Magomed Yevloyev's Killer Receives Lenient Sentence
On Friday, a court in Ingushetia sentenced Ibragim Yevloyev, a former police officer, to two years in prison for last year's murder of Magomed Yevloyev, owner of the news website Ingushetia.ru. The deceased's family lawyer, Kaloi Akhilgov, tells RFE/RL that the leniency of the sentence is suspicious. "I'm more than certain that the murderer's uncle, former Minister of the Interior of Ingushetia Medov Musa, influenced the ruling and phoned the judge (even the judge admits this), requesting him to be lenient with his relative," he says. Magomed Yevloyev died of gunshot wounds sustained while he was under police custody.
Why Brandish The Bulava?
Despite bilateral talks between Washington and Moscow to limit their countries' strategic arsenals, the Russian military has again tested the Bulava, the first intercontinental missile Russia has developed since 1993. The test -- conducted in the Barents Sea near Norwegian territory -- was again unsuccessful but caused much speculation on the Internet after images circulated of a mysterious spiral in the night sky that some were sure was a UFO. Commenting on Russia's need for the missile, Baker Spring, a defense analyst with Washington's Heritage Foundation, tells RFE/RL, "The Russians think that strengthening their nuclear arsenal can yield strategic and political dividends most economically, so to speak."
Activists To Promote Constitutional Rights On Constitution Day
To mark the 16th anniversary of the Russian Constitution on December 12, activists with the Russian People's Democratic Union, led by Mikhail Kasyanov, have organized a campaign in 30 Russian towns and cities under the slogan, "Leadership! Implement the Constitution!" Yelena Dikum, an aide to Kasyanov, tells RFE/RL, "The main aim of the activists is to impart to citizens the notion that without political freedom, economic modernization is not possible in this country. Activists will address passersby, engage them in conversation, explain and hand out literature." RFE/RL also discusses the Consitution with Tamara Morshchakova, an advisor to the Constitutional Court who contributed to the formulation of the country's fundamental laws.