Stories about Eastern & Central Europe from July, 2015
‘Drunk and Half-Naked’ Russian Soldiers Take a Beating in Tajikistan
'We are kindly asking the Kulob police not to prosecute the local lions who defended our honor and culture and fought these Russian drunks.'
Russian Censors Threaten to Shut Down Business Website for Writing About Bitcoin
Officials today told a Russian business-news website that it must delete or edit within the next three days an article it published about bitcoins.
Russia to Web Anonymizers: Shut Up and Go Away
Russian censors are now officially adding anonymizing websites to their blacklist registry, on the grounds they enable access to extremist content that is already blocked in Russia.
As Ukraine Bans Russian TV Shows for ‘Propaganda,’ Local Channels Put Up a Fight
With Ukraine banning a number of Russian TV shows that "glorify the Russian government, military, and law enforcement," Ukrainian television channels are already looking for loopholes in the new legislation.
Internet Spots Luhansk Militants′ ‘Battlefield 3’ Fakes
Pro-Russian militants claimed they found a cache of "American weapons" at the Luhansk airport but social media users quickly discovered that the evidence was a video game-inspired fake.
Russia Says Twitter Doesn’t Need to Comply With Its New Data-Localization Law
State officials have announced that Twitter can ignore a new law coming into force that will require online services to store all Russian user data on servers located inside Russia.
Russia's Internet Censor Threatens New YouTube Block
Roscomnadzor says the latest block, spurred by uploaded unauthorized copies of two Russian TV shows, may make all of YouTube unavailable to some RuNet users at the end of July.
Laundering Russian Money in London: Undercover Reporters Show You How It's Done
The new hard-hitting exposé From Russia With Cash shows hows dirty money from Russia and elsewhere is being laundered through London's high-end real estate market.
The Kremlin's Favorite Pundit Is Waging War on Facebook
Russian news anchor Dmitry Kiselyov, famous for his vociferously pro-Kremlin punditry, recently appeared, disappeared, and reappeared on Facebook and Instagram. RuNet Echo explains what that means for Russia.
China Blocks Telegram Messenger for ‘Aiding Rights Advocates’
Chinese state-run newspaper People's Daily accused Telegram of aiding human-rights lawyers and advocates, who allegedly used the app and its "Secret Chat" mode to engage in “anti-government" activity.
An Open Letter to Russia's Silent National TV Networks
Almost two dozen soldiers died on July 13, when part of a military barracks in Omsk collapsed. Russian national television has not been eager to cover the tragedy.
President Putin Signs Russian ‘Right to Be Forgotten’ Into Law
Vladimir Putin signed the "right to be forgotten" search engine law into force, while publicly coming out in support of "minimal restrictions" for the Russian Internet.
Psychologist Leaves St. Petersburg University After Pressure from Anti-LGBT Group
The St. Petersburg State Pediatric Medical University has dissolved a sex-change medical board, and apparently fired Dmitry Isaev, the doctor who headed the commission, following an anti-LGBT campaign.
Russian Social Networks Start Courting Russian Users Sick of Censorship on Facebook
Following several scandals in Russia and Ukraine, where Facebook has censored dozens of popular bloggers, Russia is now witnessing an effort to recruit people back to homegrown social networks.
Serbian Authorities Take Control of A Man's Facebook Account Following Alleged Threats Against PM Vucic
Police in Serbia seemed to have overstepped boundaries in search and seizure proceedings, taking over a personal Facebook account without a court order.
Hungarian PM: Immigration Crisis Should be Solved by Building Wall along the Border with Serbia
While the European immigration crisis is not showing any signs of dying down, the EU has been taking some much needed measures related to saving the lives of the people...
Moscow Street Musicians Tape Their Mouths Shut to Protest Police Pressure
Moscow street musicians are protesting what they say are illegal police detentions and exorbitant fines that violate their artistic rights and freedoms.
Russian Consumer Group Raises Hell by Warning Tourists Against Traveling to Crimea
After a consumer rights group published a memo warning tourists of the legal risks inherent in traveling to "occupied" Crimea, the Russian police crackdown on the group has been swift.
An Unexpected Reunion 20 Years After the Srebrenica Massacre in Bosnia
Maksim risked his life to help his friend Jakub during the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Twenty years later, Maksim reunites with Jakub’s wife Šehida for the first time.
Russian Police Want to Save Your Life With This Selfie Safety Guide
An Interior Ministry selfie safety microsite has caused a stir on the RuNet because of an infographic created for the campaign, outlining the riskiest scenarios for selfie-taking.
Hungarians Use Wit, Paint and Photoshop to Deface the Government's Anti-Immigration Billboards
The Fidesz-led government has mounted giant billboards across the country touting a xenophobic agenda. Hungarians are responding to these anti-immigration messages with creative defiance.
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