Stories about Eastern & Central Europe from September, 2015
When Online Kremlin Propaganda Leaves the Web, It Looks Like This
"Material Evidence" is one of few pro-Putin Internet projects connected to Russia's "troll factories" with a significant offline trail. Because of this, we can trace its operations unusually well.
Kazakhstani Textbooks Send Local Patriots and Ukraine into a Tantrum (Clue: It's About Crimea)
"People are working for the promotion of Putin's "Russian World" into the minds of Kazakh children. In my opinion, this is ideological sabotage."
Vladimir Putin's UN General Assembly Speech: Beyond Hashtags
RuNet Echo showcases what about Putin's speech in New York seemed to resonate best with Russian-speaking Twitter users.
Miles to Go Before They Rest: Voices from the Croatia-Serbia Border Crossing
When those seeking refuge pass through areas like the Serbia-Croatia border crossing, they've already travelled many, many miles—but for most of them it's a mere fraction of the total journey.
Pussy Riot Performance in Banksy's Dismaland Highlights Plight of Refugees
Russian punk musicians and political activists Pussy Riot raised awareness of the cause of refugees in Europe with a violent and loud performance at Banksy's Dismaland park in London.
Serbian Journalists Harassed by Police While Reporting on Controversial Belgrade Construction Site
The journalists are not the first to run into trouble reporting on the 3.5 billion Euro Belgrade Waterfront project.
This Is What Happened When A Pregnant Dog Was Buried Alive in Voronezh
When local authorities failed to respond to requests for help, several tenants decided to take matters into their own hands, pulling up the bricks and digging out the trapped animal.
Netizen Report: China Joins Russia in Crusade to Keep User Data at Government’s Fingertips
This week, a public outcry over encryption proposal sent Indian legislators back to the drawing board. Meanwhile, Iranian leaders are re-centralizing power under the country's Supreme Cyberspace Council.
Refugees and Police Aren’t the Only Ones At Odds in the Balkans
When it comes to the refugee question, recent friction between EU leaders has done more to rekindle old animosities than resolve the current crisis.
It Gets Worse for Russia's Most-Prominent LGBT Youth Support Group
Authorities have ordered the country's most popular social network to ban Children-404, along with four other LGBT groups, or risk being blocked altogether by Russian Internet providers.
New Mobile App Helps Belarusians to Keep an Eye on Violations in Presidential Election
The creators of "Vochy" hope the mobile app helps broaden Belarusian citizens' knowledge of their voter rights and provides an opportunity to quickly report election violations to independent observers.
Twitter Users from Around the World Show Off Ukrainian Foods in Their Local Grocery Stores
Ukraine’s Agriculture Minister asked his Twitter followers to post photos of products made in Ukraine from grocery stores around the world to show the scope of the country's agricultural exports.
Russia's Favorite Beer-Eating Patriot Has Now Burned, Eaten, and Stomped on 20,000 ‘Dollars’
This week, Baretsky burned up, chewed up, stomped on, and then sprayed with beer a stack of dollars and euros. He said it was about $20,000—his supposed life savings.
Netizen Report: Refugee Crisis Inspires Both Love and Hate Online
As the refugee crisis spills into digital rights territory, authorities take aim at a leading media freedom NGO in Ecuador, and Austria's parliament proposes new state surveillance regime.
Truth Is Not a Crime: Ukraine Honors Fallen Journalist Gongadze
15 years after the murder of Ukrainian journalist Georgiy Gongadze, those who ordered his killing have still not been found by the investigators.
Resentment Against Hungary Grows After Serbia Border Clashes Injure Refugees and Journalists
Many expressed anger at Hungary and the European Union for their handling of the refugee crisis, including the closure of the Hungarian-Serbian border, without consulting their non-EU neighbors.
Unlivable Conditions in Macedonian Student Dorms Worsen
The Student Plenum, a grassroots movement fighting for the rights of university students in Macedonia, published new photos of the unlivable conditions that students in Macedonia's capital of Skopje live in. The movement has steadily been following the situation in the state-owned student dorms and has called on the state...
Russian Court Fines Google for ‘Reading Private Correspondence’ on Gmail
A Yekaterinburg academic has convinced Moscow city court to fine Google 50 thousand rubles ($765) for violating his "secrecy of correspondence" on Gmail with its targeted ads.
This Is How Chechnya Deals With ISIS Recruiters
Kadyrov's video features Chechen men caught recruiting for ISIS on social networks, and the elderly people shouting at them are their relatives and local community leaders.
‘Beyond a Simple Solidarity’: Portugal’s New Donation Drive for Syrian Refugees in Hungary
A solidarity convoy will take donations from Portugal to the refugees in Hungary. The initiative created by a group of citizens its named Aylan Kurdi Caravan to honour him.
Hungarian Journalist Kicking Syrian Refugees Rouses Disapproval and Outrage Worldwide
In the video, the journalist can be seen kicking two children and tripping up a refugee carrying a child in his arms, causing him to drop the child.
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