Following an eventful summer, full of election protests and arrests, thousands of Russians took to the streets in Moscow again on September 29; this time, to call for the release of 13 men arrested as part of the so-called Moscow Case, an investigation into alleged “mass disorder” during an unauthorized July 27 rally for equitable candidate registration. The authorities’ harsh response to these demonstrations has drawn criticism from across Russian society --so much so that Russia’s ruling party lost 15 seats in Moscow’s September 8 city council elections. But how much staying power do the demonstrations for political transparency still have?
