Mark Knopfler cancels Russian tour in protest at crackdown — telegraph.co.uk

Mark Knopfler has cancelled two concerts in Russia in protest at what he calls "a crackdown" on human rights groups. The guitarist, songwriter and founder of the band Dire Straits was due to perform in Moscow on June 7 and in St Petersburg on June 8. The move follows the decision of Russian prosecutors and tax officials to search the offices of Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and Memorial, Russia's oldest rights group, in what Kremlin observers claimed were raids aimed at stifling criticism of President Vladimir Putin. In all, Russian authorities have recently carried out unprecedented searches of over 100 non-governmental organisations (NGOs) involved in rights activism.

Read More