russia

  • Russia: Anti-Corruption Activist Beaten to Death

    The branch leader of a Russian anti-corruption organization, Dmitry Gribov, was beaten to death in a town outside Moscow on Monday evening.

  • US Alleged to have Backed Guatemala’s Corruption Coverup

    When Guatemala expelled a UN-backed anti-corruption commission in early January, the US issued only a vague statement that did not even mention the commission. US media outlets, including Foreign Policy magazine, are now claiming that the US Republican party was working behind the scenes to undermine the commission prior to the incident.

  • Russian Government Threatens Armenian News Website

    Russian authorities are threatening to ban OCCRP partner Hetq.am from their internet if the Armenian web news service does not remove 2017 articles about a Russian citizen arrested in the Czech Republic.

  • Russian Official Arrested on Senate Floor for Murder

    Russian authorities arrested ruling party official Rauf Arashukov in parliament on Wednesday for allegedly ordering two contract killings and being involved in a criminal organization, according to a statement by the Russian Investigative Committee.

  • US and Russia Spar Over Accused Crypto-Launderer

    A tug-of-war over a Russian citizen detained in Greece sheds light on a global struggle over policing the multi-billion-dollar cryptocurrency sector.

    accused-crypto-launderer

  • US Indicts Kremlin-Connected Lawyer for Obstruction

    A Russian lawyer who sparked a wave of controversy for her role in a 2016 meeting with senior campaign officials for Donald Trump was charged Tuesday with obstruction of justice in an unrelated money laundering case.

  • Former Russian Minister Acquired Golf Courses Worth Millions

    Russia’s former minister of industry acquired stakes in golf courses worth many millions. The properties were once owned by people associated with a major pipe manufacturer that would have fallen under his purview as minister.

    Viktor Khristenko, formerly Russia’s Minister of Industry and Trade. (Photo: Kremlin.ru)Viktor Khristenko, formerly Russia’s Minister of Industry and Trade. (Photo: Kremlin.ru)

  • Prigozhin’s Men in Syria

    One of the strangest operations Valery Amelchenko took part in during his work for Prigozhin’s team was a month-long trip to Syria — to test poison on unsuspecting prisoners.

    (Photo: REUTERS/Marko Djurica)(Photo: REUTERS/Marko Djurica)

  • Operative for “Putin’s Chef” Shares Secrets, Vanishes — Then Reappears and Retracts

    Yevgeny Prigozhin ran the infamous St. Petersburg “troll farm” and other pro-Putin media operations. One of his operatives came clean to reporters, sharing some of the dirty work he and his team did for the oligarch — including murder. Then he vanished.

    Yevgeny Prigozhin (Mikhail Metzel/TASS via Getty Images)Yevgeny Prigozhin (Mikhail Metzel/TASS via Getty Images)

  • Interpol Votes in South Korea’s Kim Jong Yang as President

    In a dynamic week for world-wide police agency Interpol, the organization has accepted two new members, rejected the application of Kosovo and named on Wednesday a new president after the previous one resigned following his arrest in China.

  • Armenia’s Gazprom Operator Accused of Tax Evasion

    Tax authorities in Armenia have launched criminal proceedings against the country’s national gas distribution company, which is owned by Russia’s Gazprom, accusing the Armenian operator of evading millions of dollars in taxes, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported last week.

  • Putin’s Bodyguards Rewarded with Land and Power

    Once responsible just for his physical security, President Putin’s bodyguards now have impressive titles — and land worth many millions in Russia’s most expensive region. The workers and pensioners who previously held the property say they were swindled out of it.

    Illustration: Natalya YamshikovaIllustration: Natalya Yamshchikova

  • Three Bodyguards and Their Riches

    Three of President Putin’s top bodyguards appear to have been amply rewarded for their loyalty with some of Russia’s most valuable land.

    Illustration: Natalya YamshikovaIllustration: Natalya Yamshchikova

  • Putin’s Top Bodyguard Finds His Way in St. Petersburg

    How Viktor Zolotov rose through the ranks, came to work for Putin, and met senior underworld figures in 1990s St. Petersburg.

    St. Petersburg. (Photo: Pixabay)St. Petersburg. (Photo: Pixabay)

  • Oligarch Tied to Mueller Probe Detained in Monaco for Fraud

    Monaco detained on Tuesday a Russian businessman for his alleged role in a billion-dollar art fraud case that lead to the resignation and arrest of Monaco justice minister Philippe Narmino, Le Monde reported.

  • Daily Beast: Danske Bank Scandal Whistleblower Allegedly Killed

    In 2006, the first deputy chairman of the Russian Central Bank, Andrei Kozlov, attempted to tell authorities in Estonia about a money-laundering scheme that had been created in the Baltic financial system. Three months later he was dead, age 44, and the scheme would later be revealed as the US$200 billion Danske Bankscandal, according to the Daily Beast.

  • The Low Price of Torture in Russia

    Torture is widespread in police cells and prisons across Russia. A new analysis of court rulings shows what the perpetrators pay — if they pay at all.

    Credit: Edin Pasovic / OCCRPCredit: Edin Pasovic / OCCRP

  • Foul Language and Secret Prisons

    When investigating why Russian border guards refused to let a Tajik citizen leave the country, a journalist discovered that the FSB has been systematically using remote police stations across southern Russia as secret prisons. Victims are detained for weeks on petty charges, such as swearing in public.

    Credit: Maria TolstovaCredit: Maria Tolstova

  • US Probing Danske Bank Over Money Laundering Billions

    US authorities are investigating Danske Bank for money laundering connected to over US$200 billion that made its way through the bank’s Estonian branch into Europe, said Danske Bank on Thursday.

  • US, UK, the Netherlands Accuse Russia of Cyber Attacks

    The U.S. Department of Justice indicted on Thursday seven Russian intelligence officers over alleged cyber attacks against the U.S. and its allies, saying they targeted the World Anti-Doping Agency, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency and a nuclear power company in Pennsylvania.