logo
episode-header-image
Nov 2023
28m 39s

Crime and Punishment in Putin’s Russia

Bbc Radio 4
About this episode

Kate Adie presents stories from Russia, the US, Argentina, Iraq and Iceland.

In the wake of President Putin's invasion of Ukraine, repressive laws were passed which effectively criminalise all anti-war activism. The recent trial of artist Sasha Skochilenko underscored the heavy-handed enforcement of these laws, as well as the inconsistent way in which justice is applied in Russia. Steve Rosenberg was in St Petersburg.

Democratic and Republican states are introducing radically different laws on issues ranging from LGBTQ rights to the teaching of black history. As a result, people on either side of the political divide are on the move – as they flee from one state to another more aligned with their politics. Lucy Proctor was in Chicago and Miami.

Argentina has elected far-right outsider Javier Milei as President, bringing an end to an era that has largely been dominated by left-leaning ‘Peronist’ parties. Mr Milei has pledged big spending cuts and low taxes alongside other more radical policies. Natalio Cosoy was in Buenos Aires to find out why voters backed Mr Milei.

While armed violence in Iraq has ebbed in recent years, hundreds of people are still dying in accidents caused by poorly enforced safety standards as the country struggles to recover from years of war. For Iraqis who have lived through decades of conflict, these incidents represent another awful failure, says Lizzie Porter.

In Iceland, residents of the fishing town of Grindavik have all been evacuated owing to warnings of an imminent volcanic eruption. Jessica Parker met locals recovering their belongings and saw the impact of the recent earthquakes first hand.

Series Producer: Serena Tarling Production Coordinator: Gemma Ashman Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith

Up next
Today
Tibetan resistance in China
Kate Adie introduces stories from China, Kenya, Australia, Bolivia and the USA.Sichuan province in China is home to a long-standing Tibetan resistance movement. While Beijing views Tibet as an integral part of China – the allegiances of many Tibetans living in China lie with its ... Show More
28m 36s
Jun 28
Iranians anxious over what comes next
Kate Adie introduces dispatches from the Turkey-Iran border, Russia, the USA, Paraguay and Transylvania.Israel’s attacks on Iran led thousands of people to flee cities under fire - now they must decide whether to return home, fearing further strikes and a regime still in power. O ... Show More
28m 27s
Jun 14
LA Protests and Donald Trump's crackdown
Kate Adie presents stories from the US, DRC, Hungary, Nigeria and Italy.There's been a heavy crackdown in Los Angeles after more than a week of protests over US immigration raids. Federal police had been targeting undocumented migrants in workplaces across the city. In a marked e ... Show More
29m 8s
Recommended Episodes
Dec 2023
Inside Russia’s Crackdown on Dissent: An Update
This week, The Daily is revisiting some of our favorite episodes of the year and checking in on what has happened in the time since they first ran.Days after Russia invaded Ukraine, the Kremlin made it a crime to oppose the war in public. Since then, it has waged a relentless cam ... Show More
20m 58s
Apr 2022
Biden: "Major War Crimes" Happening In Ukraine
As allegations emerge of a cover-up by Russian troops, President Biden says "major war crimes" are happening in Ukraine, with the Mayor of Mariupol saying his devastated city is “the new Auschwitz”. That, as the Western Lviv region is targeted by Russian strikes and local officia ... Show More
38m 51s
Apr 2023
Inside Russia’s Crackdown on Dissent
Days after Russia invaded Ukraine, the Kremlin made it a crime to oppose the war in public. Since then, it has waged a relentless campaign of repression, putting Russian citizens in jail for offenses as small as holding a poster or sharing a news article on social media.Valerie H ... Show More
35m 18s
Mar 2022
Christiane Amanpour on Red Lines and War Crimes
Russia’s onslaught on Ukraine has left widespread destruction in some of the country’s major cities. But as Ukrainians fight back, there are fears that Vladimir Putin could escalate the conflict by using even deadlier weapons. In this episode, CNN Chief International Anchor Chris ... Show More
22m 50s
Feb 2024
Russian opponent Alexei Navalny dies... and analysing Labour's double by-election win
Alexei Navalny, the most prominent critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has died in jail. Barred in 2018 from running in elections, he remained Mr Putin's most powerful political opponent. He survived a novichok poisoning, after being treated in Germany. But still he chose ... Show More
19m 36s
May 2022
Manhunt For Ex-Corrections Officer & Inmate Ends In Tragedy
After 11 days on the run, the manhunt for an Alabama escaped convict and an ex- corrections officer is over. Vicky White is found dead, reportedly of a self-inflicted gunshot wound and inmate Casey White is back in custody. Why would a trusted law enforcement officer suddenly tak ... Show More
1h 17m
Mar 2024
03/17/24: The Capital of Free Russia, Healing Justice
Vladimir Putin has killed nearly all internal opposition to his unprovoked war in Ukraine. Tonight, Scott Pelley travels to a foreign city that’s become a haven for courageous Russians defying Putin and speaking out.It’s something no one else has tried and perhaps only she could ... Show More
52m 10s
Mar 2022
Russian to judgment: Putin accused of war crimes
Joe Biden, among others, has called Vladimir Putin “a war criminal.” International tribunals have tried and convicted war criminals from Rwanda and Serbia: will Russia’s president suffer the same fate? The war in Ukraine will disrupt the world’s wheat market, with potentially gra ... Show More
23m 48s
May 2022
Sway: 'Fear and Panic Are Bedfellows' in Ukraine
Today we're bringing you an episode from our friends at Sway about the war in Ukraine and the challenges of conflict-zone reporting. Clarissa Ward has had, as she puts it, a “long and very complicated relationship” with Russia. The chief international correspondent for CNN, she h ... Show More
42m 51s
Feb 2024
Ukraine's resolve challenged after two years of Putin's relentless war
After two years of bipartisan pledges to help for as long as it takes, Ukraine's future is more uncertain than ever - as Congress dithers and an opportunistic Putin plots his next move. Christiane is on location in Kyiv for what could be a turning point in the war. Christiane fin ... Show More
41m 54s