Moscow
Ivan Rybkin, a presidential candidate and outspoken critic of President Vladimir Putin, disappeared for five days this week, only to resurface in Ukraine. Rybkin is the leader of the Liberal Russia Party, which has seen two of its top officials assassinated in the past two years. His absence, reported by his wife, provoked wild theories in the Russian press. Some speculated Rybkin had been killed by the government, others that he had staged his own kidnapping to pep up his campaign. Days later, Rybkin phoned from Kiev, saying he had been visiting friends. But on his return to Moscow, he was evasive about whether he had been detained. “I have never seen or felt such arbitrariness in 15 years in politics,” he said cryptically.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
What has Kamala Harris done as vice president?In Depth It's not uncommon for the second-in-command to struggle to prove themselves in a role largely defined by behind-the-scenes work
-
Today's political cartoons - September 16, 2024Monday's cartoons - a second assassination attempt, eating pets, and more
-
'If this is a race, China has a commanding lead'Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
