Russian ex-Diplomat Appeals his Jail Sentence in USA

Vladimir Kuznetsov a former Russian UN official, who was sentenced to 4.25 years in prison for money laundering said his lawyers have launched an appeal.

“My lawyers, in line with U.S. procedures, have given official notice of the appeal. The appeal will be presented over a period of one month, as the defense will be putting forward new arguments,” said Vladimir Kuznetsov, who has been under house arrest in New York for the past two years.

Vladimir Kuznetsov was a Russian diplomat who was the head of the United Nations Committee for Administrative and Budgetary Issues.

In March 2007, he was convicted in New York City of one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. Kuznetsov was indicted in September 2005 following a guilty plea and immediate cooperation by the former UN official Alexander Yakovlev, who is facing 19 years in jail on a conspiracy to commit money laundering charge and has not yet been sentenced. Yakovlev’s lawyer, Arkady Bukh, has stated that he expects Mr. Yakovlev’s sentence to be reduced in exchange for Yakovlev’s testimony at trial. There is no official agreement on his sentence yet.

Kuznetsov, 49, was sentenced earlier this month by a district court and ordered to pay a total of $73,000 in fines. He denies the charges against him.

“The defense team’s additional arguments will relate to infringements of my constitutional rights, including the right to diplomatic immunity,” he said.

The ex-diplomat, who worked as a Russian expert in the United Nations Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions, was arrested in September 2005 after borrowing $300,000 from a Russian colleague, knowing that the funds had been acquired by criminal efforts.

He was found guilty by a jury of his peers in March.

Kuznetsov previously held diplomatic immunity as a UN employee, but after former secretary general Kofi Annan revoked the status, the FBI was allowed to arrest and have him prosecuted.

Popularity: 10% [?]

October 20, 2007

Posted in: Russia
Comments: 0

Israeli Prime Minister’s Meeting with Russian President Putin

Israeli Prime Minister Olmert held a three hour and four minute meeting with President Vladimir Putin on Thursday, discussing a range of regional issues, including Israel’s security as a key element in Russia’s Mideast policy and long term planning. The prospects for an Israeli-Palestinian settlement and Russia’s military involvement with Syria and Iran.

“The prime minister expressed satisfaction with the meeting,” Miri Eisen, the premier’s press secretary, said. Russia showed that it “considers Israel’s security interests as a substantial component of its policy in the region.”

U.S. State Secretary Condoleezza Rice had just completed her visit to Israel to discuss with leaders regarding a peace conference planned for December in Annapolis, Maryland.
The Annapolis conference is expected to result in a framework agreement on peace efforts. The Israelis want to set out broad settlement principles, while the Palestinians are seeking very specific terms and conditions.

The United States would like other Arab states to attend the conference, but Arab nations are skeptical and have demanded more details. We think the odds are low they will attend. It is import to keep trying to convince them to attend.

Israel has urged Russia to use its influence to help solve the international standoff surrounding the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program. Tehran insists its program is for energy production purposes only.

Russia is building a nuclear power plant in Iran, and has long been criticized for assisting in the country’s nuclear activities. China and Russia have been opposed to tougher sanctions on Tehran in the UN Security Council.

It has been 15 years since the two countries restored diplomatic ties, Olmert secured Kremlin assurances that Russia would step up control over arms exports in order to prevent them from being sold on to third countries. These have been long ongoing concerns and disputes.

Popularity: 10% [?]

October 19, 2007

Posted in: Russia
Comments: 0

Truth or Fiction - Plot to Assassinate Russian President Putin

Russian President Putin Shooting Gun

By Bill Kirk.

Some Russian news reports say President Vladimir Putin has been advised of an Iranian plot to assassinate him when he visits Iran this week. This is a debatable report, please read details below.

The Interfax news sgency said Sunday that suicide bombers have been training to attack Mr. Putin.

However the Kremlin has not made any comment on this story. A member of Russia’s parliamentary security committee stated to Russian TV sations, that the information came from intelligence sources which could be considered highly reliable.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry calls the reports totally baseless and says they are aimed at undermining Russian-Iranian relations. As of now we are not sure which side of this story are correct.

Mr. Putin is scheduled to arrive in Tehran Monday and plans to meet with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. They plan to attend a summit of nations bordering the Caspian Sea.

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Other Russian Headlines

U.S. officials Condoleezza Rice and Robert Gates are in Moscow visiting President Putin.

Russia may opt out of a Cold War-era treaty limiting intermediate range missiles unless it was extended to countries beyond the United States and Russia, which are now the only signatories.

Addressing U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Putin appeared to make fun of the U.S. missile defense plan, which is at the center of a tangle of arms control and diplomatic disputes between the USA and Russia.

“Of course we can sometime in the future decide that some anti-missile defense system should be established somewhere on the moon,” Putin said, according to an English translation. “But before we reach such arrangements we will lose the opportunity for fixing some particular arrangements between us.”

Popularity: 10% [?]

October 15, 2007

Posted in: Russia
Comments: 0

Moscow Gay March Organisers Invite Mayor Of London

In an interview with PinkNews.co.uk website, Mayor of London Ken Livingstone said he would consider attending Moscow Pride in 2008, if it does not clash with his campaign to for re-election.

Popularity: 16% [?]

July 3, 2007

Posted in: Russia, Moscow, Sex, UK, London, Gay
Comments: 0

Putin is Always Telling Me the Truth - Bush

After hearing criticism of the US and its foreign policy from his Russian counterpart for months, President Bush praised President Vladimir Putin for his truthfulness and frankness - a move that drew criticism from some Russia experts.

Popularity: 15% [?]

Posted in: Russia, Vladimir Putin, George W. Bush, U.S., Politics
Comments: 1

Angry Georgians Throw Gas and Paint on Russian Peacekeepers

Hundreds of ethnic Georgians confronted Russian peacekeeping forces in the breakaway region of South Ossetia Thursday, throwing paint and gasoline on them and forcing them to stop blocking a road project, officials said.

Popularity: 14% [?]

June 29, 2007

Posted in: Russia, Georgia, South Ossetia, Tbilisi, Politics
Comments: 0

Chavez Attacks US Ahead of Putin Talks in Moscow

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on Thursday railed against the United States at the start of a visit to Russia and called on Moscow to help lead a worldwide revolution against Washington.

Popularity: 15% [?]

Posted in: Russia, Vladimir Putin, Moscow, Politics, Venezuela, Hugo Chavez
Comments: 0

Russia Successfully Tests New Long-Range Missile After Several Failures

Russia said a new sea-based ballistic missile made its first successful test flight Thursday after several previous failures, in what was the country’s second major test of new rocket technology in a month.

Popularity: 16% [?]

Posted in: Russia, Nuclear Weapon, Military & Weapons, Ballistic Missiles, ICBM, Missiles, Bulava, Submarine
Comments: 0

Russia Launches Satan Ballistic Missile with U.S. Satellite

Russia has conducted a launch of an SS-18 Satan intercontinental ballistic missile from a silo in the Urals to launch a U.S. civilian satellite into orbit, a spokesman for the Strategic Missile Forces said Thursday.

Popularity: 16% [?]

Posted in: Russia, NASA, Space, Military & Weapons, Ballistic Missiles, ICBM
Comments: 0

Russian Internet Needs Censorship Official Say

Internet sites in Russia should be censored to combat extremist material, a senior legal official says, the business daily Kommersant reported Friday, June 22.

Popularity: 8% [?]

June 22, 2007

Posted in: Russia, Computers & Internet, Blogging, Politics
Comments: 0

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