Contemporary Russia, despite her official status as a "modern democracy", casts great doubt on her "legitimacy". Putin "tolerates" the fundamental human rights principles, but how freely can Russian citizens really speak? What is Russia's stance on the matter of human rights and freedoms in comparison to the European traditions? And how do the current Russian "crack down" actions influence on her foreign policy with the other nations? The focus of this book is both on revealing the nature of the declared normative human rights principles in Russia, and a more substantial analysis of the practical cases, identifying the general dynamics of human rights violations in 21st century Russia. From the text: – Historical background; – Human rights; – The case of Pussy Riot; – Free Speech; – The duality of coercion