Former Russian governor gets record jail term for organizing murders

НАСТОЯЩИЙ МАТЕРИАЛ (ИНФОРМАЦИЯ) ПРОИЗВЕДЕН И РАСПРОСТРАНЕН ИНОСТРАННЫМ АГЕНТОМ THE BELL ЛИБО КАСАЕТСЯ ДЕЯТЕЛЬНОСТИ ИНОСТРАННОГО АГЕНТА THE BELL. 18+

  • Furgal was regarded as “the People’s Governor” of the Khabarovsk region, a region in Russia’s Far East. He did not always enjoy such popular acclaim: in the 2018 elections, he was a Duma deputy from the LDPR and served as a convenient sparring partner for the serving governor. He then unexpectedly won an election to become governor, largely because he was an attractive alternative candidate for the protest vote in the region. The Kremlin responded by stripping Khabarovsk of its status as the capital of the Far East Federal District.
  • In his new role as governor, Furgal started attending local protests and criticizing local officials. His ratings soared and, at times, he was even more popular than Putin. Moreover, Furgal was popular beyond Khabarovsk and citizens across Russia spoke of him as a potential future president. For example, members of a focus group in Moscow noted his achievements (reducing salaries for officials, introducing free meals for children) and commented on his popularity in Khabarovsk. They also said that Furgal “doesn’t hide himself” (during the pandemic, Putin stopped appearing in public) and since “the people are for him,” he was doing all the right things.
  • After Furgal was arrested in early July 2020, Khabarovsk residents organized constant protests in his defense, which lasted more than 150 days. But the popularity of these rallies gradually declined: if they started with crowds of 20-30,000 people, the last protests attracted 100-150 diehards. They were unable to save the governor and at the end of July, Putin named Mikhail Degryarev, another LDPR member, as interim governor. He had no connection to the region, which he had visited just once, and previously he stood as a spoiler candidate in Moscow’s 2013 and 2018 mayoral elections, coming in last both times. However, he won the 2021 Khabarovsk gubernatorial election against the backdrop of a purge of Furgal’s supporters and open antipathy toward the “incomer” from many local residents.
  • The case against Furgal was largely built on the testimony of his former business partner and former deputy in the local Duma, Nikolai Mistryukov, who was arrested in 2019. The investigation believes that they organized the assassinations of Khabarovsk businessmen in 2004-2005 due to personal conflicts and business rivalries. Furgal pleaded not guilty. “Your honor, the verdict is clear. Only one thing is unclear: Aren't you ashamed of this verdict?" the former governor said at his sentencing in Moscow.

Why the world should care

Furgal is one of many Russian regional leaders to have ended up in jail. Less than a year after his arrest, the head of the Penza region, Ivan Belozertsev, was arrested. He now faces charges of bribery and illegal possession of weapons. “The position of a Russian governor is truly in the firing line,” prominent political journalist Farida Rustamova wrote on her Telegram channel.

Скопировать ссылку

Бюджет на диете. Как власти готовятся к сокращению расходов?

Российские власти готовятся к масштабной консолидации бюджета — аккумулированию доходов и сокращению расходов. Замедление экономики, сокращение нефтегазовых поступлений и практически проеденные за три года войны резервы — новая реальность, в которой порции бюджетного пирога сокращаются. От риторики «все для фронта, все для победы» чиновники переходят к предупреждениям о сокращении трат, и уже сейчас можно сделать первые выводы о том, как это сокращение будет проводиться.

«Гениальный закон»: новая эра для стейблкоинов и скрытые риски для финансовой системы США

НАСТОЯЩИЙ МАТЕРИАЛ (ИНФОРМАЦИЯ) ПРОИЗВЕДЕН И РАСПРОСТРАНЕН ИНОСТРАННЫМ АГЕНТОМ THE BELL ЛИБО КАСАЕТСЯ ДЕЯТЕЛЬНОСТИ ИНОСТРАННОГО АГЕНТА THE BELL. 18+

Рассылки The Bell стали платными. Подписывайтесь!

НАСТОЯЩИЙ МАТЕРИАЛ (ИНФОРМАЦИЯ) ПРОИЗВЕДЕН И РАСПРОСТРАНЕН ИНОСТРАННЫМ АГЕНТОМ THE BELL ЛИБО КАСАЕТСЯ ДЕЯТЕЛЬНОСТИ ИНОСТРАННОГО АГЕНТА THE BELL. 18+

Большая победа маркетплейсов, лучшая модель для программирования и кому грозят штрафы за поиск экстремистского контента

Конец июля выдался удивительно плодотворным для российских законодателей. В тот же день, когда Дума утвердила резонансный пакет о штрафах за «умышленный поиск» экстремистского контента, сразу во втором и третьем чтении проскочил и законопроект «о платформенной экономике», регулирующий маркетплейсы и другие цифровые платформы. Правда, в финальной версии закона не оказалось почти никаких мер, способных всерьез ограничить маркетплейсы, несмотря на то что вокруг этого вопроса развернулась настоящая борьба. Как маркетплейсам удалось одержать победу над классическим ритейлом и кто от этого выиграет, разбираемся в этом выпуске «Технорассылки».