Monday Briefing | March 2

Welcome to this week’s Monday Briefing, where students can read up on important political developments, notable events around NYU and New York City in the week ahead, and learn more about what our peers are reading, watching and following.

Stories to Follow This Week

Russian Opposition Leader Assassinated
Boris Nemtsov, a prominent political opponent of Vladimir Putin, was shot to death on Friday night. He was shot in the back four times within a short distance of the Moscow Kremlin’s walls.
Nemtsov had been receiving death threats and had expressed a fear that Putin would have him killed. Putin has condemned the murder, promising an investigation, and the Russian government has denied any involvement.

A protest march that Nemtsov was helping to organize in Moscow on March 1st to protest the government’s economic and Ukraine policies was reorganized into a public funerary march to commemorate his life and work.

Read more about Nemtsov’s career and the circumstances of his mysterious death from The Guardian, Meduza, and The Independent.

Bangladeshi Court Issues Arrest Warrant for Khaleda Zia
A court in Bangladesh has issued a warrant for the arrest of former prime minister Khaleda Zia, after she failed to show up to court for a hearing on corruption charges.

In January, Zia called for a strike to pressurize the government of Sheikh Hasina to hold fresh elections. Since then, there has been unrest in Bangladesh, with over 100 people dying in clashes. Last month, charges were filed against Zia for instigating an arson attack after a mob set fire to a bus, killing seven passengers. Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party assert that the corruption and instigation charges are both politically motivated.

Read more about this from BBC News and The New York Times, or The Economist for background and analysis on the situation in Bangladesh.

Australia Investigating Abuse in Detention Centers
The Australian Immigration Department is investigating 44 reported cases of sexual assault in detention centers for asylum seekers. Several of these cases involve the abuse of children. Many are alleged to have taken place in the Australian detention center in Nauru, a controversial island compound opened in 2001 where there have been multiple suicides and reports of abuse.

Earlier in February, the Australian Human Rights Commission released a report severely critical of the conditions in detention centers. The report detailed abuse against detained asylum seekers and their children.

Read more about this from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, BBC News and VICE News.

Notable Events: Week of March 2nd

Tuesday, March 3, 12:30pm-1:30pm: Who Protects Education? A Case Study of the Global Movement to Protect Education and the Protection of Education in Palestine

Wednesday March 4, 6:00pm-9:00pm: NYU IR Program Public Event – Seeking Truth in the Balkans Film Screening followed by Q&A with Directors

Thursday March 5, 6:00pm-8:00pm: International Relations and Politics Association (IRPA) Alumni Panel

See our Event Page (top right-hand corner) for information on location & RSVP.

In Your Spare Time:

What to watch: House of Cards – The new season of the ridiculous–and ridiculously addictive–Netflix political thriller is now available for streaming. If you feel like neglecting papers and readings, this is one way to go about it.

What to Write: For the Journal of Political Inquiry, Spring 2015 – If you haven’t yet submitted to the Journal of Political Inquiry, here is your opportunity. The last day for Spring 2015 submissions is March 15th, so you still have time to finish those papers! Check out submission guidelines under “The Journal” on our webpage.

This week’s Monday Briefing is brought to you by Zehra Rehman. Zehra is a first year M.A. student in International Relations and Journalism. She has degrees in International Relations and American Studies from Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad. Her research interests include human rights, electoral politics and US foreign policy.