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North Korea Holds Funeral For 'Dear Leader'

Uniformed personnel stand in formation outside the Kumsusan Memorial Palace during Kim Jong Il's funeral procession in Pyongyang
Uniformed personnel stand in formation outside the Kumsusan Memorial Palace during Kim Jong Il's funeral procession in Pyongyang
Thousands of weeping North Koreans have lined the snowy streets of Pyongyang to pay their last respects to their "Dear Leader," Kim Jong Il, during his state funeral procession.
The leader, who died of a heart attack on December 17 at age 69, led the nation with an iron fist after succeeding his father, Kim Il Sung, in 1994.
Images from North Korean state television showed the funeral procession, led by a limousine carrying a huge picture of the deceased Kim, passing lines of soldiers with heads bowed.
An unnamed North Korean soldier, speaking from the procession on the snow-covered capital's main square, conveyed his emotions to state television.

"The snow is endlessly falling like tears. How could the sky not cry when we've lost our general who was a great man from the sky? As we're separated from the general by death, people, mountains, and sky are all shedding tears of blood," the soldier said.

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North Koreans Mourn Kim Jong Il At Funeral Procession
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A hearse carrying Kim's coffin mounted on its roof rolled through the square accompanied on foot by a weeping Kim Jong Un, Kim's third son and designated successor.

Also present were Jang Song Thaek, the younger Kim's uncle and a key power-broker in the transition, and Ri Yong Ho, the army chief of staff.

Weeping civilians swayed with grief and shouted "father, father." No foreign dignitaries were present at the funeral.
A national memorial service is expected to take place at noon on December 29.
The world will watch North Korea anxiously in the coming year.

The year 2012 was supposed to mark North Korea's self-proclaimed transformation into a "strong and prosperous" nation, but it now faces a dangerous transition to a young, untested leader at a time when dictatorships across the world are tumbling.
Little is set to change in the country, which has staged what many analysts have dubbed a "Great March Backwards" over the last 20 years. With a nuclear arsenal and 1.2 million-strong armed forces, North Korea is a strong military power but most of its citizens are impoverished.
On average, North Koreans die 3 1/2 years earlier than they did when "Eternal President" Kim Il Sung ruled, according to UN data.
Many observers believe that Kim Jong Il's "military first" policy will continue under his son's rule, leading to further hardship in a country that endured mass starvation in the 1990s.
with agency reports

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Macron Again Declines To Rule Out Western Troops In Ukraine, But Says Not Needed Now

French President Emmanuel Macron gives a live interview on French TV channel France 2 at the Elysee Presidential Palace in Paris on March 14.
French President Emmanuel Macron gives a live interview on French TV channel France 2 at the Elysee Presidential Palace in Paris on March 14.

French President Emmanuel Macron on March 14 warned Western powers against showing any signs of weakness to Russia as he reiterated his position that sending Western troops into Ukraine shouldn't be ruled out. In an interview on French national television, Macron was asked about the prospect of sending Western troops to Ukraine, which he publicly raised last month. "We’re not in that situation today," he said, but added that "all these options are possible." Macron, who is the commander in chief of the country's armed forces, declined to describe in which situation France would be ready to send troops.

U.S. Lawmakers Weigh Lend-Lease Program Favored By Trump As Ukraine Aid Compromise

House Speaker Mike Johnson told Republican senators to expect the House to send them legislation to help Ukraine but cautioned that whatever the House passes "may not look exactly like the Senate supplemental."
House Speaker Mike Johnson told Republican senators to expect the House to send them legislation to help Ukraine but cautioned that whatever the House passes "may not look exactly like the Senate supplemental."

U.S. lawmakers who have been working to find a way to pass a major military aid package for Ukraine say they are considering a proposal that would set up a lend-lease program favored by former President Donald Trump.

Senator Markwayne Mullin (Republican-Oklahoma), who on March 14 toured an arms factory in Arkansas, said he supports additional U.S. military aid for Ukraine, though he previously voted against the bill when it passed the Senate last month.

Live Briefing: Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine

RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the latest developments on Russia's full-scale invasion, Kyiv's counteroffensive, Western military aid, global reaction, and the plight of civilians. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war in Ukraine, click here.

The Senate bill would provide roughly $60 billion to support Ukraine against Russia's full-scale invasion, but it has been stuck in the House, where Republicans, including many who back Trump, oppose it.

But Mullin described another package that is being worked on that Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, has supported because it could help make the United States less dependent on China.

"There is a package that's being worked on the Senate and the House side that could possibly move forward," he said, citing an idea that would give the United States first rights to Ukraine's mineral resources in return for the aid.

Mullin joined U.S. Air Force General C.Q. Brown, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Senator John Boozman (Republican-Arkansas), on the tour of a Lockheed Martin factory in Camden, Arkansas, where they walked past workers assembling components of the M270 Multiple-Launch Rocket System and the High-Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS). Both systems have been in high demand in Ukraine.

Boozman said he supported the lend-lease bill, adding that the military funding that Ukraine seeks will eventually be provided "because it’s so important.”

The tour took place a day after House Speaker Mike Johnson (Republican-Louisiana) told Republican senators to expect the House to send them legislation to help Ukraine but cautioned that whatever the House passes "may not look exactly like the Senate supplemental."

During a question-and-answer session at a Senate Republican retreat on March 13, Johnson tried to reassure Republican senators who are frustrated about the lack of action on funding for Ukraine and floated the idea of making it a loan, according to senators who participated in the discussion quoted by The Hill.

Senator John Cornyn (Republican-Texas) praised the idea of a lend-lease program in addition to or perhaps instead of the $60 billion the Senate included in its package.

"That's what FDR did in World War II," Cornyn said, referring to a lend-lease program that President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed in 1941 to arm Britain and other allies against Germany.

Cornyn also said another proposal calling for the forfeiture of $300 billion in Russian assets held in Western financial institutions "is a great idea."

"It would be justice to make the Russians to pay for Ukraine, pay the United States and allies for arming Ukraine," he said, referring to legislation known as the Rebuilding Economic Prosperity and Opportunity (REPO) for Ukrainians Act.

Senator Lindsey Graham (Republican-South Carolina) said a lend-lease program would help Ukraine stop Russian gains on the battlefield.

"I think it’s an elegant solution, particularly with the REPO Act, where you can take oligarch assets," he said, according to The Hill. "I think that is a sweet spot, because if you're for helping Ukraine, are you really going to say no to a loan?"

White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby, asked about the possibility of a lend-lease program during a conference call with reporters, said the bill passed by the Senate "will answer very well our strong desire to continue to support Ukraine" and urged Johnson to bring it to the floor.

With reporting by The Hill and AP

Belarus Halts Lithuanian Imports In Response To Border Closures

A sign on the border of Lithuania warns against traveling to Belarus.
A sign on the border of Lithuania warns against traveling to Belarus.

Belarus said on March 14 it was blocking a range of imports from Lithuania in retaliation for its neighbor closing two more border checkpoints. The Baltic state, which shelters many Belarusian opposition activists and is a staunch supporter of Ukraine, closed two crossings in early March after closing two checkpoints last year. Belarus said the new import ban targeted various items including food and alcohol, clothing, household appliances, car parts, and construction equipment. The move "is a response to Lithuania's decision to stop the flow of merchandise, transports, and people at two border crossings," the government said.

Supporters Of Russia's Would-Be Anti-War Presidential Candidate Under Pressure

Boris Nadezhdin speaks to reporters in Moscow after the Central Election Commission barred him from running in Russia's 2024 presidential election on February 8.
Boris Nadezhdin speaks to reporters in Moscow after the Central Election Commission barred him from running in Russia's 2024 presidential election on February 8.

On the eve of Russia's presidential election, activists supporting would-be anti-war presidential candidate Boris Nadezhdin faced pressure as judges handed out sentences for minor offenses and police searched their homes.

A court in Vladivostok in Russia's Far East on March 14 sentenced three volunteers of Nadezhdin's election campaign to several days in jail.

The court handed six days in jail to Anastasia Konkova on charges of minor hooliganism and propagation of Nazi symbols, Nadezhdin's team in Vladivostok said.

The charges stemmed from messages on Konkova's Telegram account that might have appeared after her account was hacked, according to the team.

Another volunteer, Vladislav Spirenkov, was jailed for six days for using an anime symbol online that contained "an unacceptable symbol." It is not clear what kind of symbol that was.

A third member of Nadezhdin's team, Daniil Laptev, received five-day jail term on unspecified charges, his colleagues said.

A day earlier, the court sentenced the head of Nadezhdin's team in Vladivostok, Igor Krasnov, to six days in jail for "propagating extremist LGBT."

In the last several days, police in several cities of the southwestern region of Stavropol have searched the homes of volunteers who collected the signatures of Nadezhdin's supporters.

Police in the Perm region on March 14 searched the homes of lawyer Artyom Faizullin, activists Yelena Guseva and Irina Lyashchenko, and political observer and former coordinator of the Golos movement Vitaly Kovin. The reasons for the searches are unknown.

Nadezhdin announced earlier that his team would organize exit polls during the presidential election scheduled for March 15-17 in several towns and cities, including the city of Stavropol.

Nadezhdin is the only Russian politician who openly criticized Moscow's ongoing invasion of Ukraine as he attempted to register his candidacy. He was rejected by election officials over "violations of the signature collection procedure."

His appeal to the Supreme Court was rejected.

U.S. Envoy Says Concerns About Hungary's Ties To Russia 'Cannot Be Ignored'

U.S. Ambassador to Hungary David Pressman (file photo)
U.S. Ambassador to Hungary David Pressman (file photo)

The U.S. ambassador to Hungary has warned Budapest about its expanding relationship with Russia and raised "legitimate security concerns" in a speech marking the 25th anniversary of Hungary joining NATO.

Ambassador David Pressman said on March 14 that while Hungary was a longtime friend and ally, it had been doing things that undermine trust and friendship, and the concerns he has are shared by Hungary's NATO allies and "cannot be ignored."

The concerns center on a government "that labels and treats the United States an 'adversary' while making policy choices that increasingly isolate it from friends and allies," Pressman said at the anniversary event organized by the U.S. Embassy.

The United States "cannot ignore the speaker of Hungary's National Assembly claiming that [Russian President Vladimir] Putin's war in Ukraine is in fact 'led by the United States,'" Pressman said. "We cannot understand or accept that the prime minister identifies the United States as the 'main adversary' of...Hungary."

Pressman added that Hungary's allies were warning of the dangers of Hungary's "close and expanding relations with Russia," and if this is Hungary's political decision, "then we must decide how best to protect our security interests, which should be our common security interests as allies."

Western government have been unhappy over Prime Minister Viktor Orban's continued warm ties with Moscow despite Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Relations between Budapest and Washington soured over Hungary's delay in the ratification of Sweden's NATO accession.

The ambassador recalled that Orban was prime minister in 1999 when Hungary joined NATO and said then that his country had "finally anchored" itself to the West, but is now increasingly isolated within the alliance.

He said Hungary had openly called for the United States and other allies to cut off Ukraine from military support in order to force an immediate cease-fire and peace negotiations.

"The United States also wants peace. We want this war to end. But the Hungarian proposal does not stand up to reality," he said.

Pressman said the problem was not only what the government has said but also what it has done. This includes the "systematic seizure of independent media" and harassment of the remaining independent press.

He also took aim at the government "securing all aspects” of power and cited favorable conditions created for businesses owned by party leaders, their family members, and old friends.

He stressed that the United States continues to seek dialogue with the Hungarian government and wants a relationship based on "democratic values, common security, and prosperity." The U.S. leadership has decided that it wants to improve relations, but this has not yet been matched by the Hungarian government, he said.

Earlier this week, Pressman was summoned by Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto after President Joe Biden made a comment about Orban's visit the previous week to former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.

Biden said Orban had "made it clear that he does not believe democracy works."

Szijjarto denied that Orban had ever said that, adding that Budapest was "not obliged to tolerate such lies from anyone. Not even if the person happens to be the president of the United States of America."

The mood was further soured when U.S. national-security adviser Jake Sullivan refused to retract Biden's statement and added that he was watching with concern as the Hungarian government attacked democratic institutions.

Szijjarto responded on March 13 on Facebook with a post saying that the U.S. government "has continued its campaign of lies against Hungary."

He said the Democratic Party in the United States found it "difficult to bear the fact that in the middle of Europe's progressive liberal sea there is still an island where we proudly proclaim: no war, no gender, no migration!"

With reporting by Reuters

Russia Believed To Have Jammed Signal On U.K. Minister's Plane

U.K. Defense Minister Grant Shapps (file photo)
U.K. Defense Minister Grant Shapps (file photo)

Russia is believed to have jammed the satellite signal on an aircraft used by Defense Minister Grant Shapps to travel from Poland back to Britain, a government source and journalists traveling with him said on March 14. According to the source and the journalists, the GPS signal was interfered with for about 30 minutes while the plane flew close to Russia's Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad. Mobile phones could no longer connect to the Internet and the aircraft was forced to use alternative methods to determine its location, they said.

Catholic Religious Instructor In Belarus Sentenced To 3 Years In Prison

Uladzislau Beladzed (file photo)
Uladzislau Beladzed (file photo)

A court in Minsk has sentenced a Roman Catholic religious instructor, Uladzislau Beladzed, to three years in prison amid an ongoing crackdown on dissent, the Christian Vision group said on Telegram on March 14. Earlier reports said Beladzed was charged with inciting hatred, insulting authoritarian ruler Alyaksandr Lukashenka, insulting an official, and the distribution of pornography. Beladzed was arrested in May 2023 and sentenced to 15 days in jail three times consecutively on a charge of distributing "extremist" materials. Human rights groups in Belarus have recognized Beladzed as a political prisoner. (RFE/RL's Belarus Service)

To read the original story by RFE/RL's Belarus Service, click here.

Former Moscow Lawmaker Jailed For Opposing War 'Tortured' In Prison

Aleksei Gorinov appears at a hearing in his trial in Moscow in July 2022.
Aleksei Gorinov appears at a hearing in his trial in Moscow in July 2022.

Former Moscow municipal lawmaker Aleksei Gorinov, who is serving a seven-year prison term he was handed in July 2022 for opposing Russia's aggression against Ukraine, says that he is being regularly "tortured by guards." The 62-year-old Gorinov, who has a medical condition, wrote in a letter published by the RusNews media group on March 14 that because he was designated as "inclined to escape," guards wake him up every other hour through the night "to check on him." In addition, Gorinov wrote that the guards deprived him of his medicine he needs for his chronic bronchitis and lung issues. To read the original story from Current Time, click here.

NATO's Stoltenberg Says Ukrainians Out Of Ammo, Not Courage

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg (file photo)
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg (file photo)

Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has urged NATO member states to provide Kyiv with badly needed ammunition and military equipment as outmanned and outgunned Ukrainian troops struggle to hold off an increasingly intense Russian assault more than two years into Moscow's full-scale invasion.

Speaking on March 14 in Brussels, where he presented the alliance's annual report for 2023, Stoltenberg said that while NATO allies had the resources needed to help Ukraine, it is now a matter of political decisiveness for the 32-member bloc to stop Russian President Vladimir Putin in his tracks.

"Unprecedented aid from NATO allies has helped Ukraine to survive as a sovereign nation, but Ukraine needs even more support, and they need it now," Stoltenberg said.

Live Briefing: Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine

RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the latest developments on Russia's full-scale invasion, Kyiv's counteroffensive, Western military aid, global reaction, and the plight of civilians. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war in Ukraine, click here.

"The Ukrainians are not running out of courage, they are running out of ammunition. Together, we have the capacity to provide Ukraine what it needs. Now, we need to show the political will to do so. All allies need to dig deep and deliver quickly, every day of delay has real consequences on the battlefield in Ukraine," Stoltenberg said.

Embattled Ukrainian troops have been forced to ration their dwindling stocks of artillery ammunition on the battlefield in the east, where Russian forces, emboldened by their successful assault on the industrial city of Avdiyivka earlier this year, have been pressing ahead despite what Kyiv says are staggering human losses.

As Russia's unprovoked invasion entered its third year, a critical $60 billion package of military aid from Ukraine's main backer, the United States, remains blocked in the Republican-run House of Representatives despite an overwhelmingly bipartisan approval in the Senate.

Stoltenberg warned that failing to help Ukraine at the current watershed moment would be an error with serious consequences for the West.

"This is a critical moment and it would be a great historic mistake to allow Putin to prevail. We cannot allow authoritarian leaders to get their way by using force. This would be dangerous for us all," he said.

Stoltenberg, who leaves his post at the end of September, also warned Moscow that any attempt to hold stage-managed presidential elections in occupied Ukrainian territories would run counter to international law.

"Of course, Russia's attempts to organize any part of an election in occupied regions of Ukraine are completely illegal, violating the international law," he said.

CPJ Warns Of Growing 'Press-Freedom Crisis' In Kyrgyzstan

The journalists were detained on January 16 after police searched their homes and offices on a charge of "calling for disobedience and mass riots" over the group's reporting.
The journalists were detained on January 16 after police searched their homes and offices on a charge of "calling for disobedience and mass riots" over the group's reporting.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) called on the Kyrgyz authorities to "immediately drop" charges against eight detained journalists from the Temirov Live investigative journalism group and warned of an "intensifying press-freedom crisis" in the Central Asian country.

In a statement dated March 13, CPJ Europe and Central Asia program coordinator Gulnoza Said called on Kyrgyz authorities to stop the crackdown on the independent media after a court in the capital, Bishkek, extended by two months the pretrial detention of Temirov Live director Makhabat Tajibek-kyzy and seven other current and former staff members for allegedly "calling for mass riots," a charge they reject.

"By extending their incarceration, the country’s authorities are signaling their intention to continue this repressive course," according to Said.

Along with Tajibek-kyzy, Aike Beishekeeva, Azamat Ishenbekov, Saipidin Sultanaliev, Aktilek Kaparov, Tynystan Asypbekov, Joodar Buzumov, and Maksat Tajibek-uulu were ordered by the court to remain in pretrial detention until at least May 13.

Two other journalists, Sapar Akunbekov and Akyl Orozbekov, were transferred to house arrest, while Jumabek Turdaliev was ordered not to leave Bishkek before the trial.

The journalists were detained on January 16 after police searched their homes and offices on a charge of "calling for disobedience and mass riots" over the group's reporting.

A day before that, the State Committee for National Security (UKMK) briefly detained for questioning the director and two editors of the independent 24.kg news agency after searching their homes and offices in a case of "propagating war" because of the outlet's coverage of Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

Kyrgyzstan's civil society and free press have traditionally been the most vibrant in Central Asia. But that has changed amid a deepening government crackdown.

In January, eight international human rights groups -- Civil Rights Defenders, Human Rights Watch, the International Partnership for Human Rights, the Norwegian Helsinki Committee, People in Need, the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights, the International Federation for Human Rights, and the World Organization Against Torture -- called on the Kyrgyz government to stop its crackdown on independent media, calling the reporters' arrests "intimidation and harassment" of journalists to keep them from carrying out their work.

Updated

State Department's Miller Among Scores Of Americans Banned By Russia

State Department spokesman Matthew Miller is one of more than 200 U.S. citizens recently added to Russia's list of Americans over purported "anti-Russia actions."
State Department spokesman Matthew Miller is one of more than 200 U.S. citizens recently added to Russia's list of Americans over purported "anti-Russia actions."

Russia has banned more than 200 U.S. citizens -- including State Department spokesman Matthew Miller -- from entering the country in retaliation for sanctions imposed by Washington on Russians for their support of the Kremlin's ongoing full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The Foreign Ministry in Moscow said in a statement on March 14 that a total of 227 Americans were banned because they "are involved in the outlining, implementation, and justification of the current U.S. administration's Russophobic course, as well as directly being involved in anti-Russia actions."

The list, which now totals 2,078, targets representatives of the executive branch of power in the United States, businesspeople, journalists, and academics.

Along with Miller, the list includes former U.S. Ambassador to Russia John Sullivan, former Treasury Secretary and Harvard University President Emeritus Lawrence Summers, State Department policy adviser Derek Chollet, Deputy Trade Representative Sarah Bianchi, and Alexander Vindman, the Kyiv-born former National Security Council's European affairs director whose testimony before the U.S. Congress provided evidence that resulted in the abuse of power charge in then-President Donald Trump's first impeachment trial.

"In addition to declaring undesirable in the Russian Federation a number of American humanitarian NGOs used by the U.S. Embassy in Moscow to recruit 'agents of influence,' the current expansion of the Russian 'stop list' aims, among other things, to consolidate Washington’s reflexive awareness of the simple truth that that any aggressive attempts will not go unpunished and will receive a decisive rebuff," the statement said.

Kimberly Marten, a political-science professor at Columbia University, and Rob Person, a professor of international relations at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, both called being placed on the list a "badge of honor."

"Some professional news: as of today I’ve been officially sanctioned by the Russian government and banned from the country. It's a badge of honor that I will wear with the greatest pride," Person wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

Separately on March 14, the ministry issued a statement accusing Austria of "yet another unfriendly step" for its move to expel two diplomats from the Russian Embassy in the capital, Vienna.

A day earlier, the Austrian Foreign Ministry ordered two Russian diplomats to leave the country, stressing that they "engaged in acts incompatible with their diplomatic status" and were declared "personae non gratae."

The details about the Russian diplomats or their actions were not provided. An Austrian official with knowledge of the matter told the AP on March 13 on the condition of anonymity that the expulsions were related to spying activities.

Russia's Foreign Ministry called the decision "ungrounded," adding that Vienna is "fully responsible for the consequences of the situation" and that "measures in response will be carried out in a timely manner."

With reporting by AP

Top Czech Diplomat Uses UN Debate To Demand Moscow Free RFE/RL Journalist Kurmasheva

RFE/RL journalist Alsu Kurmasheva stands in a glass cage in a courtroom in Kazan, Russia, on February 1. She has been detained since October 2023.
RFE/RL journalist Alsu Kurmasheva stands in a glass cage in a courtroom in Kazan, Russia, on February 1. She has been detained since October 2023.

Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky called on Moscow during a United Nations debate to release RFE/RL journalist Alsu Kurmasheva, who has been held in Russian custody for almost five months on charges that she, her employer, and her supporters reject.

Speaking during an open debate at the UN Security Council in New York on March 13, Lipavsky began by talking about the need to promote a safe and supportive atmosphere for women, for advocates of human rights, activists, journalists, and advocates of gender equality.

Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky
Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky

He then criticized Russia, a permanent member of the Security Council, saying it contradicted the UN's core principles by invading Ukraine and disrupting the entire security structure outlined in the UN charter.

"I would like to add that Czechia calls on Russia to immediately release Alsu Kurmasheva from detention," Lipavsky said, noting reforming the Security Council to add more countries could be could be a way to strengthen it.

Kurmasheva, a Prague-based journalist with RFE/RL who holds both U.S. and Russian citizenship, has been held in Russian custody since October 18, 2023, on a charge of violating the so-called foreign agent law.

Despite spending almost five months in custody, she has yet to be designated by the U.S. State Department as "wrongfully detained" as it has other U.S. citizens held in Russia.

The designation would raise the profile of the case against Kurmasheva, effectively labeling it as politically motivated. Two other U.S. citizens held by Russia, Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, have been designated as wrongfully detained.

Kurmasheva, who has worked for RFE/RL's Tatar-Bashkir Service for some 25 years, left the Czech capital in mid-May last year because of a family emergency in her native Tatarstan.

She was briefly detained while waiting for her return flight on June 2 at the Kazan airport, where both of her passports and phone were confiscated. After five months waiting for a decision in her case, Kurmasheva was fined 10,000 rubles ($109) for failing to register her U.S. passport with Russian authorities.

Unable to leave Russia without her travel documents, Kurmasheva was detained again in October and this time charged with failing to register as a foreign agent. Two months later, she was charged with spreading falsehoods about the Russian military.

If tried and convicted, Kurmasheva may face up to 10 years in prison.

Many critics and rights group say the so-called foreign agent law is used by the Kremlin to crack down on any dissent.

Moscow also has been accused of detaining Americans to use as bargaining chips to exchange for Russians jailed in the United States.

RFE/RL's jailed journalists (left to right): Alsu Kurmasheva, Ihar Losik, Andrey Kuznechyk, and Vladyslav Yesypenko
RFE/RL's jailed journalists (left to right): Alsu Kurmasheva, Ihar Losik, Andrey Kuznechyk, and Vladyslav Yesypenko

Kurmasheva is one of four RFE/RL journalists -- Andrey Kuznechyk, Ihar Losik, and Vladyslav Yesypenko are the other three -- currently imprisoned on charges related to their work. Rights groups and RFE/RL have called repeatedly for the release of all four, saying they have been wrongly detained.

Losik is a blogger and contributor for RFE/RL’s Belarus Service who was convicted in December 2021 on several charges including the “organization and preparation of actions that grossly violate public order” and sentenced to 15 years in prison.

Kuznechyk, a web editor for RFE/RL’s Belarus Service, was sentenced in June 2022 to six years in prison following a trial that lasted no more than a few hours. He was convicted of “creating or participating in an extremist organization.”

Yesypenko, a dual Ukrainian-Russian citizen who contributed to Crimea.Realities, a regional news outlet of RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, was sentenced in February 2022 to six years in prison by a Russian judge in occupied Crimea after a closed-door trial. He was convicted of “possession and transport of explosives,” a charge he steadfastly denies.

Kyrgyz Lawmakers Approve Final Reading Of Controversial 'Foreign Agents' Bill

The Kyrgyz parliament in session (file photo)
The Kyrgyz parliament in session (file photo)

The Kyrgyz parliament has approved without debate the third and final reading of a controversial bill that would allow authorities to register organizations as "foreign representatives" in a way that critics say mirrors repressive Russian legislation on "foreign agents." Five lawmakers voted against the bill on March 14. President Sadyr Japarov is expected to sign the bill into law. Nongovernmental organizations in Kyrgyzstan had called on lawmakers to reject the bill, insisting it merely substitutes the term "foreign representative" for "foreign agent." Russian authorities have used the law on "foreign agents" to discredit those labeled as such and to stifle dissent. To see the original story by RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service, click here.

Navalny Associates Sentenced To Prison On Extremism Charges In Moscow

People lay flowers at the grave of Russian opposition politician Aleksei Navalny following his funeral in Moscow on March 1.
People lay flowers at the grave of Russian opposition politician Aleksei Navalny following his funeral in Moscow on March 1.

The Khoroshevsky district court in Moscow has sentenced two members of late opposition politician Aleksei Navalny's team on extremism charges. Alina Olekhnovich, 21, and Ivan Trofimov, 22, each were sentenced on March 14 to 3 1/2 years in prison. The activists were arrested in July 2023. Investigators say they were linked to an underground network of Navalny's teams "involved in disruptive activities." Russia labeled Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation and other organizations linked to him as extremist and banned them in June 2021, after which the network of Navalny's teams was dissolved and many of the Kremlin critic's associates fled Russia. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Russian Service, click here.

Updated

Lithuanian Official Dubs Attack On Navalny Aide 'Political Terrorism'

Leonid Volkov, a close aide to late Russian opposition leader Aleksei Navalny, left Russia in 2019 fearing for his personal safety.
Leonid Volkov, a close aide to late Russian opposition leader Aleksei Navalny, left Russia in 2019 fearing for his personal safety.

The attack on Leonid Volkov, a close aide of late Russian opposition figure Aleksei Navalny, was a well-planned case of political terrorism, a senior Lithuanian official told the media on March 14.

Volkov, who left Russia in 2019 fearing for his personal security, was attacked late on March 12 with a meat hammer by an unidentified assailant in the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, leaving him bloodied, with a broken arm and other injuries.

The attack occurred less than a month after the death of Navalny under suspicious circumstances at a prison in the Russian Arctic.

"This is the first time that such an incident has happened in our country, such a case of political aggression, political terrorism on our soil," Vilmantas Vitkauskas, the head of Lithuania's National Crisis Management Center, told national radio on March 14.

Lithuanian Police Hunt Suspect After Hammer Attack On Navalny Aide
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Lithuanian intelligence services have said the assault appeared likely to be an operation "organized and implemented by Russia," the purpose of which was to hamper the actions of Russian opposition members who fled the country.

White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said he could not confirm Lithuanian claims that Russia's special services were involved but said the assault was a reminder of the "very real threats" to Kremlin opponents.

Vitkauskas said on March 14 that while at the current stage of the investigation it was too early to establish with precision who was behind the attack on Volkov, it appeared to be a carefully planned operation.

"One thing is clear:Tthe longer the investigation goes on, the clearer it becomes that the operation itself was professional, well-planned, and whoever carried it out was either well-prepared or received very good instructions," Vitkauskais said.

The Department of State Security of the EU and the NATO member said on March 13 the attack appeared to have been orchestrated by Russia "in connection with the forthcoming undemocratic Russian presidential elections."

President Vladimir Putin, 71, is expected to easily win the tightly controlled March 15-17 presidential elections as he faces no serious competition.

President Gitanas Nauseda called the attack on Volkov a failed provocation against Lithuania.

"I can only say one thing to Putin: Nobody is afraid of you here," Nauseda said on March 13.

Russian dissidents who have fled their homeland amid a brutal crackdown on dissent by Putin have often warned they are being targeted with threats and attacks.

The death of Navalny -- Putin's most vocal critic -- last month while being held at an Arctic prison on convictions widely seen as politically motivated has only served to heighten those fears.

With reporting by lrt.lt and Reuters

At Least One Dead In Far East Helicopter Crash

A Russian Mil Mi-8 helicopter (file photo)
A Russian Mil Mi-8 helicopter (file photo)

A helicopter carrying 20 people, including three crew members, crash-landed in Russia's Far Eastern Magadan region, killing one person and seriously injuring another two, rescue services reported on March 14. The Mi-8 helicopter was transporting mine workers from the Kvartsevy gold mine when it crashed, emergency service said. Rescuers were trying to reach the area using all-terrain vehicles since bad weather prevented the use of helicopters. Authorities have opened an investigation, but according to preliminary data, the cause of the crash was engine failure. To read the original story by Current Time, click here.

Russian Drones Attack Ukraine's Kharkiv, Sumy Regions

Rescuers work at the site of an apartment building heavily damaged by a Russian drone strike in Sumy, Ukraine, on March 13.
Rescuers work at the site of an apartment building heavily damaged by a Russian drone strike in Sumy, Ukraine, on March 13.

Russian forces early on March 14 attacked Ukraine's northeastern regions of Sumy and Kharkiv with drones and a missile, causing damage to civilian infrastructure, regional officials reported. The attacks targeted the cities of Sumy, Shostka, Trostyanets, and Bilopil in Sumy, the regional military administration reported this morning, adding that the damage was still being assessed. In Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, the attackers used drones and an S-300 missile, causing minor damage to several apartment buildings but no casualties, Mayor Ihor Terekhov and regional Governor Oleh Synyehubov reported. To read the original stories by RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, click here and here.

Updated

Two Reported Killed In Ukrainian Strikes On Russian Regions

Police officers stand guard in front of a damaged store at the scene of fresh aerial attacks on Belgorod, Russia, on March 14.
Police officers stand guard in front of a damaged store at the scene of fresh aerial attacks on Belgorod, Russia, on March 14.

Russia's border regions of Belgorod and Kursk have been targeted again in a series of Ukrainian drone and missile strikes that killed at least two people, wounded several others, and caused material damage.

The Defense Ministry in Moscow said on March 14 that it had thwarted another attempt by troops from Ukraine to cross into Russia's Belgorod region following a similar claim on March 12.

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The ministry said its air-defense systems shot down 14 Ukrainian drones overnight -- 11 drones over Belgorod and three over the Kursk region.

Several border settlements in the Belgorod region, along with its capital, were shelled on the morning of March 14, media and Russian pro-war bloggers reported.

The Baza Telegram channel, citing local residents, reported a loud midmorning blast near the train station in the city of Belgorod and later added that at least three people were wounded as a result of Ukrainian shelling.

Belgorod regional Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said on Telegram that one person was killed and two others were wounded in the attack in Belgorod.

Later, reports said a second person died on March 14 in the city.

Both deaths apparently occurred in vehicles struck by blasts in Belgorod.

Meanwhile, the Russian Volunteer Corps (RDK), one of the groups of Russians fighting alongside of Ukrainian armed forces against Moscow, called on the residents of Kursk, Belgorod, and Bryansk regions to either evacuate or "immediately take shelter."

RDK, together with the Freedom of Russia Legion and the Siberian Battalion, which are also comprised of Russian citizens who have been fighting alongside Ukrainian armed forces in the war, on March 12 claimed to have launched cross-border attacks into Russia territory.

The Kremlin said Russian forces repelled the incursions and inflicted heavy losses on the armed groups. Neither claim could be independently verified.

Dozens of Ukrainian drones have struck energy infrastructure in several Russian regions in recent days, including oil refineries in the Ryazan, Nizhny Novgorod, and the Leningrad regions.

Ukraine has not officially claimed responsibility for the attacks, but Ukrainian intelligence sources told media outlets, including RFE/RL, that the attacks were part of systematic strategy to damage Russia's economy.

"Our task is to deprive the enemy of resources and reduce the flow of oil money and fuel, which the Russia directs toward the war and the murdering of our citizens," a source told RFE/RL on March 13.

In Ukraine, the northeastern regions of Sumy and Kharkiv were attacked with drones and a missile, causing damage to civilian infrastructure, regional officials reported.

As Ukraine Fortifies Front Lines, An Underground City Takes Shape
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The attacks targeted the cities of Sumy, Shostka, Trostyanets, and Bilopil in Sumy, the regional military administration reported this morning, adding that the damage was still being assessed.

In Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, the attackers used drones and an S-300 missile, causing minor damage to several apartment buildings but no casualties, Mayor Ihor Terekhov and regional Governor Oleh Synyehubov reported.

The Ukrainian military said its air-defense systems shot down 22 of the 36 drones launched overnight by Russia.

In late afternoon on March 14, an air-raid alert was declared for the entire territory of Ukraine.

U.S. Sees No Sign Russia Planning To Use Nuclear Weapons Despite Putin 'Rhetoric'

Russia test-fires a Yars intercontinental ballistic missile as part of nuclear drills from a launch site in Plesetsk, northwestern Russia, in 2022.
Russia test-fires a Yars intercontinental ballistic missile as part of nuclear drills from a launch site in Plesetsk, northwestern Russia, in 2022.

The White House said on March 13 it had seen no indications that Moscow is ready to use a nuclear weapon in Ukraine after President Vladimir Putin said he was ready to deploy them if Russia's sovereignty was threatened. "We have not seen any reasons to adjust our own nuclear posture, nor any indication that Russia is preparing to use a nuclear weapon in Ukraine," spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said. Putin appeared to be "restating Russia's nuclear doctrine" after he was asked about using the weapons. Jean-Pierre added that “Russia's nuclear rhetoric” has been "reckless" throughout its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Updated

Moscow Vows 'Timely' Response To Austrian Decision To Expel Two Russian Diplomats

The Russian Embassy in Vienna (file photo)
The Russian Embassy in Vienna (file photo)

Russia's Foreign Ministry has accused Austria of "yet another unfriendly step" for its move to expel two diplomats from the Russian Embassy in the capital, Vienna. The Austrian Foreign Ministry said on March 13 the two diplomats "engaged in acts incompatible with their diplomatic status" and were declared "personae non gratae." Russia's Foreign Ministry on March 14 called the decision "ungrounded," adding that Vienna is "fully responsible for the consequences of the situation" and that "measures in response will be carried out in a timely manner." To read the Russian Foreign Ministry's statement, click here.

Navalny's Widow Calls Putin A 'Gangster' Unworthy To Be Recognized As President

Yulia Navalnaya (file photo)
Yulia Navalnaya (file photo)

Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of Russian opposition politician Aleksei Navalny, said President Vladimir Putin is a "gangster" and Western governments should not recognize him as the legitimate leader of Russia after his inevitable reelection in the presidential vote that begins on March 15.

In an op-ed published on March 13 in The Washington Post, Navalnaya called Putin a corrupt leader who has falsified elections and killed, imprisoned, or forced out all his critics.

“Putin is not a politician, he’s a gangster,” Navalnaya wrote.

She said Putin hated her husband precisely because he openly described him and his allies as gangsters who seized power "only for their own enrichment and to fulfill their personal ambitions.”

Navalnaya, whose husband died last month from unexplained circumstances at the age of 47 in an Arctic prison where he was serving a 19-year sentence, again said that he was murdered on Putin’s direct order. World leaders and Russian opposition activists have also blamed Putin. The Kremlin has denied involvement in his death.

Navalny’s widow said she wrote the op-ed to convey a “few important things that Aleksei had been trying to say all these years” before Russians begin voting.

Navalnaya said governments must fundamentally change their view of Putin, who is facing no serious opponent in the election and is certain to sweep to another six-year term.

Those who look at Putin as a mafia boss “will grasp his brutality, cynicism, penchant for violence, fondness for ostentatious luxury -- and his willingness to lie and kill” and therefore should dismiss the idea that he is a legitimate political leader.

She urged countries not to recognize the results of the March 15-17 elections to give a signal to civil society in Russia and the elites that Russia is “ruled not by a president recognized by all, but by someone who is despised and publicly condemned.”

Those who remain loyal to Putin will then start to see that the one way to return to normal economic and political life is to get rid of him, she said.

She also argued for the maximum expansion of sanctions against the most prominent Putin-allied politicians, businessmen, civil servants, and law enforcement officials.

“By depriving thousands of influential figures of their capital and assets, you lay the groundwork for internal divisions -- and ultimately the collapse of the regime,” she said.

The United States and the European Union have imposed sanctions on hundreds of entities and individuals since Russian launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022 in an effort to punish Russia and force an end to the war, but Moscow thus far has managed to overcome the sanctions in part with the support of friendly trading partners such as China.

Navalnaya said political leaders in the West should help all Russians who stand up against Putin by not recognizing the results of the elections and by no longer recognizing Putin as the legitimate president of Russia.

“The world must finally realize that Putin is not who he wants to appear to be,” she said.

With reporting by The Washington Post

Oscar-Winning Director Asghar Farhadi Cleared Of Plagiarism By Iranian Court

Oscar-winning Iranian director Asghar Farhadi
Oscar-winning Iranian director Asghar Farhadi

An Iranian court has cleared two-time Oscar-winning director Asghar Farhadi of plagiarism charges over his film A Hero, which won the Grand Prize at the Cannes Film Festival in 2021. A former student, Azadeh Masihzadeh, had accused Farhadi of stealing the idea for the movie from a documentary she made during a workshop run by the director in 2014 in Tehran. Farhadi's public relations firm on March 13 said in a statement the court verdict was based on the "expert" opinions of three prominent professors at Tehran University, as well as experts and lecturers in the field of intellectual property rights and arts. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Radio Farda, click here.

U.S. Imposes Sanctions On 3 Individuals For Organizing Republika Srpska Day

Members of the special police march during parade celebrations marking Republika Srpska Day in Banja Luka on January 9.
Members of the special police march during parade celebrations marking Republika Srpska Day in Banja Luka on January 9.

The U.S. Treasury Department on March 13 unveiled sanctions against three individuals in Republika Srpska for undermining the peace and stability of Bosnia-Herzegovina by helping to organize an "unconstitutional" celebration of Bosnian Serb identity.

The three individuals -- Branislav Okuka, Jelena Pajic-Bastinac, and Srebrenka Golic -- were involved in "organizing and executing the commemoration of Republika Srpska Day on January 9, 2024, an activity determined to be unconstitutional" in Bosnia, the Treasury Department said in a statement.

Okuka, Pajic-Bastinac, and Golic were added to the Treasury Department’s sanctions list for contributing to the efforts of Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik “to undermine the peace and stability” of Bosnia by organizing the event.

The three were members of the organizing committee and participated in a meeting on November 27 when the event plan was approved, the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) said.

The president of Republic Srpska, Milorad Dodik
The president of Republic Srpska, Milorad Dodik

Dodik appointed the committee and demanded it plan the celebration, which included events taking place over three days beginning on January 8.

The main event was a parade in Banja Luka on January 9 in which some 3,000 people marched with Dodik, other Republika Srpska officials, and Russia's ambassador to Bosnia looking on.

On January 9, 1992, the so-called Assembly of the Serbian People in Bosnia-Herzegovina declared an “independent entity” within the country, and authorities in Republika Srpska have marked the date as the founding day of the Serbian entity.

Representatives of the Bosniaks and the Croats did not participate in the declaration. They consider January 9 the beginning of the Bosnian War and the ethnic cleansing and war crimes against Bosnia’s non-Serb population that took place during the conflict.

The January 9 celebrations occurred "in defiance" of a ruling by the country's constitutional court, OFAC said. The court found the marking of January 9 to be "unconstitutional" because it prioritized only Serbs in violation of the “constitutional obligation of nondiscrimination."

The Treasury Department also said the latest sanctions are part of the U.S. government’s “wider efforts to promote peace, stability, and functional democratic governance in the Western Balkans region."

Under the Dayton agreement that ended the 1992-95 Bosnian War, Bosnia has been governed by an administrative system made up of the Bosniak-Croat federation and Republika Srpska. The two entities are guaranteed a large degree of autonomy under a weak central government.

The United States, which brokered the Dayton agreement, said again on March 13 that it would continue to hold to account “those who seek to sow division to achieve their own political aims at the expense of the people of Bosnia-Herzegovina.”

Dodik has been designated for sanctions twice by the United States -- once in January 2022 for violating the Dayton agreement and for corrupt practices, and once in July 2017 for "actively obstructing or presenting a significant risk of active obstruction” of the agreement.

The sanctions against Dodik and those announced on March 13 against the three individuals freeze any property they hold in U.S. jurisdiction and block people and entities in the United States from dealing with them.

The U.S. announcement follows a similar decision by British authorities to sanction a marketing agency involved in organizing events around Republika Srpska Day.

With reporting by AFP

Iran's Inflation Taking Bite Out Of Traditional Persian New Year Meals

Iranians buying items to celebrate the Persian New Year in Tehran. (file photo)
Iranians buying items to celebrate the Persian New Year in Tehran. (file photo)

Iranians, already hit hard by declining living standards, are seeing steep price increases for essential goods as the Persian New Year, Norouz, approaches.

The New Year, which this year follows the start of the holy month of Ramadan and heralds the start of spring on March 20, is traditionally a time of celebration. But the surge in prices, according to local media, has forced many to prioritize essential food items over other purchases of new clothes for the New Year celebrations at a time already marred by economic hardship.

The Tehran-based Etemad newspaper highlighted the impact of these price hikes on Ramadan, noting that the cost of consumer goods for iftar meals has multiplied compared to the previous year as Iranians continue to endure an annual inflation rate that for the past five years has been above 40 percent while purchasing power has been decimated.

The cost of preparing the traditional haft-sin table, a central part of Norouz celebrations, has also skyrocketed, retailers said.

Unrest has rattled Iran for more than a year in response to declining living standards, wage arrears, and a lack of welfare support.

The country's economy has been ravaged by U.S. sanctions, hitting budget revenues hard while also leading to a surge of protests. Labor Ministry data show that Iran's poverty rate doubled in 2021, with one-third of the population living in "extreme poverty." Since then, conditions have failed to improve.

In September 2023, Iran's Misery Index, calculated by the Iranian Statistics Center, rose to 60.4 -- its highest point ever and more than double what it was six years ago. The higher the rating, the worse off people feel.

Rasoul Shajari, the head of Tehran's Shoemakers Union, reported a 25 percent drop in demand amid a 30 percent increase in prices in Tehran's pre-Norouz shoe market. Meanwhile, the Ettela'at newspaper said its survey of retailers showed a significant decline in the demand for sweets, a staple of Norouz celebrations, due to high prices.

Compounding the economic pressures, Tehran's City Council announced fare increases for public transport, including a 16 percent rise for the subway, 21 percent for rapid transit buses, and 30 percent for regular buses, further squeezing the already strained budgets of Tehran's residents.

The situation outside the capital is just as bad.

The Mehr news agency reported from the central Iranian province of Semnan that some prices have jumped "significantly" in the weeks leading up to the holiday season.

The Etemad newspaper, in a rare move, urged officials to refrain from exacerbating the situation with "additional social pressures" such as clamping down on wearing the hijab.

The Misery Index is also seen as a barometer for societal issues, with a direct link to crime rates and even instances of suicide. The most recent index also showed that in the past year, 22 of Iran's 31 provinces reported a reading surpassing the national average, highlighting countrywide discontent.

Several protests have been held by Iranians over the past year in response to declining living standards, wage arrears, and a lack of welfare support.

The death of Amini while in police custody for allegedly wearing a head scarf improperly has added fuel to the unrest, as Iranians have also demonstrated against a lack of freedoms and women's rights.

Written by Ardeshir Tayebi based on an original story in Persian by RFE/RL's Radio Farda

After Outrage Over 'White Flag' Comment, Pope Condemns 'Madness Of War'

Pope Francis delivers his speech during his weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican on March 13.
Pope Francis delivers his speech during his weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican on March 13.

Pope Francis has issued a fresh condemnation of all wars after angering Kyiv and Western governments earlier this week by suggesting that Ukraine should surrender and negotiate peace with Russia.

Speaking in general terms at his weekly audience at the Vatican on March 13, Francis said many young people die in war and added a prayer for “the grace to overcome this madness of war, which is always a defeat."

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Francis, 87, caused an uproar by saying in an interview with Swiss broadcaster RSI released over the weekend that Ukraine should "show the courage of the white flag" and open talks to end the war with Russia.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican's secretary of state and the pontiff's closest collaborator, tried to clarify the comments on March 12, saying in an interview that "the first condition" for peace is that Russia "put an end to its aggression."

Francis did not mention Ukraine in his audience on March 13 but said he had been given a rosary and a copy of the Gospels that had belonged to a man killed on the front line of a war.

Sister Lucia Caram, an Argentinian nun who met the pope before his audience, said on social media that the man was a 23-year-old Ukrainian soldier who died in Avdiyivka, which was captured by Russian forces last month.

The rosary had originally been blessed by the pope, and Sister Caram returned it to the pontiff, she said, according to Reuters. She added that Francis kissed it and appeared moved as "he loves Ukraine and suffers for the martyrdom of this people invaded and cruelly attacked."

Also on March 13, Francis marked the 11th anniversary of his election, a milestone recognized by Russia.

The Russian Embassy at the Vatican congratulated him on the anniversary, hailing the pope as a "true and sincere [advocate] of humanism, peace, and traditional values" in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

Francis is "one of the few political leaders with a truly strategic viewpoint on world problems," the embassy said.

With reporting by Reuters, Vatican News, and AFP

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