www.empathy-research.com

We’ve all been there. It’s Monday morning and the coffee machine in the office kitchen isn’t working. But that’s not so bad – hopefully you can pop out to the coffee shop nearby and get a good substitute for you daily dose of caffeine. So after a short exchange with your colleagues, you’re good to go. Your boss bursts in to your office ten minutes before you wanted to leave and demands a last-minute meeting. One eyeroll and a few snorts of derision later you are hopefully on your way home as planned. A bit of complaining in between helps relieve the momentary tension. Of course, situations like these don’t really have serious consequences for productivity in the workplace, if you don’t let them get under your skin.

But just how far can complaining at work go? Is there a danger of slipping in to too much complaining? Is complaining healthy? How do we complain at work, anyway? Well, we definitely do, and there are actually studies that observe emotions in the workplace, says a New York Times article. They also contribute significantly to researching empathy, as studying complaining has as much to do with the complainee as the complainer.

Sigal Barsade, management professor at the Wharton School in the University of Penndylvania, is one such specialist. She is quoted as saying, “If we suppress our dissatisfaction, it will come out in other ways, and it will reduce our cognitive function.” But too much complaining can indeed have consequences, if it replaces actual problem solving or becomes a persistent habit. In the latter case it also doesn’t do much for a healthy social exchange between employees.

If done in moderation and with a dose of humor, complaining can help form bonds between colleagues and forge work friendships. However, there is a fine line between the occasional harmless complaint and insistent negativity. What is actually a legitimate complaint needs to be handled with the help of a boss or supervisor. Examples include salaries, workplace disruptions, noise levels and workloads. Barsade speaks of a “complaining culture”.

Robin Kowalski, another specialist in the field, is a psychology professor at Clemson University in South Carolina. She is quoted as saying that workplaces with the best collegiality and a good work atmosphere are those where “people can feel free to respectfully complain.” If employees have the opportunity to air their complaints, a potential problem is validated as real, and a solution can become more clear.

Specialists say most often a complaint does mean that workers are truly discontent or dissatisfied about a real issue. While complaining may serve the purpose of venting in this case, or making people feel less overloaded emotionally afterwards, it will not make a real problem go away. For those on the receiving end of the complaining about a weighty issue, professor Kowalski suggests following two steps. Listening and expressing empathy is the first one. If the complaining persists the next day, offering a different perspective or brainstorming about a solution is strongly recommended.

The article repeatedly mentions authentic complaints. While incessant complaining isn’t too popular in the long run, if it starts happening more often en masse, this might be a signal for managers to start looking for a common cause. Because otherwise possible consequences could range from lower productivity to legal action from employees.

But beware. We all know the type of person who is only too eager to dump all their emotional baggage on others, whether work-related or not. In fact, professor Kowalski calls this type “the help-rejecting complainer”. Regardless of what you will suggest, they will just keep on complaining. How to deal? Try to steer the conversation in the direction of other topics, or just avoid such a person. Typically these employees are like a virus-carrier, spreading dissatisfaction in their wake and causing overall morale to sink. Complaining is catchy, but it doesn’t need to be a permanent illness. “Complaining,” says Kowalski, “has to be strategic, and it has to be done in moderation, in order to have positive outcomes.”

Now, all this might seem obvious, but complaining as a universal human behaviour has inspired surprisingly little research so far. In fact, as Robin Kowalski herself told the New York Times, she came took up the subject after talking to a colleague about the difficulty of finding a new research specialty in psychology. The colleague jokingly suggested tackling complaining from an academic point of view. Professor Kowalski says complaining has to do with expressing dissatisfaction, regardless of how you are actually feeling, which only contributes to the complexity of the topic. But doesn’t render it any less important.

No complaints here.

Image source: budgetplaces.com/ Wikimedia/ CC/ some rights reserved

Boaters out for a trip along the waters of the Boston Harbor in the US met a sad sight recently. A 50-foot-long finback whale was found there dead. It was floating near Deer Island.

The dead whale was discovered early this last Sunday, according to Petty Officer Robert Simpson of the US Coast Guard. The cause of death is so far unknown. A team from the New England Aquarium was taken to the whale by the Coast Guard to conduct examinations and take samples.

One piece of news did come to light, however, that is sure to appeal to everyone’s empathy. Tony LaCasse, spokesman for the New England Aquarium, told WCVB-TV that scientists had found pressure lines and bruising on the finback whale’s body. Such marks can be caused by something wrapping around it. The Coast Guard further revealed the whale is now beached at Long Island, located in the middle of Boston Harbor. A necropsy is soon to take place.

The Boston Harbor is a natural harbour in Massachusetts Bay, famous, of course, as the site of the Boston Tea Party. Deer Island shelters it from the Atlantic Ocean on the North. 34 harbor islands make up the landscape.

After the blue whale, the finback is the second-largest whale in the world. Reaching up to 70 feet in length and up to 70 tons in weight, it certainly provides an impressive sight to those lucky enough to see it. Also known as the fin whale, it lives in all the world’s oceans, with the waters near the ice caps of both the North and South Pole being the exception. A Wikipedia article quotes American naturlist Roy Chapman Andrews poetical description: “…the greyhound of the sea… for its beautiful, slender body is built like a racing yacht and the animal can surpass the speed of the fastest ocean steamship.”

Massively hunted during the twentieth century, the finback is now an endangered species – like most large whales, unfortunately. The International Whaling Commission has actually issued a moratorium on commercial hunting of this whale. With the expansion of ship traffic around the world, collisions are another major cause of injury and death, which in turn also contributes to the dwindling numbers of the finback.

Check out this short, but great video that gives a glimpse of the grace of this magnificent animal:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYCahlG6bdY

Image note: Chesser1023/ Wikimedia/ CC/ Some rights reserved

Even if you don’t go online, you’ve probably heard about the Duchess of Cambridge, aka Kate Middleton, recently getting snapped by the paparazzi while on a supposedly private getaway with her husband, Prince William.

Anyone who’s been a victim of such a severe invasion of privacy deserves, in my opinion, at least some empathy. A CNN.com author recently weighed in on this unfortunate incident, opening with a comparison to Michael Jordan talking to the press after a game. “…fans never got to see the superstar with sweat dripping from his brow or a towel wrapped around his waist after emerging from the shower.” Well, probably because he had enough sense to know he wouldn’t be comfortable that way. And because he was an experienced sports celebrity? And possibly the last thing you want to do after a gruelling time on the basketball court is stand in front of hordes of people dripping in sweat?

The author further says Jordan was “consciously aware of his image” and goes so far as to remark, “Maybe Jordan should put in a call to Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge and the wife of Prince William, and give her a lesson or two on what you need to do in this media-obsessed world — now that photos of her breasts have been published by a French newspaper.”

The lengths that tabloids go to in order to lay their hands on what is considered a sensational story are bad enough. But worse still are some of the reactions that follow, especially from established and respectable media. Or maybe it’s simply the fact of a male journalist not necessarily understanding what the Duchess of Cambridge is going through right now as a woman?

Contrary to some well-known hotel heiresses or reality TV stars in the US, to name just one example, Kate Middleton hasn’t “accidentally” been caught naked somewhere in the open or leaked a sex tape. She hasn’t sought the spotlight and has consistently conducted herself with a lot of grace and composure ever since the media mega-tornado broke loose over her, and that’s been going on for a while now.

And when she expects a few moments of peace in a private, supposedly secure location, where she thought she could do whatever she wants, like any one of us would, out pops a paparazzo. It’s pathetic that money is actually spent on equipment for doing something so abominable. So what if the Duchess sunbathed topless? It’s nobody’s business but her own. One can’t imagine how violated she must feel. After all, she wasn’t putting herself out there for people to see.

The author of the article on CNN.com contradicts himself, saying, “Look, I’m not the least bit insensitive to the shock and horror of the young married couple seeing magazine photos of themselves sunbathing on private property in France. Yet my mama and daddy always taught me that if you don’t want someone to see your private parts, then don’t show them in public for someone to see.” The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were on private property, not in public. So how on Earth were they supposed to know there would be someone lying in wait? The imagination is allowed to have some limits, after all. At this rate, the Duchess can’t take a bath without thinking someone might break through the door or pop a lens through the drain.

Photos of Kate have appeared not only in the French issue of Closer magazine, but also in the Irish Daily Star, and media have said Italian tabloid Chi plans to do the same. The latter isn’t worried about legal consequences, saying the photos are already in the public domain since they’ve been published by Closer. That represents some questionable ethics, to say the least.

Personally we agree with the statement from St James’ Palace: “The incident is reminiscent of the worst excesses of the press and paparazzi during the life of Diana, Princess of Wales, and all the more upsetting to The Duke and Duchess for being so. Their Royal Highnesses had every expectation of privacy in the remote house. It is unthinkable that anyone should take such photographs, let alone publish them.”

Image note: Whomeyeahyou000/ Wikimedia Commons/ CC

Something about a topic we’ve all had experience with, regardless of which mode of transportation you prefer to get from point A to point B. Traffic jams, delayed trains because of animals that suddenly jump on the tracks and, of course, cancelled or late flights. The list goes on and on, and I’m sure every one of you has an interesting story to tell. Ask passengers who were waiting in airports in Berlin, Frankfurt and Munich at the beginning of this week, and they’ll probably have some colourful sentences to add as well.

Reuters reported that Deutsche Lufthansa, the biggest airline in Germany, cancelled several hundred flights in some of the country’s major cities, due to a second round of strikes from cabin crew. The reasons for the strike are all familiar – dissatisfaction with salaries and working conditions.

It seems to have become almost traditional. Not an autumn goes by that the German branch of Lufthansa doesn’t go on strike, producing either eye-rolling or growling travellers. Compared to other countries in Europe, Germany is known for mostly good labor relations in airline companies. At the same time the industry has experienced its fair share of unrest in recent years. German airlines have had to cut spending due to a number of rising factors, such as the popularity of cheap carriers and fuel prices shooting up. Add to that airlines from the Middle East taking up a bigger space on the scene and a recent air travel tax introduced in the EU, and you get an industry where competition is only getting scarier.

So far Lufthansa aims to cut its costs to improve its profits by millions of euros.
Last week the current strike was preceded by a walkout, causing 26,000 passengers to have their travel plans severely altered. Not to mention lost revenues totalling millions of euros. Klaus Walther, Lufthansa spokesman, was quoted by Reuters as saying, “It is difficult for the company to cushion the impact. We cannot just get new flight attendants, and the personnel buffer is limited.”

The UFO trade union represents some two thirds of Lufthansa’s cabin crew corpus. It called for the 18,000 staff members to go on strike for eight hours in Berlin and Frankfurt, and for 11 hours in Munich this week. Last week discussions between the union and Lufthansa were unsuccessful. No agreement has been reached for more than a year now. Talks have not resumed. The future is somewhat unclear.

In one day Lufthansa oversees almost 2000 flights in different airports around the world.

UFO did state its demands – a five percent pay rise and guarantees that neither outsourcing nor using temporary workers will take place. Lufthansa has so far offered a 3.5 pay rise, but in exchange for longer working hours, and has refused to change its proposition. UFO has labelled the company’s stance as “arrogance”, according to Reuters, saying that the next thing to happen could be all-day walkouts by crew members of Lufthansa all over Germany. This could amount to anywhere from 5 to 10 million euros a day in losses, based on what experts say. The story also quotes an Equinet analyst, who warned that the figure could be even higher if the walkouts led to cancelled flights.

Who deserves more empathy – the passengers or Lufthansa staff? There’s probably two sides to the question. In any case, as long as the strikes continue, neither side is really going to be satisfied, definitely not the passengers.

Image note: Arpingstone/ Wikimedia/ CC

Research on combating HIV infection has moved yet another step forward, according to AFP.

A combination of two approved drugs and two new ones led to the creation of a new pill for treating adults affected by the virus that leads to AIDS.

The new medicine is called Stribild. According to a statement made by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), one dose enables a complete treatment regimen for those affected by HIV. Stribild was developed for those who haven’t been treated with other drugs. Edward Cox, director of the Office of Antimicrobial Products in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said, “Through continued research and drug development, treatment for those infected with HIV has evolved from multi-pill regimens to single-pill regimens. New combination HIV drugs like Stribild help simplify treatment regimens.”

Stribild, previously known as Quad, is produced by a California-based company called Gilead Sciences. A company spokeswoman said the pill should already be available as early as the end of this week. According to Gilead, Stribild was tested on more than 1,400 patients during two clinical trials.

Results were positive. The pill worked well or even better compared to two other combinations for treatment, additionally bringing readings of the HIV virus down to levels that couldn’t be detected. This happened among some nine out of ten patients after 48 weeks had gone by. John Martin, Gilead chief, explained in another statement from the company: “Therapies that address the individual needs of patients are critical to enhancing adherence and increasing the potential for treatment success.”

But meanwhile, some experts are expressing concern that Stribild is too expensive. Michael Weinstein, president of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, spoke about Atripla, a three-in-one pill also produced by Gilead and approved in the past. “We wanted to see (a price of) no more than the current drug.” He further said the price for Stribild will be higher by about a third in comparison to Atripla, and that the new pill is neither a serious improvement on other therapies or widely accessible for patients due to its cost.

Wholesalers are charged $28,500 a year for Stribild, though Gilead promised discounts for programs of state assistance and is prepared to assist patients financially. The pill is the company’s third single tablet for anti-HIV combination therapy. Australia, Canada and the European Union have not yet approved the new drug.

Compared to the West, HIV infections are rampant in developing countries, with millions of people not having access to proper treatment. Several Indian manufacturers are developing generic versions with support from Gilead.

Research on Stribild is not completely over, though. Further studies still need to be conducted to find out if the pill is safe for women and children, as well as how it works with other medicine a patient may be taking. Side effects are possible too, such as liver problems, bone weakness or lactic acid building up in the blood. Gilead, however, insisted side effects seen in patients during test studies were mild.

The introduction of the new pill is not only a significant step in the constant fight against the HIV virus and the condition it causes, but also an important contribution to empathy for those afflicted.

Image note: Miaow Miaow/ Wikimedia/ CC/ Some rights reserved

The French Island of Reunion has been the scene of several much-publicized shark attacks recently, reports Deutsche Welle. As a consequence, the mayor has given hunters permission to kill as many as 20 sharks. Environmentalists are expressing concern that this is just an excuse to kill and exercise bloodthirsty urges. No empathy here.

The marine waters around Reunion are protected, and so is the marine life living in them. But there has been an increase in shark attacks in the last two years, including two in recent weeks, one of which was fatal. As a result, a heated debate took place about whether it was right to kill sharks in order to protect swimmers and surfers.

Professional fishermen were supposed to be hired for the hunt. However, French overseas minister Victorin Lurel refused to greenlight this, while still agreeing to 20 sharks being slaughtered for research purposes alone. Xavier Brunetiere, prefectures secretary general, was quoted by Deutsche Welle as saying, “Ten of each species will be caught for the first analysis.”

Specialists and environmental experts are extremely sceptical, if not vocally negative. Sea Shepherd France’s president Lamya Essemlali said to Deutsche Welle, “It is as scientific as the Japanese whaling in Antarctica. There is no science involved there. It’s just a hypocritical way of killing sharks, because we already know that these sharks are toxic. There have been many studies. They don’t want to call it a cull, so they are calling it scientific research. They just want to calm down the surfing community.” Sharks being toxic means their bodies contain toxins that make their meat unedible for people, which lead to fishermen no longer hunting bull and tiger sharks. As a result, the population of these species increased dramatically.

Essemlali further said the way surfers navigate the waters of Reunion is part of the problem, not the actual existence of sharks there. For example, waters off the coast of the island are full of waste, and dirty water attracts sharks. Some surfers go into polluted water, probably not being informed of the facts. So the island’s management of waste disposal is certainly a big issue.

Sharks don’t have the best reputation, but they are undeniably an important part of the ecosystem. Before deciding to kill, facts, information and chains of events should be examined more closely, in combination with established scientific evidence.

Perhaps another solution would simply be not to surf or swim in areas which are known to be populated by sharks? After all, they don’t and can’t go out for a stroll in our neighbourhood. Maybe it would demonstrate plain courtesy to stay out of their’s?

Image note: Jean-Marc Astesana/ Wikimedia/ CC/ Some rights reserved

Pussy Riot are no pussies, as has been obvious from numerous media headlines over the last few weeks. But now the feminist band from Russia was found guilty of protesting against Vladimir Putin, Deutsche Welle reports.

The band stormed a cathedral in protest against the Russian president and were subsequently charged with hooliganism and inciting religious hatred. Sentencing has not yet taken place. The judge preciding over the trial said Pussy Riot was motivated by religious hatred, carefully planning their actions and crudely undermining the social order. So far prosecutors have insisted the accused (three band members) serve three years in a corrective labor facility.

The court proceedings attracted plenty of attention not only abroad, but in Russia as well. Hundreds of spectators and protestors gathered outside the court building, shouting “Freedom!” and “Russia without Putin” – the latter has been repeated more and more often ever since Putin won the presidential elections. Looks like fewer and fewer have empathy for the man at the head of the Russian government. And after developments like these, it’s not surprising.  Apparently Moscow’s security and police have wisened up a bit and are expecting protests, as this time barriers were erected on the streets surrounding the court even before the verdict was announced.

In February, Pussy Riot performed their own song “Punk Prayer” outside the Christ the Saviour cathedral – the biggest one in Moscow. The chorus included a line about calling on the Virgin Mary to “drive out Putin”, as Deutsche Welle quotes. The band members themselves have said they were aiming to protest against the support the Russian Orthodox Church has shown for Putin’s rule. While not underlining political motives, they are furious about the verdict and have said freedom of expression, as well as freedom in general, is being taken away from the whole country.

Celebrities like Madonna and Paul McCartney have expressed their support for Pussy Riot. But it remains to be seen in which direction Russia is going in terms of not only freedom of expression, but human rights in general. Or is it already obvious? With so little empathy for the basic principles of democracy, despite constantly proclaiming the opposite, the Russian government definitely gets another thumbs down.

Image note: Dmitry Azovtsev/ http://www.daphoto.info/ Wikimedia/ CC/ Some rights reserved

Ah, the Olympics. So much sport, so many fine athletes… so many condoms? Olympic organisers in London are trying to find out how a whole bucket of the latter, tagged with Australia, landed in the athletes’ village. No official consent was issued for the delivery, according to Reuters and Yahoo! News. Perhaps it was just a gesture of goodwill or healthy empathy?

Caroline Buchanan, a BMX cyclist from Australia, tweeted a picture from the village. On it one could see a container stuffed with condoms. The placard on it read “Kangaroos condoms, for the gland downunder”. This enchanting statement was complimented by an image of a kangaroo boxing. Buchanan joked “Haha, the rumours are true. Olympic village,” referring to assumptions about how thousands of athletes celebrate after completing their events.

Let’s face it, getting to the Olympics takes years and years of excruciatingly hard work, and the adrenaline charge after reaching the finish line is definitely high. Athletes are humans as well. So maybe condom companies are just showing some empathy? Or all sorts of businesses are looking for ways to draw attention to themselves, and such a huge event as the Olympics is a dream opportunity to do so.

According to Yahoo! News, the free condom trend began in the lovely Spanish city of Barcelona. During the 1992 Olympics held there, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) endorsed the move. The purpose was to raise AIDS awareness and prevention. Health information booklets were included with the condoms.

This year the London Olympic Organisers (LOCOG) supplied 150,000 free condoms for the 10,800 athletes taking part in the Games. Dispensers are filled thanks to Durex, which is part of Britain’s own consumer foods group Reckitt Benckiser.

The unsanctioned condom bucket contained products from Ansell Ltd of Australia and Pasante, a private company from Britain. A spokeswoman from LOCOG said attempts were being made to investigate the source of the “Kangaroo condoms”, as well as adding that both athletes and Olympics officials were of course welcome to bring products of their own personal choosing with them into the village. “We will look into this and ask that they are not handed out to other athletes because Durex are our supplier,” she said.

Only a small number of companies get sponsorship deals during the Olympics, as organisers are trying to prevent non-sponsor businesses from getting free publicity off an immensely famous event.

The rival condom companies have spoken as well. “We have had no official participation or association with the Olympics at all,” said a spokeswoman for Ansell. She added the supplying might have been a prank. “We have no association with the Olympics but we did launch a gold condom this year for champions. With such high teenage pregnancy and STD rates, we try to make people carry condoms by making them fun and interesting.” said Lawrence Boon, managing director of Pasante. While he echoed Ansell in thinking the whole thing was a practical joke, he didn’t stop there, voicing suspicions the Australian Olympics team was behind it.

Durex, meanwhile, is simply “proud to be supplying free condoms for the Olympics Games”.

According to Yahoo! News, during the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, an additional 20,000 condoms had to be ordered after the initial supply of 70,000 ran out.

Image note: Roke/ Wikimedia CC/ Some rights reserved

Euro-group head Jean-Claude Juncker warned this week that the ongoing euro crisis has reached a crucial point. According to him, the European Central Bank (ECB) and EU leaders must unite to save the currency. Proposals to buy bonds from member states currently struggling with their economies were also confirmed. Spiegel International reports.

Juncker went so far as to say that the euro zone was under threat and could fall apart, according to Spiegel. As told to the German media, “We have arrived at a decisive point. The world is talking about whether the euro zone will still exist in a few months. There is no time to lose.” As for buying bonds from other countries, Juncker said the precise course of action was still to be decided depending on further developments in the next few days. Short-term fast reactions might be necessary.

According to Spiegel, Spanish borrowing costs recently rose sharply to above seven percent – those are unsustainable levels. ECB President Mario Draghi expressed himself quite strongly on the fate of the euro zone, saying he would do whatever it takes to prevent its destruction. Other EU leaders have spoken in similar tones.

Pledges of doing “everything”, also echoed by German Chancellor Angela Merkel und French President François Hollande, may sound like the usual political babble. But things are indeed serious.

In its article, Spiegel explained how the system of the ECB and European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF) buying bonds from other countries will work. Bonds will be purchased directly from the government by bailout funds – this is called a primary market purchase. By law central banks are forbidden to make such transactions. But they step in during the next phase. In this case, the ECB buys government bonds from investment funds or banks – this is called a secondary market purchase, so that market interest rates will go down. The big goal of all this? In plain terms, according to Spiegel: doubling the EUs ability to fight the debt crisis.

Juncker actually said part of the blame for the crisis rests with Germany. In his words, Germany was permitting itself “the luxury to conduct domestic policy regarding euro issues.”

On the other hand, Germany is currently the strongest economy in the European Union and many countries and politicians were expecting action and empathy. So whether it was a luxury or a necessity…

Image note: Andrew Netzler/ http://www.ecb.int/euro/banknotes/html/index.en.html/ Wikimedia/ CC

Surprising as it may sound, there are some people out there who were real fans of Russia’s President, Vladimir Putin. Like William Browder from London, a prominent hedge fund manager. But then his lawyer died in prison after being severely beaten, and Browder declared a war against the Kremlin. The campaign has already drawn the attention of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the US Senate. German news magazine Spiegel reports.

An unknown person sent Browder a text message quoting “The Godfather: Part II”: “If history has taught us anything, it is that you can kill anyone.” Several such messages have been sent to Browder – he believes them to be from agents of the Russian intelligence. His tax attorney, Sergei Magnitski, was supposedly falsely charged with helping Browder achieve tax evasion in Russia and subsequently imprisoned. In 2009 the lawyer got beaten and died as a result in the notorious Moscow detention center Matrosskaya Tishina (Sailor’s silence). Browder firmly believes his lawyer was beaten to death.

To date more than 100,000 businesspeople have been put in jail by Russia’s government, according to Spiegel. The increasing numbers are drawing equally increasing worldwide attention and questions about the country’s legal system, which seems to make a particular sport out of harassing businesses and foreign investors working on its territory.

In earlier days Browder was at the head of a company called Hermitage Capital Management, which oversaw investments of as much as$4 billion (€3.3 billion). Browder’s work mostly took place in the energy sector – a lucrative enterprise. Clients included US investment bank Goldman Sachs and affluent private customers. Browder also took pains to expose corruption in other prominent companies in the energy sector.

Since Magnitski’s death, Browder stopped operating in Russia and relocated his staff from the Russian capital to London. Ironic: Russia’s capitalism model was responsible for Browder’s multimillion dollar success in the first place, notes Spiegel. But his relationship with the country is now anything but friendly.

Browder’s image has transformed from businessman to human rights activist, as he fights for empathy and understanding, not to mention change. His company has taken second place to his crusade. Browder uses all possible means to keep the spotlight on the campaign. Events like the World Economic Forum are one of the opportunities he uses to bluntly ask government officials direct questions.

He spends even more hours pushing Magnitski’s case forward than when he worked for the energy sector. He also doesn’t elaborate too much on what he does, as he doesn’t want to jeopardize developments or open himself up to danger. According to Spiegel, he feels responsible for his lawyer’s death. “If Sergei had never known me, he wouldn’t have had to die.” Browder has conducted an enormous amount of research and assembled an impressive amount of documents. So far he has been able to identify 60 officials he claims were involved in Magnitski’s death.

During the lawyer’s 358 days of imprisonment he filed 450 complaints, most of which Browder has read and quoted from. They do not make for pleasant reading and paint a very grim picture indeed. Isolation, bad food, bad treatment and poor medical attention are only a few of the problems in Matrosskaya Tishina. Browder tells Spiegel he used to have a different picture of Russia before Magnitski’s death. Despite earlier evidence to the contrary, he used to be a staunch Putin fan, believing, for example, that Putin fought only against businessmen and oligarchs who really were corrupt.

According to Spiegel, the OSCE recommended its 56 member states undertake serious sanctions against Russia, suggesting also that bank accounts in Western countries of the officials who were responsible for Magnitski’s death be frozen. The US Senate has suggested similar tactics. Putin, in his typical fashion, didn’t take kindly to what he probably in this case also obstinately refers to as “attempts to interfere” in Russian politics, and pouted about “countermeasures” for the West.

One wonders how successful Browder will be in his crusade. On a broader subject, one also wonders how much longer Russia will survive with its current government.

Image note: Dmitry Azovtsev/ http://www.daphoto.info/ Wikimedia/ CC/ Some rights reserved