Russian Child Rights Official Accused of Plagiarism

The Kremlin’s child rights ombudsman Pavel Astakhov dismissed on Thursday accusations of plagiarism over his PhD dissertation which have recently gone viral on the Russian blogosphere. Prominent Russian journalist Sergei Parkhomenko posted a blog on Wednesday claiming 80 percent of Astakhov’s PhD paper about judicial conflicts was taken from a number of previously published works. "The paper is practically completely falsified," Parkhomenko concluded. “Such absolutely unprofessional pseudo-investigation evokes nothing but pity,” Astakhov, a high-profile lawyer known for his pro-Kremlin stance, responded. Astakhov has been frequently quoted in the media recently in connection with his allegations that US families have abused children adopted from Russia.

http://www.echo.msk.ru/blog/serguei_parkhomenko/1045140-echo/
http://en.ria.ru/russia/20130404/180439007.html

Deputy PM: 38 mln Russians Work Illegally

Half of Russia's employable population is engaged in the shadow sector of the economy, according to Deputy Prime Minister Olga Golodets. Eighty-six million people are employed in various economic sectors, of which only 48 million are said to be working in legitimate businesses. "We don’t understand where and how the rest are employed," Golodets told a conference at Moscow’s Higher School of Economics. "Our labor market is practically illegitimate, with only a tiny sector functioning under transparent rules," she added. “With the shadow sector this large, we have lack of funding for all our social costs,” Golodets pointed out, adding that Russia is at least 20 years behind other countries on the international labor market in terms of the level of employment. It’s hoped that the problem could be solved with a new law defining professional standards in Russia. According to the World Bank, Russia’s shadow economy is 3.5 times bigger than in other G8 countries, with ineffectiveness of public administration and tax evasion holding back the country’s economic and political advancements.

http://rt.com/business/labor-market-shadow-economy-270/
http://www.echo.msk.ru/blog/echomsk/1045218-echo/ (video)

Russian Central Bank Chief: $49 Bln Left Country Illegally in 2012

Russia's central bank governor, Sergei Ignatiev, has said that $49bn (£33bn) left the country illegally last year. The capital flight, some 2.5% of Russia's annual economic output, was controlled by "one well-organised group of individuals," the official said.  Ignatiev told a Russian newspaper (Vedomosti) that the money transfers could have been used to pay for supplies of narcotics, bribes and avoiding taxes. Later a government spokesman commented the figure was "highly exaggerated".

http://www.vedomosti.ru/library/news/9291871/11_organizacij_ne_platyat_nalogov_sergej_ignatev_predsedatel
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-21532140

UPDATE:
Navalny files formal  request to prosecute crimes described by Ignatiev
http://navalny.livejournal.com/784140.html

Russian Ex-Billionaire Polonsky Freed From Cambodian Jail

Russian former billionaire Sergei Polonsky has been released from a jail in Cambodia, where he had been held for over three months, his lawyer Alexander Dobrovinsky said on Wednesday. Polonsky, the former head of the Mirax Group construction firm, was detained together with two Russian companions by Cambodian police while celebrating the New Year, in connection with an alleged attack on the six-man crew of a boat that had reportedly carried the Russians from an island to the Cambodian mainland.

http://en.ria.ru/russia/20130403/180415639/Russian-Ex-Billionaire-Polonsky-Freed-From-Cambodian-Jail.html

Aide to Russian MP Detained in Riots Case

An aide to Russian State Duma opposition deputy Ilya Ponomaryov has been detained in last year’s riots case, investigators have said. “During mass disorders, Dmitry Rukavishnikov was pushing overturned portable toilets in the direction of police officers, which resulted in the property being damaged and becoming unfit for use,” the Investigative Committee said Tuesday. “By this, Rukavishnikov created obstacles in the way of law enforcement officers. Rukavishnikov’s participation in mass disorders is confirmed by a video recording, witness testimony and other case materials,” the committee said. Investigators said Rukavishnikov is the head of a Left Front branch in the Ivanovo Region.

http://en.ria.ru/russia/20130403/180413570.html

Russia Abstains on UN Arms Trade Treaty

The UN General Assembly on Tuesday approved the first global treaty to regulate international trade in conventional weapons, the UN News Centre said. The resolution containing the text of the treaty was approved by 154 “yes” votes with the simple majority of 97 votes in favor needed to pass the text. The document received strong support from the majority of UN members during the Final UN Conference on the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) last Thursday. The adoption of the treaty, which required a unanimous approval, was blocked by three states - Iran, Syria and North Korea. The three countries, who have earlier criticized the draft treaty as “unbalanced” and giving an advantage to the world’s biggest weapons exporters, voted against it during the General Assembly’s vote. 23 countries abstained, including the world’s two major arms exporters, Russia and China. The United States, the world's biggest arms trader accounting for over 40 percent of global conventional arms transfers with annual revenues estimated at more than $28 billion, voted in favor of the agreement. According to the resolution, the treaty will be open for signing on July 3, 2013. It will take effect 90 days after being ratified by its 50th signatory.

http://en.ria.ru/world/20130402/180408957/UN-General-Assembly-Adopts-Global-Arms-Trade-Treaty.html

Russia Seeks to Arrest Russian Lawyer Granted US Asylum

Investigators have appealed to the Presnensky Court of Moscow to issue a warrant for detaining lawyer Boris Kuznetsov in absentia for divulging state secrets, press secretary Nina Yurchenko told RAPSI on Monday. Kuznetsov has been granted political asylum in the United States. Investigators claim that when the Supreme Court considered stripping former member of the Federation Council and representative of the Republic of Kalmykia Levon Chakhmakhchyan of his parliamentary immunity, Kuznetsov, who had pledged not to reveal secret information in that case, photographed an FSB reference note regarding the tapping of Chakhmakhchyan's telephones which was marked "secret." Kuznetsov first showed the picture to a colleague and then sent it to the Constitutional Court. When Kuznetsov was charged with revealing state secrets in 2007, he asked for asylum in the United States. The court issued a warrant for detaining Kuznetsov in absentia, but the warrant was withdrawn in 2009. In 2008 Levon Chakhmakhchyan was sentenced to 7.5 years in prison for attempted fraud. He was released on parole in January 2012.

http://www.rapsinews.com/judicial_news/20130402/266893938.html

Russian Space Giant Moves to Dismiss Boeing Suit

Russian space giant SP Korolev Rocket and Space Corporation Energia (Energia) filed documents with a US federal court last week seeking the dismissal of a $350 million breach-of-contract lawsuit filed by American aerospace and defense conglomerate Boeing. In February, Boeing filed a complaint against Energia and Ukrainian company Yuzhnoye SDO alleging breach of contract in connection with a series of contracts connected with the 1995 establishment of Sea Launch, a joint venture created to facilitate the sea-based launch of commercial satellites. Boeing seeks $355 million plus interest and legal fees. Energia filed two separate notices of its intent to move the court to dismiss or stay the case. The first seeks to dismiss or stay the claim for forum non conveniens; stay the claim pending the outcome of a parallel foreign proceeding, in accordance with US law; and dismiss the claim for lack of subject-matter jurisdiction. The second seeks to dismiss the claim with prejudice based on Boeing’s alleged failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted; a lack of subject-matter jurisdiction; and Boeing’s lack of capacity to assert claims before the court.

http://www.rapsinews.com/judicial_news/20130401/266889247.html

Chechen Leader Proposes Travel Ban for State Officials

Ramzan Kadyrov, leader of Russia’s Chechen republic, published an opinion piece Monday suggesting that a range of current and former high-ranking Russian officials should be banned from traveling abroad. Kadyrov’s article, published in the Russian daily newspaper Izvestia, said that the travel ban should be imposed on “those who have or formerly had access to secret files of strategic importance.” The politician, who has been accused of human rights abuses in the North Caucasus republic that he governs, expressed concern that some former senior officials move abroad after leaving their posts and that their luggage might contain data of state importance.

http://en.ria.ru/russia/20130401/180369037/Chechen-Leader-Proposes-Travel-Ban-for-State-Officials.html