- By Carl Schreck
In a question about Russia's ability to compete in the technology sector, Putin says the Russian tech firm Yandex (which has the country's most popular search engine) is competing successfully with giants like Google. I think it's the first time I've ever heard Putin -- who has previously said he hardly ever uses the Internet and doesn't use a smart phone -- actually say the word "Google."
Small business ombudsman in the hall says they need to improve the system of bail to let businesspeople out of custody so that they can mount a legal defense. Putin says the government has already encouraged greater use of bail and house arrest but that in some cases it will always be necessary to hold people in custody. The main problem today, Putin said, is "endlessly holding people in custody." He said he has spoken with the prosecutor-general and expects a plan by the end of the year.
Next clip is from Daghestan where they talk to militia fighters who fought against Chechen fighters under Shamil Basayev when they attacked Daghestan in 1999, launching the second Chechen War. One of the fighters notes how well Daghestan is doing now and asks Putin for permission to raise a toast to Putin. Putin talks about how dangerous the situation was at the time and gets a little emotional. Putin emphasizes that the Chechen fighters were a "well-equipped international band." Putin says that militia fighters from that period should qualify as military veterans and orders the government to do that.
- By Carl Schreck
The editor-in-chief of Russia's state-controlled international network RT claims the official app for Putin's call-in show was paralyzed by a DDoS attack "from Ukraine," but that everything has been fixed now.
Putin again returns to the bad old days of the 1990s and how the country was falling apart. "But we managed to avoid that," Putin says.
Next question is about palliative care and end-of-life pain management. NGO head in the audience says doctors are often tried for drugs offenses for helping patients to manage their pain if a dose or two is unaccounted-for. Asks Putin to help resolve this problem. Putin says a system of accountability needs to be worked out. Putin asked the NGO head to submit a proposal.
Putin orders the government to start the process of adding Daghestani veterans of the Chechen war who fought alongside Russian federal armed forces against Chechen separatists in 1999 to the list of the veterans of military operations, calling them "opolchentsy" (people's militia, or rebels), the same word the Kremlin uses for pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine.
Moderator segues to a discussion of the abuse of Criminal Code Article 228 on illegal drugs and about the fact that many cases are fabricated by police. 26 percent of all prisoners in Russian prisons are serving under Article 228, Putin says. He says, though, that drugs are a hug problem and there can't be any "liberalization" of drug laws. But he says there needs to be a system of control over police to make sure they aren't violating people's rights. He said he will talk with FSB, prosecutor-general, and others to figure out how to introduce such a system.
Moderator then summarizes a lot of questions about the problem of fining or jailing people for posting things on the Internet that are "insulting" to the government or government officials. A blogger asks Putin where is the boundary between insult and criticism. Putin says people must have the right to draw attention to problems, but says the law is aimed to prevent people from insulting the flag and other state symbols. Again, he says this happens in "many other countries," mentions Germany. But he then says officials shouldn't use the law to prevent people from criticizing officials at any level.