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Pakistani, U.S. Agents Interrogate Five Americans

SARGODHA, Pakistan (Reuters) -- U.S. FBI agents and their Pakistani colleagues today interrogated five young American Muslims who wanted to go to Afghanistan to fight U.S.-led forces, Pakistani officials said.

The case is bound to fan fears in Western countries that the sons of immigrants from Muslim countries are being drawn to violent Islamist militancy, a process made easier by the Internet.

The five men, students in their 20s from northern Virginia, were detained this week in the city of Sargodha in Punjab Province, 190 kilometers southeast of the Pakistani capital, Islamabad.

The case has again focused attention on nuclear-armed Pakistan's performance in fighting militants as Washington presses Islamabad to root out Islamist fighters crossing the border to attack U.S.-led troops in Afghanistan.

The five tried to contact militants and stayed in touch with each other through the Internet, Pakistani security officials said, highlighting the difficulty authorities face in trying to track and disrupt plots organized on the Web.

Police in Sargodha had taken the first step towards filing charges with complaints based on laws pertaining to foreigners and use of computers to organize crime.

"A case has been registered against the five for violating Pakistan's foreigners and cyber acts," Sargodha police chief Usman Anwar told Reuters.

Pakistani agents and colleagues from the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) were interrogating the five, said a Pakistani security official.

"They are still in Sargodha and they are being investigated by us as well as the FBI," said the official, who declined to be identified.

'Brainwashed'

Another Pakistani security official said the five had visited a madrasah, or Islamic religious school, in the southern city of Hyderabad saying they wanted to join jihad, or Muslim holy war.

The school turned them away, he said.

The hapless five had then tried to contact an Islamist charity, the Jamaat-ud-Dawa, linked to the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba militant group, in the city of Lahore.

They failed there too as they had no guarantor, the official said.

"These are five raw men who had been brainwashed," said the security official.

The five were found with maps and had intended to travel through northwest Pakistan to the Al-Qaeda and Taliban militant stronghold of Miranshah, in the lawless North Waziristan region on the Afghan border.

"Their ultimate destination was Afghanistan. They wanted to go to Afghanistan for jihad," the official said.

It is not clear if the five will be prosecuted in Pakistan or sent back to the United States. In Washington, the FBI said discussions were under way on their possible return.

The suspects were wary about being detected through sending e-mails so instead they shared a password so different members of their group could access the same e-mail site and read messages saved there as drafts, the first Pakistani official said.

"It's a very difficult job to dismantle such networks which operate through the Internet," he said.

The suspects were being investigated for links with the banned Jaish-e-Mohammad group, but it was not clear to what extent they had developed contacts.

The Jaish-e-Mohammad, or Army of the Prophet Mohammad, has links with Al-Qaeda and the Taliban and is one of several factions with roots in Punjab Province which have been battling Indian forces in disputed Kashmir.

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U.S. Again Dismisses Russian Assertion Of Ukrainian Link To Concert Hall Attackers

White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby (file photo)
White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby (file photo)

The White House has again dismissed Russia's allegation that Ukraine was involved in the attack on the Crocus City concert hall and said that the United States had passed clear and detailed information to Russian security services about an extremist attack in Moscow in advance of the attack.

White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said on March 28 that Russia's charge of Ukrainian involvement in the attack was “nonsense and propaganda."

Kirby spoke shortly after Russia's Investigative Committee said it had uncovered evidence that the four gunmen who carried out the attack on March 22, which killed more than 140 people were linked to Ukraine.

"It is abundantly clear that [Islamic State] was solely responsible for the horrific attack in Moscow last week," Kirby said, reiterating the U.S. position, which is shared by France. "In fact, the United States tried to help prevent this terrorist attack and the Kremlin knows this."

The written message to Russia's security services was passed on March 7 at 11:15 a.m. and was one of multiple advance warnings that the United States provided to Russian authorities about the potential for extremist attacks on concerts and large gatherings in Moscow, Kirby said.

The messages were passed "following normal procedures and through established channels that have been employed many times previously,” he said, emphasizing his rebuke of Russian officials by comparing them to "manure salesmen" who "carry their samples in their mouths."

Islamic State has said several times that it was responsible for the attack, and IS-affiliated media channels have published graphic videos of the gunmen inside the venue.

Despite the IS claim of responsibility and the information released by the United States, Russian President Vladimir Putin and other Russian officials have persisted in trying to implicate Ukraine. Russia's Investigative Committee claimed on March 28 that suspects in the attack had "links with Ukrainian nationalists."

"As a result of work with the detained terrorists, an examination of technical devices seized from them and analysis of financial transactions, evidence of their links with Ukrainian nationalists has been obtained," the Investigative Committee said in a statement.

It alleged that the suspects had received "significant amounts of money and cryptocurrency from Ukraine" and said another man "involved in financing the terrorists" had been identified and detained and investigators would ask the court to remand him in custody. No other details were provided.

With reporting by Reuters, dpa, AFP, and RFE/RL's Russian Service

Russian Mathematician Sentenced To 4 Years In Prison On Justifying Terrorism Charge

Russian mathematician Azat Miftakhov (file photo)
Russian mathematician Azat Miftakhov (file photo)

A court in Yekaterinburg sentenced mathematician Azat Miftakhov on March 28 to four years in prison on a charge of justifying terrorism, which he and his supporters reject. Miftakhov, 31, was arrested in September immediately after he served almost six years for involvement in an arson attack against the offices of the ruling United Russia party. Miftakhov also rejected the charges in that case. Miftakhov, who has been recognized by U.S., European, Japanese, and other Russian mathematicians, said at the time that he had been tortured by investigators. The Memorial human rights group has recognized Miftakhov as a political prisoner. To read the original story by RFE/RL’s Russian Service, click here.

Russian Veto Ends UN Monitoring Enforcement Of North Korea Nuclear Sanctions

 The vote in the 15-member UN Security Council was 13 in favor, with Russia against and China abstaining
The vote in the 15-member UN Security Council was 13 in favor, with Russia against and China abstaining

Russia has vetoed a UN Security Council resolution in a move that effectively abolishes the monitoring by UN experts of sanctions against North Korea over its nuclear program, although the sanctions themselves remain in place. Russia’s March 28 veto represented a turnaround on the monitoring regime and prompted Western accusations that Moscow was acting to shield its weapons purchases from North Korea for use in its war against Ukraine in violation of the sanctions. The vote in the 15-member council was 13 in favor, with Russia against and China abstaining. To read the original story by AP, click here.

Court In Russia's Bashkortostan Orders Arrest Of Former Navalny Team Member

Bashkortostan activist Olga Komleva (file photo)
Bashkortostan activist Olga Komleva (file photo)

A former member of late Russian opposition politician Aleksei Navalny's team in Bashkortostan, Olga Komleva, was sent to pretrial detention on March 28 on a charge of participating in an extremist group's activities. Komleva, 45, is also a journalist with the RusNews online media outlet. She covered mass protests in January against the imprisonment of Bashkir activist Fail Alsynov. All Navalny's organizations were labeled extremist in 2021. The former leader of Navalny's headquarters in Bashkortostan, Lilia Chanysheva, was sentenced to 7 1/2 years in prison on extremism charge last year. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Idel.Realities, click here.

Kazakh Flooding Caused By Rapid Snowmelt Affects Hundreds Of Homes, Prompts Evacuations

Rescue services tackle flooded streets in the Kazakh city of Aqtobe on March 28. (file photo)
Rescue services tackle flooded streets in the Kazakh city of Aqtobe on March 28. (file photo)

Kazakh emergency officials said on March 28 that almost 300 residential buildings have been affected by ongoing floods caused by an abrupt shift to warm weather that led to a mass snowmelt. More than 100 flooding cases were registered across the country's Abai, Aqmola, Aqtobe, Qostanai, and West Kazakhstan regions. An estimated 1,431 people, including 312 children, were evacuated from areas affected by the floods in a 24-hour period. Rescue teams are continuing to search for three people who went missing in the northeastern Abai region, where the floods destroyed a bridge. A state of emergency has been announced in several districts. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Kazakh Service, click here.

Russian Fighter Jet Crashes Near Sevastopol, Says Moscow-Installed Governor

The Russian Su-35 fighter jet reportedly fell into the sea off Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula on March 28.
The Russian Su-35 fighter jet reportedly fell into the sea off Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula on March 28.

A Russian Su-35 fighter jet crashed on March 28 near occupied Sevastopol, the Russia-installed governor of the Ukrainian peninsula said. "A military plane fell into the sea.... Civilian objects were not damaged,” Mikhail Razvozhayev said on Telegram. The pilot ejected and was picked up by rescuers about 200 meters from the shore, Razvozhayev said, adding that his life was not in danger. The Russian Defense Ministry has not commented on the report about the downed plane. Russian Telegram channels reported earlier that a Russian Su-35 fighter jet had crashed near Sevastopol. The cause of the crash was unclear. To read the original story on RFE/RL’s Russian Service, click here.

Amnesty International Calls On Pakistan To Stop Expelling Afghan Girls And Women

Afghan refugee women and children sit at a registration center after arriving back from Pakistan in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan, late last year.
Afghan refugee women and children sit at a registration center after arriving back from Pakistan in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan, late last year.

Amnesty International has urged Pakistan to halt expelling hundreds of thousands of Afghan girls and women to neighboring Afghanistan.

“The deportation of Afghan refugees from Pakistan will put women and girls at unique risk,” Amnesty's South Asia Office wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on March 27.

The global rights watchdog's plea comes ahead of the beginning of a new phase of the expulsion of Afghan refugees from neighboring Pakistan. Islamabad plans to force some 850,000 documented Afghan refugees back to their country next month if they don't leave voluntarily.


Since October, Pakistan has already expelled more than 500,000 Afghans who lacked proper documents to stay in the country.

“Forced returns seriously curtail their rights to education, work, movement, and in some cases, expose them to imminent threat of violence,” Amnesty said.

“The Government of Pakistan must halt all deportations and take affirmative measures to ensure the safety of refugee women and girls,” it added.

After returning to power in August 2021, the Taliban’s ultraconservative Islamist government n Afghanistan has banned teenage girls and women from education. It also prohibited women from employment in most sectors.


Afghan women must also wear a niqab -- a strict head-to-toe veil -- in public. Taliban restrictions have severely curtailed women’s mobility by requiring them to be accompanied by a male chaperone outside their homes. Women are also banned from leisure activities, including visits to parks.

“Women and girls will experience serious repression of their rights to education, work, freedom of movement and more if deported,” Amnesty said.

The new warning comes two days after Amnesty called in a new report on Islamabad to reverse forced expulsions of all Afghans.

The report, Pakistan: Human Rights Charter, issued on March 25, asked Islamabad to protect all at-risk "refugees in compliance with Pakistan obligations under the principle of non-refoulement."

Non-refoulement is a fundamental principle of international law that prohibits a state from returning asylum seekers to a country where they would face persecution based on their race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion.

Pakistan lacks a domestic law that offers a path to refugee status. It is not a signatory to the 1951 UN Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees or the 1967 protocol intended to remove constraints on who can be considered a refugee.

Cryptic Serbian President Warns Of 'Difficult Days' Ahead

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic (file photo)
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic (file photo)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic warned on March 28 that "difficult days" lie ahead for his country, without elaborating. Vucic added that he had spoken with the European Union and the Quint nations -- an informal decision-making group consisting of the United States, France, Germany, Italy, and Britain. He rejected assessments that Serbia is abandoning its European path after the announcement of a possible exit from the Council of Europe if that organization accepts Kosovo, Serbia's former province whose independence Belgrade does not recognize. He said he would provide more details “in the coming days.” To read the original story on RFE/RL’s Serbian Service, click here.

Putin Says Russia Will Not Attack NATO, But Ukrainian F-16s Will Be Shot Down

Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with military pilots in the town of Torzhok in the western Tver region on March 28. (file photo)
Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with military pilots in the town of Torzhok in the western Tver region on March 28. (file photo)

Russia has no plans to attack any NATO country and will not attack Poland, the Baltic states, or the Czech Republic, but if the West supplies Ukraine with F-16 fighter planes they will be shot down by Russian forces, President Vladimir Putin said on March 28.

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.

Speaking to Russian Air Force pilots in the town of Torzhok in the western region of Tver, Putin said the U.S.-led alliance had expanded eastward toward Russia since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 but that Moscow had no plans to attack NATO states.

"We have no aggressive intentions toward these states...This is absolutely absurd [to say that we plan to] attack some other countries -- Poland, Baltic states, and they also frighten the Czechs. It is mere nonsense, another way to cheat their population and force them to allocate additional resources [for Ukraine]," Putin said, according to a Kremlin transcript released on March 28.

Answering a reporter's question on whether Moscow's military would attack F-16 warplanes deployed at NATO airfields if they were used against Russia from there, Putin said: "Of course, if they are used from third-country airfields, they will be legitimate targets, no matter where they are."

"...We will destroy their planes the same way we destroy their tanks, armored vehicles and other equipment today, including multiple-launch rocket systems," Putin added, stressing that, while organizing combat activities, "we will have to take into account" that "F-16s carry nuclear weapons."

Ukraine's Western partners have promised Kyiv at least 42 F-16s and Ukrainian pilots have been training in the West for months on how to fly the warplanes, but the planes would be housed by Ukrainian air bases, not Western ones.

However, it remains unclear how many Ukrainian air bases can accommodate F-16s, which require high-quality runways and well-protected and well-camouflaged hangars.


Putin also reiterated his previous statements, saying that Russian troops in Ukraine “are defending people residing on our historic territories.”

Before Russia launched its ongoing unprovoked invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russian officials, including Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed Western countries' warnings that Russia was planning full-scale aggression against its neighbor.

Kazakh Man Sentenced For Killing 4-Year-Old During 2022 Unrest

Arman Zhuman
Arman Zhuman

ASTANA -- A man was sentenced to seven years in prison in a high-profile trial related to the death of a 4-year-old girl during deadly unrest in Kazakhstan in January 2022.

The military court in Astana on March 28 annulled serviceman Arman Zhuman's acquittal from November and sentenced him after finding him guilty of abuse of power.

Aikorkem Meldekhan was shot dead in the Central Asian nation's largest city, Almaty, by what the court concluded was military personnel, when she and other members of her family were in a car on their way to a grocery store on January 7, 2022.

The vehicle was sprayed with at least 20 bullets, also wounding Aikorkem's 15-year-old sister.

Zhuman's lawyer, Oksana Musokhranova, said the court's decision will be appealed.

Aikorkem's father, Aidos Meldekhan, said he is not satisfied with the court's decision, insisting that the charge should have been changed from abuse of power to murder of a minor and attempted murder.

At least 238 people are believed to have been killed by Kazakh security forces during a brutal crackdown on anti-government protesters in January 2022.

With the country in the throes of unrest, President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev gave police and military troops the controversial order to "shoot to kill without warning." He justified the move by saying "20,000 extremists trained in foreign terrorist camps" had seized Almaty airport and other buildings.

No evidence of foreign-trained terrorists was ever presented.

The order sparked an outcry and Aikorkem's picture turned into an image symbolizing the victims of the crackdown, many of whom were killed -- some under torture -- by police, security forces and military personnel, including troops of the Russia-led Collective Security Treaty Organization, whom Toqaev invited into the country "to restore law and order."

Poland Temporarily Opens Ukraine Border Crossing Amid Grain Talks

A protest at the Ukraine-Poland border on February 11
A protest at the Ukraine-Poland border on February 11

Poland has temporarily opened one border crossing with Ukraine, Kyiv said on March 28, as government representatives met in Warsaw to defuse a dispute over Ukrainian grain imports.

The State Border Guard Service of Ukraine said in a statement on Telegram that 120 trucks were expected to cross the Uhryniv-Dolhobichuv checkpoint into Poland. It said the crossing would remain open until April 2.

The announcement was made as the Polish and Ukrainian governments met for more than six hours in Warsaw to discuss a row over Ukrainian grain imports, but a breakthrough appears unlikely.

Border crossings with Ukraine have been blocked for weeks as farmers in Poland demand the reimposition of customs duties on agricultural imports from Ukraine, which were waived following Russian’s full-scale invasion in 2022.

They argue that Ukraine is flooding Europe with cheap grain, making it impossible to compete.

"It is difficult to expect any breakthrough after these talks, any specific agreement, for example, on agricultural issues," said Jan Grabiec, head of the prime minister's office. "We are still in dialogue and both sides -- at least for today -- are not fully satisfied."

Ukraine’s Agriculture Minister Mykola Solsky wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that the talks were “difficult but frank.” He said solutions had been discussed, which would be “announced soon.”

Russian Journalist Faces Extremism Charge Over Alleged Link To Navalny

Antonina Favorskaya
Antonina Favorskaya

Russian journalist Antonina Favorskaya was not released on March 27 after serving 10 days in jail on a charge of disobedience to police orders and was sent to pretrial detention instead. The reporter for the SOTAvision media outlet is now accused of taking part in the activities of late opposition politician Aleksei Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation that was labeled as extremist in 2021. On February 15, Favorskaya recorded the last video of Navalny at a court hearing he was taking part in via a video link from an Arctic prison. The next day, Navalny suddenly died in the prison. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Russian Service, click here.

Imprisoned Mother Of Chechen Activists Hospitalized

Zarema Musayeva
Zarema Musayeva

Zarema Musayeva, the imprisoned mother of three self-exiled outspoken Chechen opposition activists, has been hospitalized.

The Team Against Torture human rights group in Russia said on March 28 that Musayeva, who is serving a five-year term in a colony settlement -- a dormitory-like penitentiary located near an industrial facility where convicts work alongside regular employees -- was hospitalized after her eyesight deteriorated sharply and swellings appeared on her body.

The rights group quoted Musayeva's lawyer Aleksandr Savin as saying that his client has an acute form of diabetes, cataracts, and constant pain in her knee.

According to Savin, Musayeva needs proper medical assistance. Earlier in March, Musayeva's lawyer said the penitentiary authorities in the city of Argun had refused to let Musayeva see a doctor for two months, although a medical examination could have resulted in her early release.

Musayeva's initial request for early release was rejected by a court in Chechnya in December.

Musayeva is the mother of Ibragim, Abubakar, and Baisangur Yangulbayev, all of whom have fled the country citing harassment from Chechen authorities over their online criticism of Kremlin-backed Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov.

Chechen police and security officers detained Musayeva in January 2022 in her apartment in the Russian city of Nizhny Novgorod, some 1,800 kilometers from Chechnya, and forcibly returned her to the North Caucasus region's capital, Grozny.

In July, a court in Chechnya sentenced Musayeva to 5 1/2 years in prison on charges of fraud and attacking a police officer, which Musayeva and her supporters have denied.

In September, the Supreme Court of Chechnya shortened Musayeva's prison term by six months and said Musayeva must serve her term in a colony settlement instead of a penitentiary colony.

Kadyrov, other Chechen officials, and a member of the Russian Duma have publicly vowed to kill all members of the Yangulbayev family, calling them "terrorists."

Journalists, rights activists, and other Russians have urged the government to punish those who issued the threats.

Abubakar Yangulbayev has accused Kadyrov's law enforcement and security officers of "lawlessness on a daily basis in Chechnya" and said the case against his mother is Kadyrov's retaliation for his activities.

Ibragim and Abubakar have said they faced years of pressure from Chechen authorities over their online criticism of Kadyrov and the rights situation in Chechnya.

Many of their relatives have been similarly harassed in Chechnya and even deprived of their homes since Kadyrov and his people vowed to kill them and their families.

The activists' father, retired federal Judge Saidi Yangulbayev, and a sister fled Russia in January 2022 following the threats.

Russian and international human rights groups have for years accused Kadyrov of overseeing grave human rights abuses, including abductions, torture, extrajudicial killings, and the persecution of the LGBT community.

Kremlin critics say Putin has turned a blind eye to the abuses because he relies on the former rebel commander to control separatist sentiment and violence in Chechnya.

Updated

Tajik Man Detained In St. Petersburg Amid Migrant Crackdown

As Tajik Suspects Face Charges For Moscow Attack, Other Migrants Face Backlash In Russia
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A 26-year-old Tajik national has been detained in St. Petersburg on a charge of justifying terrorism, the Investigative Committee said on March 28.

The arrest comes amid an ongoing crackdown on migrant laborers following a terrorist attack near Moscow last week that has left at least 143 people dead and hundreds wounded.

Investigators say the Tajik citizen, who was not named by authorities, posted comments justifying terrorism under a video taken from last week's attack on the Crocus City Hall entertainment center in the city of Krasnogorsk, near Moscow, that was claimed by the Islamic State extremist group.

In an online statement, the Investigative Committee posted a video that purportedly showed the detained man apologizing.

The independent Astra Telegram channel identified the man as Bahodur Zuhurov.

A court decision on the suspect's possible pretrial arrest is pending. If convicted, the man may face up to five years in prison.

Earlier, a spokeswoman for the St. Petersburg court, Darya Lebedeva, said another Tajik national, Ahmad Faizulokhonzoda, will be deported from Russia for violating registration regulations and for being a member of a Telegram chat group allegedly used to recruit the suspects who were arrested over the March 22 attack.

Faizulokhonzoda was ordered to pay a 5,000 ruble ($55) fine and placed in an immigration center.

Russian officials said earlier that 11 suspects, including four men who allegedly attacked the entertainment center, were detained. The four men, all ethnic Tajiks, on March 24 were sent to pretrial detention until at least May 22.

On March 25, three Tajik men residing in Russia and a Kyrgyzstan-born Russian citizen were sent to pretrial detention for at least two months.

Neighbors of one of the suspects arrested in Russia, Dalerjon Mirzoev, told RFE/RL on March 28 that his brother, Ravshanjon Mirzoev, had joined the Islamic state group in Syria in 2016.

RFE/RL correspondents found Ravshanjon Mirzoev's name on a list of people wanted in Tajikistan on unspecified charges. A source close to the Central Asian nation's law enforcement told RFE/RL that Ravshanjon Mirzoev died four years ago in the Middle East.

The Crocus City Hall attack sparked a wave of anti-migrant and xenophobic manifestations across Russia after authorities detained 11 suspects, eight of whom -- mostly ethnic Tajiks -- were sent to pretrial detention.

This week, a banner saying "Visa-Free Regime Kills" appeared at a makeshift memorial near what was left of the Crocus City Hall.

Russian lawmaker Mikhail Sheremet proposed restrictions on foreigners' visits to the country during the "special military operation" -- the official term for Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

Another lawmaker, former presidential candidate Vladislav Davankov, said migrant laborers should be placed under digital monitoring and should be deported after committing even minor violations.

Some comments under the Russian lawmakers' online statements call for the closure of all mosques in Russia and keeping migrant workers in special dwellings without the right to freely move about in the country.

Members of indigenous ethnic groups from Russia's ethnic republics have also faced harassment, aggression, and violence in public places in Moscow and other Russian cities in recent days.

Human rights defender Valentina Chupik told Current Time that during the week in just one court in Moscow's Cheryomushki district, police brought about 25 labor workers, mostly Tajiks, each hour for deportation.

"I have not slept for five nights. I receive about 1,000 complaints each day, of which some 700 are linked to migrants' detainments. In all, I have now 3,500 complaints from [migrant workers] detained by police. Some 150 complaints a day are about the beating of migrants by police," Chupik said.

Other complaints include migrants' statements accusing police officers of robbing them during questioning and falsely accusing them of disobeying police orders, she said.

According to Chupik, authorities intentionally incite anti-migrant sentiments "to distract people's attention" from the "fact that the terrorist attack was overlooked" after Russian authorities received warnings from the United States that an attack was imminent.

"The goal is to deflect people's anger from the authorities to a known weak group of people who can be easily subdued and is clearly 'alien,'" Chupik said.

Bulgaria Heading For Sixth Election In Three Years

Bulgarian President Rumen Radev (file photo)
Bulgarian President Rumen Radev (file photo)

SOFIA -- Bulgaria is preparing for yet another general election -- the sixth since April 2021 -- after the populist There Is Such a People (ITN) party on March 28 refused to form a government, the third party to decline the mandate.

Previously, the center-right GERB and its former coalition partner, the pro-Western Continue the Change/Democratic Bulgaria (CCDB) both said they could not form a new cabinet.

ITN's move paves the way for President Rumen Radev to appoint a caretaker government and schedule elections in two months.

Bulgaria will vote for the European Parliament on June 9, so the two polls could be held on the same day, but that depends on Radev's ability to quickly appoint a caretaker government.

Following the elections in April last year, Bulgaria had a joint government supported by the reformist CCDB and GERB. They had agreed on an 18-month government with a rotation of the prime ministers -- first Nikolay Denkov from CCDB and, after nine months, Maria Gabriel from GERB.

Denkov stepped down on March 5 to let GERB lead the government for the following nine months, as agreed. But Gabriel failed to form a government, and on March 27 Denkov also rejected Radev's invitation to try to put together a cabinet.

Bulgaria is the poorest of the 27 members of the European Union and has been wrestling with widespread corruption.

The Balkan country has been grappling with political instability since major anti-corruption protests in 2020.

Before the elections in April last year, the country was run by caretaker governments appointed by Radev in the absence of a stable elected coalition.

Radev on March 28 said he would start consultations with all potential caretaker prime ministers on March 30.

Following constitutional amendments, the president can choose between the chairman of the National Assembly, the governor or deputy governor of the Bulgarian National Bank, the chairman or deputy chairman of the Audit Chamber, and the ombudsman or his deputy.

With reporting by Reuters

Iranian Women's Rights Activists Sentenced To Long Prison Terms

The activists were charged in connection with their involvement in women’s rights campaigns.
The activists were charged in connection with their involvement in women’s rights campaigns.

Lawyers for 11 women's rights activists who were detained in August in Iran's northwestern Gilan province say their clients have been sentenced to long prison terms amounting to more than 60 years.

The activists were detained separately by security and intelligence forces as officials attempted to silence critics ahead of the first anniversary of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini's death in police custody in September 2022 after being arrested for allegedly violating the country's strict Islamic dress code.

Mostafa Nili, representing two of the activists, told the Tehran-based Shargh network on March 27 that the sentences were handed down by an Islamic Revolutionary Court in Gilan's capital, Rasht.

The activists were charged in connection with their involvement in women’s rights campaigns.

Forough Samiminia received a sentence of three years, six months, and one day for "assembly and collusion to disrupt national security," and an additional two years, seven months, and 16 days for "membership in an illegal group."

Jelve Javaheri was sentenced to one year for "propaganda against the system."

Other activists, including Zahra Dadras, Sara Jahani, Matin Yazdani, Yasmin Hashdari, Shiva Shahsiah, Negin Rezai, and Azadeh Chavoshian, faced similar charges, receiving sentences ranging from one to six years for charges including "assembly and collusion" and "forming an illegal group."

Following their arrest, sources close to the activists told RFE/RL's Radio Farda that after being arrested, the activists were subjected to pressure to confess to "fabricated deeds."

One source said some of the women have faced "intense interrogation and physical abuse."

At least 500 people have been killed since protests broke out following the death of Amini, an Iranian Kurdish woman who was arrested while visiting Tehran by Iran's notorious morality police for allegedly wearing a hijab scarf improperly.

The Women, Life, Freedom protests and civil disobedience against the compulsory hijab that swept the country following Amini's death involved tens of thousands of Iranians, many of whom were already upset over the country's deteriorating living standards. Campaigns were also launched against the discriminatory hijab regulation.

In the face of the unrest, some religious and government figures have repeatedly advocated for a tougher stance by the government against offenders, even going as far as encouraging a "fire-at-will" approach against noncompliant women.

The UN Human Rights Council's fact-finding committee has categorized such actions against women as a crime against humanity.

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

Czech Republic Sanctions Prominent Pro-Kremlin Ukrainians

Viktor Medvedchuk
Viktor Medvedchuk

The Czech Republic on March 27 imposed sanctions on pro-Russia Ukrainian oligarch Viktor Medvedchuk and his close associate Artem Marchevskiy. Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said they had tried to carry out influence operations to Moscow's benefit on Czech territory. The German publication Der Spiegel identified Medvedchuk and Marchevsky as operators of the Prague-based pro-Moscow news website Voice of Europe. The German publication said the website played a key role in financing pro-Kremlin European Parliament candidates. To read the full story by RFE/RL's Russian Service, click here.

Updated

Zelenskiy Tells U.S. Speaker Military Aid Package 'Critically Important'

Police officers inspect a crater in front of a damaged residential building hit by a Russian strike in Kharkiv on March 27.
Police officers inspect a crater in front of a damaged residential building hit by a Russian strike in Kharkiv on March 27.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy personally appealed to U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson (Republican-Louisiana) to help deliver critically important" military aid to Kyiv to help it fend off escalating Russian attacks.

Zelenskiy said he briefed Johnson on the battlefield situation, specifically the "dramatic increase in Russia's air terror" in a phone call on March 28. He told Johnson that in the past week Ukrainian cities and communities had been hit by 190 rockets, 140 Shahed drones, and 700 anti-aircraft missiles.

The attacks saw power cut to more than a million homes and took the country's largest hydroelectric power plant offline.

"In this situation, quick passage of U.S. aid to Ukraine by Congress is vital," he said in a readout of the call posted on Telegram.

A massive military aid package has been stalled in Congress for more than six months, delaying the delivery of crucial weapons and ammunition to Ukrainian troops on the front lines.

The U.S. Senate last month passed a supplementary spending bill that allocates some $60 billion in aid to Ukraine, mainly for weapons and military equipment. But Johnson has not brought the bill up for a vote in the House of Representatives, where his party holds only a slim majority, and includes right-wing Republicans who want to force Congress to prioritize border security.

The delay is having significant consequences on the battlefield as Ukrainian forces run low on ammunition and air defense materiel.

Ukrainian authorities said earlier on March 28 that Russia used kamikaze drones and heavy artillery to strike regions in the center and east of the country in the early hours of March 28.

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 Ukrainian air-defense systems intercepted 26 out of 28 Shahed-type drones over Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Odesa, and Zaporizhzhya, the country’s air force said in a statement.

Local authorities in Zaporizhzhya said homes had been struck and at least two people wounded. Acting Mayor Anatoliy Kurtev said five houses had been partially destroyed while 40 had sustained damage.

The central Dnipropetrovsk region’s governor, Serhiy Lysak, said Nikopol was targeted by heavy artillery and drones. Two people were injured by shrapnel while four homes and a power line were damaged, Lysak added.

In Odesa, regional Governor Oleh Kiper said Russia initially launched drones before targeting the region with missiles. He added that there were no casualties in Odesa.

Offices, a shop, and a restaurant were damaged in Kharkiv, but there were no casualties, according to regional Governor Oleh Synyehubov.

Ukrainian authorities said Russia may have used a new type of guided bomb in air strikes on Kharkiv on March 27, in an attack described by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy as “Russian terror.”

Volodymyr Tymoshko, head of the Kharkiv regional police, said Moscow may have used a new type of guided bomb, which he described as the UMPB D-30.

"It seems that the Russians decided to test their modified bombs on the residents of the houses," Synyehubov said.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba landed in New Delhi on March 28 for a two-day trip to enhance relations and cooperation with India, a longtime ally of Russia.

The Ukrainian chief diplomat will meet his Indian counterpart, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, and hold talks with the deputy national security adviser.

Meanwhile, President Vladimir Putin said Russia has no designs on any NATO country and will not attack Poland, the Baltic states, or the Czech Republic but that if the West supplies F-16 fighters to Ukraine, they will be shot down.

Speaking to Russian Air Force pilots on March 28, Putin said the U.S.-led alliance had expanded eastward toward Russia since the 1991 fall of the Soviet Union but that Moscow has no plans to attack a NATO state.

"We have no aggressive intentions toward these states," Putin said, according to a Kremlin transcript.

With reporting by AP and Reuters

Russians Visit Pyongyang To Discuss 'Cooperation Against Spying'

Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service chief Sergei Naryshkin (file photo)
Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service chief Sergei Naryshkin (file photo)

A delegation of Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) visited North Korea this week and discussed boosting cooperation against spying, state media KCNA reported on March 28. SVR chief Sergei Naryshkin and North Koreaan Minister of State Security Ri Chang Dae briefed each other in Pyongyang on the international and regional situation regarding the Korean Peninsula and Russia, according to KCNA. The two sides also discussed further boosting cooperation to deal with the "ever-growing spying and plotting moves by hostile forces," KCNA said.

Washington Event Aims To Keep U.S. Reporter's Detention By Russia In Public Eye

Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich stands in a glass cage in a courtroom at the Moscow City Court on December 14.
Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich stands in a glass cage in a courtroom at the Moscow City Court on December 14.

Dozens of people are expected to gather on March 28 at a plaza in Washington, D.C., to mark the anniversary of the arrest of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich in Russia and demand his release.

The National Press Club is sponsoring the event to mark one full year in jail for Gershkovich, 32, whose detention was extended to June 30 earlier this week by the Moscow City Court.

Wall Street Journal Associate Editor Paul Beckett, who is leading the newspaper’s efforts to free him, will take part in the Washington event along with Gershkovich's sister, Danielle Gershkovich.

The Wall Street Journal and the U.S. government have vehemently rejected the espionage charges against Gershkovich, saying he was merely doing his job as an accredited reporter when he was arrested on March 29, 2023, in Yekaterinburg.

RFE/RL's Alsu Kurmasheva stands in a glass cage in a courtroom in Kazan on February 1.
RFE/RL's Alsu Kurmasheva stands in a glass cage in a courtroom in Kazan on February 1.

Gershkovich is one of two U.S. reporters currently being held by Russian authorities. The other is Alsu Kurmasheva, an RFE/RL journalist who holds dual Russian-American citizenship.

Kurmasheva was arrested in Kazan in October and charged with failing to register as a "foreign agent" under a punitive Russian law that targets journalists, civil society activists, and others. She’s also been charged with spreading falsehoods about the Russian military and faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted.

RFE/RL and the U.S. government say the charges are reprisals for her work. She had traveled to Russia for a family emergency and was initially detained while waiting for her return flight on June 2 at Kazan airport, where her U.S. and Russian passports were confiscated.

Gershkovich has been designated as wrongfully detained by the U.S. government, a designation that provides more dedicated resources in the effort to secure their release.

Kurmasheva, however, has not been designated as wrongfully detained, despite pleas from RFE/RL and from Kurmasheva’s family.

Representatives of RFE/RL and Voice of America will join Wall Street Journal employees and family members at the gathering in Washington on March 28. The Washington Post Press Freedom Partnership also plans to take part.

Beckett said other events to mark the anniversary of Gershkovich’s detention include a 24-hour read-a-thon of his work by his Wall Street Journal colleagues at the newspaper’s headquarters in New York and swimming events at Brighton Beaches in New Zealand, South African, Canada, the United States and Britain.

The beaches were chosen in recognition of his family’s connection to Brighton Beach in Brooklyn, New York, which is home to a large Russian immigrant community. Gershkovich's parents emigrated from the Soviet Union, separately, in 1979.

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.

Latvia Expels Russian Diplomat For 'Unacceptable' Actions

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

Latvia has declared one employee of the Russian Embassy persona non grata and expelled him from the country. At the request of the Latvian Foreign Ministry, the diplomat must leave by April 10. The ministry said in a statement on March 27 that it summoned the Russian charge d'affaires to protest "unacceptable and provocational public communication” pursued by the embassy that Latvia said was aimed at discreding its state institutions and stirring up hatred in society. Despite repeated reprimands, the Russian Embassy persisted in the inaccurate public communication, the ministry said.

Iranian Police Chief Sentenced To Death For Killing Protester In 2022

Demonstrations in Iran in 2022 sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini following her arrest for allegedly violating the country's dress code
Demonstrations in Iran in 2022 sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini following her arrest for allegedly violating the country's dress code

An Iranian court has sentenced a police chief to death after he was charged with killing a man during mass protests in 2022, local media reported on March 27. Jafar Javanmardi was arrested in December 2022 over the killing of a protester during demonstrations sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini following her arrest for allegedly violating the country's dress code. Javanmardi was sentenced to death "in accordance with the Islamic law of retribution…on the charge of premeditated murder," the lawyer for the victim's family said.

Russian Rights Defender Subject To 'Inhumane' Treatment In Jail: Lawyers

Oleg Orlov attends his verdict hearing in Moscow on February 27.
Oleg Orlov attends his verdict hearing in Moscow on February 27.

Lawyers for imprisoned Russian human rights defender Oleg Orlov say their client is being held in "inhumane" conditions. Orlov, 70, is being deprived of rest, hot food, and confidential meetings with his attorneys, they said on March 27. The Memorial rights group also commented on Orlov, saying that he does not receive regular daily meals as guards take him to a Moscow court each day to review materials of his case and bring him back to the detention center late at night. Orlov was sentenced last month to 30 months in prison for publicly condemning Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Russian Service, click here.

Updated

More Civilians Killed Amid Kyiv's Desperation For Air-Defense Systems

One person was killed in Kharkiv on March 27 after a Russian strike.
One person was killed in Kharkiv on March 27 after a Russian strike.

Russian forces shelled the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, killing one person and injuring 16, Mayor Ihor Terekhov said, as Ukraine's president and foreign minister again appealed for more air-defense systems from the United States.

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 death of the civilian in Kharkiv was among at least three people killed by Russian attacks across eastern and southern Ukraine on March 27.

The attack in Kharkiv hit apartment buildings, Terekhov said on Telegram, describing it as “another act of bloody terror against Ukrainians."

Kharkiv Governor Oleh Synyehubov said there were two strikes on a district of Kharkiv city that damaged residential infrastructure.

Five-story buildings where people lived were heavily damaged, and the Institute of Emergency Surgery was also affected, Synyehubov said.

Russian forces have escalated aerial attacks on Ukraine in the past few weeks, targeting key infrastructure, including power stations, in retaliation for fatal bombardments of Russia's border regions.

In the southern region of Kherson, a 61-year-old woman was killed in her home in a drone attack on a village; four children were among the wounded.

In the southeastern city of Nikopol, officials said artillery fire killed a 55-year-old man, while a ballistic missile strike on the coastal territory of Mykolayiv left eight wounded.

The Ukrainian armed forces said they shot down 10 out of 13 Shahed drones launched by Russia in the early hours of March 27. The drones were launched from Russia’s Kursk region and targeted the Kharkiv, Kyiv, and Sumy regions, the military said.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, speaking on March 27 in an online briefing, again called for urgent deliveries of air-defense systems.

"The peculiarity of the current Russian attacks is the intensive use of ballistic missiles that can reach targets at extremely high speeds, leaving little time for people to take cover and causing significant destruction," Kuleba said.

"Patriot and other similar systems are defensive by definition. They are designed to protect lives, not take them," he said, referring to the U.S.-made missiles.

WATCH: Ukrainian drone operator "Riko" recalls dropping explosives on Russian units even as control of Avdiyivka was being lost to them in February.

'We Were Outmanned': Ukrainian Drone Operator Recounts Bloody Battle Of Avdiyivka
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Ukrainian President Volodymry Zelenskiy also called for the West to deliver air-defense systems, saying the protection is "required in Ukraine now" and urging Ukraine's partners to "demonstrate sufficient political will."

Ukraine has become more and more frustrated over the inability of the U.S. Congress to pass a massive military aid package because of partisan disagreements. The bill remains stalled as lawmakers are in the middle of a two-week break for the Easter holiday.

Zelenskiy was in the Sumy region on March 27 to inspect the construction of defensive fortifications such as trenches, dugouts, and observation posts.

He also visited troops in a hospital and presented awards to soldiers with the 117th Separate Territorial Defense Brigade.

Meanwhile, Moscow has vowed to respond to an escalation of strikes on its border regions.

Russia said on March 27 that the border city of Belgorod was targeted again and air-defense systems had shot down 18 Ukrainian missiles. Belgorod Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said two people were wounded during the barrage. Belgorod has recently experienced an increase in fatal attacks.

With reporting by AFP and Politico

Former Kazakh Economy Minister Goes On Trial Over Wife's Brutal Death

Quandyq Bishimbaev (top left) and Baqytzhan Baizhanov are seen in a courtroom in Astana on March 12.
Quandyq Bishimbaev (top left) and Baqytzhan Baizhanov are seen in a courtroom in Astana on March 12.

ASTANA -- Kazakhstan's former Economy Minister Quandyq Bishimbaev reiterated his not guilty plea to all charges as his trial by jury over his wife's death in November kicked off in Astana on March 27.

Bishimbaev is charged with torture, murder with extreme violence, and repeatedly committing serious crimes. Bishimbaev's cousin Baqytzhan Baizhanov is his co-defendant in the high-profile case. Baizhanov is charged with failure to report a crime in process.

Judge Aizhan Kulbaeva warned journalists that filming or taking pictures of the jury members are banned.

Prosecutor Aizhan Aimaghanova introduced the jury to the charges against Bishimbaev, accusing him of viciously beating his wife, Saltanat Nukenova, for hours in a restaurant that belonged to a relative. The body of the 31-year-old Nukenova was later found in the restaurant. Bishimbaev faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

The case has attracted nationwide attention amid growing outrage over domestic violence in Kazakhstan, where 1 -in-6 women say they have faced some form of physical violence at the hands of their male partner.

Domestic violence has historically gone unpunished in the Central Asian nation, where it is not considered a stand-alone criminal offense. The Kazakh parliament has been dragging its feet for years on a bill that would criminalize domestic violence. Women account for about one-quarter of Kazakh lawmakers.

Amid the public outcry over the brutal death of Nukenova, Kazakh President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev publicly called on the Interior Ministry to take the case under its "special control."

The 43-year-old Bishimbaev served as economy minister from May 2016 to late December the same year. Before that, he occupied different managerial posts in government agencies.

In 2018, Bishimbaev and 22 others faced a high-profile corruption trial that ended with Bishimbaev’s conviction on charges of bribery and embezzlement while leading a state-controlled holding company.

A court in Astana sentenced him to 10 years in prison, but Bishimbaev, who comes from an influential family, was granted an early release through a mass amnesty issued by the government. He had served only 18 months of his term.

The Interior Ministry said earlier that more than 100,000 cases of domestic violence are officially registered each year, though the number of unregistered cases, analysts say, is likely much larger.

International rights watchdogs have urged Kazakh officials to curb the spreading of domestic violence for years.

According to the United Nation's experts, about 400 women die in Kazakhstan as a result of domestic violence every year.

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