Connecting Football With Politics

Former UK ambassador to Moscow, Anthony Brenton, writes pragmatically here about the human rights situation in Russia, in a week where the judicial verdict on multi-billionaire oil tycoon Mikhail Khodordovsky has provoked a far greater outcry from the European Union than, say, the severe beating of journalist Oleg Sulkin last month.

“On human rights issues we should not expect to make an early difference,” says Brenton, “or even to be listened to very politely, but we should nevertheless be very clear when we see our values being violated – particularly when those violations breach Russia’s international commitments (such as the European Convention on Human Rights to which, remarkably and encouragingly, Russia remains a party). For the West to remain silent on these issues (as depressingly many Western countries do) simply strengthens those inside Russia who believe they can continue to steal and torture with impunity, and weakens those brave Russians who are trying to stop them.”

Brenton argues that the transition from a corrupt and thuggish authoritarian state to liberal democracy is necessarily a gradual one, and will be the result of both continued economic development, and further international integration. So in the latter respect, awarding the 2018 World Cup to Russia can be viewed as a catalyst for social change.

Press Freedom League Table - Brazil Moves Up, Qatar and Russia Lying Low

Reporters Without Borders has published its Press Freedom Index for 2010, and it's not particularly  happy reading for journalists working in FIFA's World Cup host countries. 

Best of the bunch is Brazil, up 12 places to 58th on the index, thanks to some "favourable legislative changes", says the organisation. Qatar has slipped down the charts to 121st place, from an already unimpressive 94th in 2009, but at least it's two places above Zimbabwe. "Russia," RWB points out, "which had a particularly deadly preceding year, is still poorly placed at 140th." On the plus side, it's at least ahead of former Communist allies Cuba, Vietnam and North Korea (last place but one, ahead of Eritrea). 

Perhaps if global warming ramps the Qatari summer temperatures up to 150 degrees, then one uncontested Dear Leader (President Sepp) might turn to another President For Life, Kim Jong-Il, with a view to relocating the championship in Pyongyang. No danger there of journalists asking awkward questions.

Russian journalist describes beating as "assassination attempt"

In yesterday's New York Times, Russian journalist Oleg Sulkin described how he was attacked and beaten in Moscow by two unknown assailants armed with steel rods. The attack took place a few feet from the entrance to Sulkin's house, a ten-minute walk from the Kremlin. One month later, he is still in hospital with an amputated finger, a broken leg, and a double-break to his jaw. He will not be able to work again until spring.

"A few hours after the attack, President Dmitri Medvedev went on Twitter to declare his outrage," Sulkin wrote, "and he instructed Russia’s law enforcement agencies to make every effort to investigate this crime. But no one has been apprehended, and I do not expect that the two young men will ever be identified or caught."

Sulkin wrote that he believes the attack was "an assassination attempt" from one of three possible sources aggrieved about his reporting. These are the municipal government of Khimki, the governor of the region of Pskov, and the extreme right youth movement Nashi, criticized by Sulkin after its appearance "on the public scene has accompanied a new level, and acceptance, of violence in Russian politics".