevent it from developing into a Third World War.
Published time: November 19, 2014 15:14 Get short URL
Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko (RIA Novosti/Alexei Danichev)Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko (RIA Novosti/Alexei Danichev)
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Tags
Conflict, Politics, Russia, Ukraine, War
The chair of Russia’s upper house of parliament, Valentina Matviyenko, has said that Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko’s recent statements of readiness for “total war” were irresponsible political bluffing.
“Such statements make no sense, they are irresponsible and they are political bluffing that would never be used by an accountable and independent political leader,” Matviyenko told the Tass news agency. She called for the Ukrainian president to stop the “verbal rattle” and start addressing the real problems of his people.
Senator Matviyenko added that the Russian position regarding the Ukrainian political crisis was transparent and clear, and remains unchanged.
“We are using all of our effort to try to convince the Ukrainian authorities to return to common sense and join their opponents at the negotiations table, because this is the only possible way,” Matviyenko said.
On November 16, Poroshenko said his country was ready for a “total war” against Russia. This was a change of rhetoric on the part of Ukrainian leader, as earlier he said he wanted to stop the conflict and prevent it from developing into a Third World War.
hristian lobby seeks constitutional ban on abortions in Russia
Published time: November 18, 2014 11:37
Edited time: November 18, 2014 15:38 Get short URL
Protest against abortion "One of Us" in Yekaterinburg. (RIA Novosti / Pavel Lisitsyn)Protest against abortion "One of Us" in Yekaterinburg. (RIA Novosti / Pavel Lisitsyn)
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Health, Law, Politics, Russia
An assembly gathered by Russian Orthodox Christians has passed a resolution seeking legislative changes to ban all abortions, claiming that human life begins at the moment of conception.
The assembly united about 400 people and included federal and regional lawmakers, members of the Public Chamber, medical experts and members of various church-related groups from 40 regions across Russia. The session took place in Moscow’s Christ the Savior Cathedral – the most important Orthodox place of worship in the Russian capital.
“The human right for life from the moment of conception should be guaranteed by the Constitution and the process of changing the Constitution should be launched by a nationwide referendum,” newspaper Izvestia cited the resolution as saying. The politicians and activists are also seeing changes to federal laws on healthcare, on medical drugs, on medical insurance and on guarantees of children’s rights.
One of the main sponsors of the initiative, the head of the “For Life” movement Sergey Chesnokov, told the newspaper that although Russia ratified the International Convention on Children’s Rights in 1990, the authorities still do nothing to “protect children before birth.” Every year about 1 million women in Russia have induced abortions and only 10 percent of them are carried out for health reasons, Chesnokov said.
According to the resolution, any induced abortion is “murder” and must be banned. This also includes contraceptives “with an abortive function” – morning-after pills and intra-uterine devices – whose production, sale and use in Russia would also be banned. Members of the assembly quoted the state statistics agency, Rosstat, as stating that the number of Russian women who use abortive contraception is now about 9 million.
The document also suggests introducing criminal liability for doctors who perform abortions, for mothers who have them and also for anyone forcing or pressuring a woman to have an abortion. “Medical workers must always consider the [unborn] child as their second patient and make efforts, using all possibilities, to keep this child alive,” the resolution states.
The authors of the motion are also seeking to stop the practice of paying for abortion from universal state medical insurance, claiming that pregnancy is not a medical condition that requires intervention but a natural state. State Duma expert Olga Ponomaryova told the assembly that doctors receive about 6 billion rubles annually as fees for abortions, and if this was stopped, the money could be used for supporting motherhood.
The move is not the first attack by the Christian lobby against pro-Choice activists, but all previous proposals have been rejected by the government over fears that the ban would only lead to a growing number of back-street, illegal abortions, and lead to more risks to women’s lives and health.
In October 2013, an official representative of the Russian Orthodox Church attacked abortions and surrogacy as a “mutiny against God,” and less than a month later State Duma Deputy Elena Mizulina said in a speech that the community must urgently stop tolerating abortions and surrogacy as they threaten to wipe out the population of Russia and the world as a whole.
The move gained little support from other politicians, however, and shortly afterward Mizulina played down her statements, saying that she merely wanted to draw attention to the problem and start a discussion, not introduce any legislative bans.
Published time: November 18, 2014 11:37
Edited time: November 18, 2014 15:38 Get short URL
Protest against abortion "One of Us" in Yekaterinburg. (RIA Novosti / Pavel Lisitsyn)Protest against abortion "One of Us" in Yekaterinburg. (RIA Novosti / Pavel Lisitsyn)
2K124
Tags
Health, Law, Politics, Russia
An assembly gathered by Russian Orthodox Christians has passed a resolution seeking legislative changes to ban all abortions, claiming that human life begins at the moment of conception.
The assembly united about 400 people and included federal and regional lawmakers, members of the Public Chamber, medical experts and members of various church-related groups from 40 regions across Russia. The session took place in Moscow’s Christ the Savior Cathedral – the most important Orthodox place of worship in the Russian capital.
“The human right for life from the moment of conception should be guaranteed by the Constitution and the process of changing the Constitution should be launched by a nationwide referendum,” newspaper Izvestia cited the resolution as saying. The politicians and activists are also seeing changes to federal laws on healthcare, on medical drugs, on medical insurance and on guarantees of children’s rights.
One of the main sponsors of the initiative, the head of the “For Life” movement Sergey Chesnokov, told the newspaper that although Russia ratified the International Convention on Children’s Rights in 1990, the authorities still do nothing to “protect children before birth.” Every year about 1 million women in Russia have induced abortions and only 10 percent of them are carried out for health reasons, Chesnokov said.
According to the resolution, any induced abortion is “murder” and must be banned. This also includes contraceptives “with an abortive function” – morning-after pills and intra-uterine devices – whose production, sale and use in Russia would also be banned. Members of the assembly quoted the state statistics agency, Rosstat, as stating that the number of Russian women who use abortive contraception is now about 9 million.
The document also suggests introducing criminal liability for doctors who perform abortions, for mothers who have them and also for anyone forcing or pressuring a woman to have an abortion. “Medical workers must always consider the [unborn] child as their second patient and make efforts, using all possibilities, to keep this child alive,” the resolution states.
The authors of the motion are also seeking to stop the practice of paying for abortion from universal state medical insurance, claiming that pregnancy is not a medical condition that requires intervention but a natural state. State Duma expert Olga Ponomaryova told the assembly that doctors receive about 6 billion rubles annually as fees for abortions, and if this was stopped, the money could be used for supporting motherhood.
The move is not the first attack by the Christian lobby against pro-Choice activists, but all previous proposals have been rejected by the government over fears that the ban would only lead to a growing number of back-street, illegal abortions, and lead to more risks to women’s lives and health.
In October 2013, an official representative of the Russian Orthodox Church attacked abortions and surrogacy as a “mutiny against God,” and less than a month later State Duma Deputy Elena Mizulina said in a speech that the community must urgently stop tolerating abortions and surrogacy as they threaten to wipe out the population of Russia and the world as a whole.
The move gained little support from other politicians, however, and shortly afterward Mizulina played down her statements, saying that she merely wanted to draw attention to the problem and start a discussion, not introduce any legislative bans.
Ukraine pushing Europe to WWIII – nationalist party leader
Published time: November 17, 2014 15:47 Get short URL
Vladimir Zhirinovsky, the leader of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia.(RIA Novosti / Alexei Druzhinin)Vladimir Zhirinovsky, the leader of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia.(RIA Novosti / Alexei Druzhinin)
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Conflict, Politics, Russia, Ukraine, War
The head of the populist-nationalist Russian LDPR party has warned that the Kiev regime is repeating Serbia’s steps of 1914 and could lead Europe to the start of a new World War.
“Serbia’s moves against Austro-Hungary provoked the First World War and today history is repeating itself,” Vladimir Zhirinovsky said in a statement published on the LDPR website on Monday.
“Through its current actions Ukraine is leading Europe towards a Third World War. Unfortunately, it is going to happen, and Ukraine is an instigator of this Third World War,” he added.
According to the Russian nationalist leader Poland can use the current uncertainty in the region and try to regain the Ukrainian cities of Lvov, Rovno and others. Hungary would go for the trans-Carpathian territories and Romania would claim Chernovtsy and Bukovina. “These lands belong to them. The maps of the 16th century will show you whose territories had been captured by Kiev,” Zhirinovsky said.
He also condemned events in Warsaw where thousands of radical nationalists clashed with police on the Polish national day in an attempt to attack the Russian embassy.
Zhirinovsky said that after the dissolution of the Soviet Union the bipolar political structure of the world vanished and the West is now interested in reducing a leftward trend in Eastern Europe.
“Leftist ideas would get more support as the economic crisis gains pace. Nations will get attracted to Russia again. This is why they are deliberately turning Eastern Europe, the Baltics, and Ukraine more right wing, to make a union with Russia impossible,” Zhirinovsky stated. “Even when it means a threat to their own nations they keep on pushing Eastern Europe towards fascism, they do everything to put them against us,” he said.
A day earlier Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said his country was ready for a “total war” against Russia. This was a change of rhetoric on the part of Ukrainian leader as earlier he said he wanted to stop the conflict and prevent it from developing into a Third World War.
Earlier, deputies from the LDPR caucus in the Russian Lower House asked the government to ban all imports of foodstuffs, machinery, and metal products from Ukraine in a bid to force Kiev into observing the Minsk ceasefire agreements.
Published time: November 17, 2014 15:47 Get short URL
Vladimir Zhirinovsky, the leader of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia.(RIA Novosti / Alexei Druzhinin)Vladimir Zhirinovsky, the leader of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia.(RIA Novosti / Alexei Druzhinin)
2321982
Tags
Conflict, Politics, Russia, Ukraine, War
The head of the populist-nationalist Russian LDPR party has warned that the Kiev regime is repeating Serbia’s steps of 1914 and could lead Europe to the start of a new World War.
“Serbia’s moves against Austro-Hungary provoked the First World War and today history is repeating itself,” Vladimir Zhirinovsky said in a statement published on the LDPR website on Monday.
“Through its current actions Ukraine is leading Europe towards a Third World War. Unfortunately, it is going to happen, and Ukraine is an instigator of this Third World War,” he added.
According to the Russian nationalist leader Poland can use the current uncertainty in the region and try to regain the Ukrainian cities of Lvov, Rovno and others. Hungary would go for the trans-Carpathian territories and Romania would claim Chernovtsy and Bukovina. “These lands belong to them. The maps of the 16th century will show you whose territories had been captured by Kiev,” Zhirinovsky said.
He also condemned events in Warsaw where thousands of radical nationalists clashed with police on the Polish national day in an attempt to attack the Russian embassy.
Zhirinovsky said that after the dissolution of the Soviet Union the bipolar political structure of the world vanished and the West is now interested in reducing a leftward trend in Eastern Europe.
“Leftist ideas would get more support as the economic crisis gains pace. Nations will get attracted to Russia again. This is why they are deliberately turning Eastern Europe, the Baltics, and Ukraine more right wing, to make a union with Russia impossible,” Zhirinovsky stated. “Even when it means a threat to their own nations they keep on pushing Eastern Europe towards fascism, they do everything to put them against us,” he said.
A day earlier Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said his country was ready for a “total war” against Russia. This was a change of rhetoric on the part of Ukrainian leader as earlier he said he wanted to stop the conflict and prevent it from developing into a Third World War.
Earlier, deputies from the LDPR caucus in the Russian Lower House asked the government to ban all imports of foodstuffs, machinery, and metal products from Ukraine in a bid to force Kiev into observing the Minsk ceasefire agreements.
Defense ministry holds first conscription in 20 years in Chechnya
Published time: November 17, 2014 11:13
Edited time: November 17, 2014 14:19 Get short URL
Conscript being interviewed by the draft commission at the call-up station in the Groznensky district military commissariat. Russian army recruitment has begun in the Chechen Republic.(RIA Novosti / Said Tcarnaev)Conscript being interviewed by the draft commission at the call-up station in the Groznensky district military commissariat. Russian army recruitment has begun in the Chechen Republic.(RIA Novosti / Said Tcarnaev)
19471
Tags
Chechnya, History, Military, Politics, Russia
A first group of conscripts from Chechnya has recently started service in Russia’s Southern Federal District, making it the first time in decades that the troubled region has started sending its young men to the federal military forces.
“The first group of conscripts from Chechnya left for the military forces on November 17 for the first time in 20 years,” Defense Ministry's representative Roman Martynov told the RIA Novosti news agency on Monday.
In the early 1990s, the Russian Defense Ministry stopped calling up people from Chechnya for military service. No official orders had been issued and officers from regional conscription offices only quoted some oral instructions from the central General Staff. The main reason behind the situation was the military command’s attempt to bring down the number of ethnic conflicts in the forces. They tried to resume conscription of young Chechens in 2000 but in 2005 stopped again.
The call-ups resumed this year after Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu asked the head of the Chechen Republic, Ramzan Kadyrov, to oversee the situation personally. The plan was to send 500 young Chechens for military service in autumn 2014, which has been fulfilled. Another 400 conscripts were called up in the neighboring republic of Ingushetia, which had also fallen out of the federal conscription plan for the same period of time and for the same reasons as Chechnya.
Young Chechens were enthusiastic about the plan. Many people in the rural mountainous areas see military service as a unique opportunity to get skills and connections required in the modern world, or simply see the world outside their villages. In September, in a radio interview, the head of the Chechen Youth Union, Azamat Mintsayev, thanked the authorities and all people of the Russian Federation for the decision.
According to the Chechen regional news agency Grozny-Inform, prior to leaving for their units, the young men listened to instructions from their clan elders and influential Muslim clerics.
The autumn conscription campaign in Russia lasts from October 1 to December 31 this year, and according to the Defense Ministry, the military plan to call up about 154,000 citizens.Preliminary reports suggest that this year the ministry has managed to bring down the number of draft dodgers by 20 percent.
Published time: November 17, 2014 11:13
Edited time: November 17, 2014 14:19 Get short URL
Conscript being interviewed by the draft commission at the call-up station in the Groznensky district military commissariat. Russian army recruitment has begun in the Chechen Republic.(RIA Novosti / Said Tcarnaev)Conscript being interviewed by the draft commission at the call-up station in the Groznensky district military commissariat. Russian army recruitment has begun in the Chechen Republic.(RIA Novosti / Said Tcarnaev)
19471
Tags
Chechnya, History, Military, Politics, Russia
A first group of conscripts from Chechnya has recently started service in Russia’s Southern Federal District, making it the first time in decades that the troubled region has started sending its young men to the federal military forces.
“The first group of conscripts from Chechnya left for the military forces on November 17 for the first time in 20 years,” Defense Ministry's representative Roman Martynov told the RIA Novosti news agency on Monday.
In the early 1990s, the Russian Defense Ministry stopped calling up people from Chechnya for military service. No official orders had been issued and officers from regional conscription offices only quoted some oral instructions from the central General Staff. The main reason behind the situation was the military command’s attempt to bring down the number of ethnic conflicts in the forces. They tried to resume conscription of young Chechens in 2000 but in 2005 stopped again.
The call-ups resumed this year after Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu asked the head of the Chechen Republic, Ramzan Kadyrov, to oversee the situation personally. The plan was to send 500 young Chechens for military service in autumn 2014, which has been fulfilled. Another 400 conscripts were called up in the neighboring republic of Ingushetia, which had also fallen out of the federal conscription plan for the same period of time and for the same reasons as Chechnya.
Young Chechens were enthusiastic about the plan. Many people in the rural mountainous areas see military service as a unique opportunity to get skills and connections required in the modern world, or simply see the world outside their villages. In September, in a radio interview, the head of the Chechen Youth Union, Azamat Mintsayev, thanked the authorities and all people of the Russian Federation for the decision.
According to the Chechen regional news agency Grozny-Inform, prior to leaving for their units, the young men listened to instructions from their clan elders and influential Muslim clerics.
The autumn conscription campaign in Russia lasts from October 1 to December 31 this year, and according to the Defense Ministry, the military plan to call up about 154,000 citizens.Preliminary reports suggest that this year the ministry has managed to bring down the number of draft dodgers by 20 percent.
‘We didn’t block EU creation, but they’re blocking us’ – Russian lawmaker
Published time: November 14, 2014 14:40 Get short URL
From right: Presidents Vladimir Putin of Russia, Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus and Nursultan Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan during the official portrait ceremony before a Supreme Eurasian Economic Council meeting in Minsk, April 29, 2014. (RIA Novosti)From right: Presidents Vladimir Putin of Russia, Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus and Nursultan Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan during the official portrait ceremony before a Supreme Eurasian Economic Council meeting in Minsk, April 29, 2014. (RIA Novosti)
140153
Tags
Belarus, CIS, EU, Economy, Kazakhstan, Mass media, Russia, USA
CIS countries should unite in order to resist the vast media and sanction pressure from the West, which is aimed at hampering the integration in Eurasia, a Russian senator says.
“Today the area of totalitarian manipulation of the media extends to the Eurasian integration. We are experiencing massive information and sanction pressure [from the West],” Vladimir Dzhabarov, deputy head of the International Affairs Committee in the Federal Council, is cited by Gazeta.ru.
According to Dzhabarov, the Western powers want to disturb the creation of the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) between Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Armenia.
“We didn’t interfere with them when they put together the EU, but they keep interfering with us,” he stressed.
The senator also called for the creation of a special information center to counter US and EU information plots within the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), which unites nine former republics of the Soviet Union.
The treaty to form the Eurasian Economic Union was signed earlier this year, with the new bloc to go into effect on January 1, 2015.
The EEU will create a single economic market of 171 million people and is expected to gross domestic product of $3 trillion.
In recent months, the US and EU have implemented several waves of sanctions against Russia, which targeted not only individual politicians and businessmen, but also the country’s financial, energy and defense sectors.
The West accuses Russia of masterminding the current turmoil in Ukraine, widely using mass media to ignite anti-Russian moods despite being unable to provide any significant proof.
Published time: November 14, 2014 14:40 Get short URL
From right: Presidents Vladimir Putin of Russia, Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus and Nursultan Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan during the official portrait ceremony before a Supreme Eurasian Economic Council meeting in Minsk, April 29, 2014. (RIA Novosti)From right: Presidents Vladimir Putin of Russia, Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus and Nursultan Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan during the official portrait ceremony before a Supreme Eurasian Economic Council meeting in Minsk, April 29, 2014. (RIA Novosti)
140153
Tags
Belarus, CIS, EU, Economy, Kazakhstan, Mass media, Russia, USA
CIS countries should unite in order to resist the vast media and sanction pressure from the West, which is aimed at hampering the integration in Eurasia, a Russian senator says.
“Today the area of totalitarian manipulation of the media extends to the Eurasian integration. We are experiencing massive information and sanction pressure [from the West],” Vladimir Dzhabarov, deputy head of the International Affairs Committee in the Federal Council, is cited by Gazeta.ru.
According to Dzhabarov, the Western powers want to disturb the creation of the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) between Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Armenia.
“We didn’t interfere with them when they put together the EU, but they keep interfering with us,” he stressed.
The senator also called for the creation of a special information center to counter US and EU information plots within the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), which unites nine former republics of the Soviet Union.
The treaty to form the Eurasian Economic Union was signed earlier this year, with the new bloc to go into effect on January 1, 2015.
The EEU will create a single economic market of 171 million people and is expected to gross domestic product of $3 trillion.
In recent months, the US and EU have implemented several waves of sanctions against Russia, which targeted not only individual politicians and businessmen, but also the country’s financial, energy and defense sectors.
The West accuses Russia of masterminding the current turmoil in Ukraine, widely using mass media to ignite anti-Russian moods despite being unable to provide any significant proof.
Central Elections Commission rejects idea of compulsory voting
Published time: November 13, 2014 15:45 Get short URL
RIA Novosti/Alexandr KryazhevRIA Novosti/Alexandr Kryazhev
618
Tags
Election, Law, Politics, Russia
Russia’s top elections body has scrapped suggestions to introduce fines for those who choose not to vote in political polls, saying that such a move could contradict the Constitution.
Maya Grishina who is in charge of legal issues in the Central Elections Commission told the Interfax news agency on Thursday that the initiative could only be a “conversational topic” as it had no legislative perspectives whatsoever.
The comments came after the influential business daily, Kommersant, published an interview with the head of the Moscow Region elections commission, Irek Vildanov, who said that introducing fines between 5,000 and 10,000 rubles ($111 - $222) for citizens who choose not to vote could help the authorities tackle the problem of low turnout at the polls. The official suggested using the money received from fines for financing election procedures and also noted that certain groups of citizens could be made exempt from the obligatory voting – such as pensioners, people on an official sick leave, etc.
“I think that Mr Vildanov put this forward as an idea for discussion, not as a real option that could be introduced as a legislative norm,” Grishina said. She added that the Russian constitution guaranteed the freedom of elections and many lawyers, including herself, interpret this formula as the freedom to appear or not appear at polls.
During the latest all-Russian day of elections – September 14 – voter turnout was between 25 and 30 percent, with the exception of remote and scarcely populated regions, where pollsters usually pay personal visits to voters.
Researchers, such as the head of the VTSIOM Public Opinion Center, Valery Fyodorov, said this phenomenon could be connected with citizens’ decreasing interest in internal politics against the background of numerous crises in the international arena.
Published time: November 13, 2014 15:45 Get short URL
RIA Novosti/Alexandr KryazhevRIA Novosti/Alexandr Kryazhev
618
Tags
Election, Law, Politics, Russia
Russia’s top elections body has scrapped suggestions to introduce fines for those who choose not to vote in political polls, saying that such a move could contradict the Constitution.
Maya Grishina who is in charge of legal issues in the Central Elections Commission told the Interfax news agency on Thursday that the initiative could only be a “conversational topic” as it had no legislative perspectives whatsoever.
The comments came after the influential business daily, Kommersant, published an interview with the head of the Moscow Region elections commission, Irek Vildanov, who said that introducing fines between 5,000 and 10,000 rubles ($111 - $222) for citizens who choose not to vote could help the authorities tackle the problem of low turnout at the polls. The official suggested using the money received from fines for financing election procedures and also noted that certain groups of citizens could be made exempt from the obligatory voting – such as pensioners, people on an official sick leave, etc.
“I think that Mr Vildanov put this forward as an idea for discussion, not as a real option that could be introduced as a legislative norm,” Grishina said. She added that the Russian constitution guaranteed the freedom of elections and many lawyers, including herself, interpret this formula as the freedom to appear or not appear at polls.
During the latest all-Russian day of elections – September 14 – voter turnout was between 25 and 30 percent, with the exception of remote and scarcely populated regions, where pollsters usually pay personal visits to voters.
Researchers, such as the head of the VTSIOM Public Opinion Center, Valery Fyodorov, said this phenomenon could be connected with citizens’ decreasing interest in internal politics against the background of numerous crises in the international arena.
so stop doing this charles!
I hope it is clear how stupid is such a spam.
I hope it is clear how stupid is such a spam.
Just leave the topic, all was fine before you came back! childish troll
I think he understand it very well and do it on purpose.
and I think that doing the same behaviour that you criticize is not a good way to show or teach anything.
and I think that doing the same behaviour that you criticize is not a good way to show or teach anything.
