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Security Treaty Leaders Condemn Georgia For Aggression
Medvedev's remarks came after a CSTO summit in Moscow. He said CSTO leader support Russia's actions in the conflict.
On September 4, CSTO foreign ministers backed Moscow's military action in Georgia, but stopped short of recognizing Georgia's breakaway republics.
The CSTO is made up of Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.
EU Probe
Meanwhile, European Union nations are considering a call for an international inquiry as to which country is responsible for starting the conflict.
British Foreign Secretary David Miliband and other ministers at the start of two-day talks in Avignon, France said September 5 a probe is needed to find out who was guilty of allegations of human rights abuses during the five-day conflict.
The EU ministers agree that an independent "high representative" is needed to help solve the standoff peacefully.
EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said the mission, which aims to oversee a withdrawal of Russian troops from Georgian
territory, was "practically ready."
Solana said he thought Russia would cooperate with the operation, set to be deployed from the end of the month in
parallel with a mission by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).
But Solana admitted there were still fundamental points for French President Nicolas Sarkozy to resolve when he travels
on September 8 to Moscow for talks with his Russian counterpart Medvedev.
Compiled from agency reports
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Zelenskiy Sacks Senior Cybersecurity Officer Amid Corruption Allegations
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has dismissed Ilya Vityuk, head of the cybersecurity department of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), amid allegations of corruption. The decree announcing the sacking of Vityuk was published on Zelenskiy’s website on May 1. Neither Zelenskiy, the SBU, nor Vytyuk have publicly commented on the dismissal. Vityuk had already been placed on leave before his dismissal. In early April a reporter who wrote an article about Vityuk’s wealth was summoned to a military recruitment center, prompting Ukraine’s top military commander, Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskiy, to launch an internal audit. To read the original story on RFE/RL’s Ukrainian Service, click here.
- By Reuters
Russia Breached Global Chemical Weapons Ban In Ukraine War, U.S. Says
The United States on May 1 accused Russia of violating the international chemical weapons ban by deploying the choking agent chloropicrin against Ukrainian troops and using riot control agents "as a method of warfare" in Ukraine. "The use of such chemicals is not an isolated incident and is probably driven by Russian forces' desire to dislodge Ukrainian forces from fortified positions and achieve tactical gains on the battlefield," the State Department said in a statement. Chloropicrin is banned by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, which was created to monitor compliance with the 1993 Chemical Weapons Convention.
- By RFE/RL
New Sanctions Aim To Further Degrade Russia's Ability To Manufacture Weapons
The U.S. Treasury Department on May 1 imposed new sanctions on hundreds of companies and people tied to Russia's weapons development program as part of its continuing effort to limit Russia’s ability to access the materials it needs to “prosecute its illegal war against Ukraine."
The department said in a news release that the goal of the sanctions was to "further degrade Russia’s ability to sustain its war machine."
The Treasury Department imposed sanctions on nearly 200 targets, while the State Department designated more than 80.
The sanctions aim to limit Russia's military-industrial base, chemical weapons programs, and people and firms in third countries that help Russia acquire weapons components.
They also target more than a dozen Chinese firms accused of helping Russia find workarounds to previously announced sanctions. The new measures also aim to punish individuals tied to the death of Russian opposition politician Aleksei Navalny.
The “Treasury has consistently warned that companies will face significant consequences for providing material support for Russia’s war, and the U.S. is imposing them today on almost 300 targets,” Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said.
The actions "will further disrupt and degrade Russia’s war efforts by going after its military industrial base and the evasion networks that help supply it," she said in the news release.
Included in the new sanctions announcement are importers of ingredients used to produce gunpowder, rocket propellants, and other explosives. Also included are Russian government entities and people tied to Russia's chemical and biological weapons programs and firms related to Russia's natural gas construction projects.
The Treasury Department’s news release said firms in China, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Slovakia, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates are accused of helping Russia acquire technology and equipment from abroad.
The State Department sanctions target three people in connection to the death of Navalny, who died in February in a Russian Arctic prison. Russian authorities say he died of natural causes. His followers believe he was killed by the authorities, which the Kremlin denies.
Added to the U.S. sanctions list are the director of the correctional colony in Russia where Navalny was held for the majority of his imprisonment, the head of the solitary confinement detachment, and the head of the medical unit at the Arctic colony where he was imprisoned before his death.
The officials oversaw the cells where Navalny was kept in solitary confinement, the walking yard where he allegedly collapsed and died, and Navalny's health, including in the immediate aftermath of his collapse, the State Department said.
The sanctions freeze any assets the entities and individuals hold in U.S. jurisdiction, block them from using the U.S. financial system, and bar American citizens from dealing with them.
With reporting by AP and Reuters
EU Remains Serbia's Goal, Says Prime Minister-Elect
Prime minister-elect Milos Vucevic told the Serbian parliament on May 1 that membership in the European Union remains the country’s strategic goal but said “burdens” introduced into the membership process “cannot be ignored.”
Vucevic, leader of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), said EU expectations are tied to Serbia "humiliating" itself by recognizing Kosovo's independence and joining sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.
In a three-hour speech to parliament setting out his government’s priorities, Vucevic, who named his cabinet on April 30, said Serbia will maintain its policy of not joining the sanctions.
"There is no doubt that pressures will continue, and probably intensify, but our commitment to stay in the same positions remains," he said.
Serbia “cannot and will not give up its friendship with Russia, whose people we consider fraternal, just as we do with Ukrainians,” he said, noting that Serbia has condemned Russia's attack on Ukraine and considers the territorial integrity of Ukraine inviolable.
He described his cabinet as a "government of continuity" of Serbian policies and said Belgrade's foreign policy will be guided by the existing principles of political independence and military neutrality.
Vucevic emphasized the importance of Serbia’s partnership with China, saying a trade agreement would open doors to Serbian entrepreneurs.
"Despite conflicting views from many in the West, China represents a friendly state, a partner, and a reliable ally in defending our territorial integrity," he said, adding that he looks forward to Chinese President Xi Jinping’s planned visit on May 7-8.
Serbia is also committed to building the best relations with the United States, he said.
"Where there are disagreements, as with Kosovo and Metohija, we will reiterate our position [and] work to make our American partners hear and understand us," Vucevic said, using the Serbian name for its former province.
Vucevic reiterated that Serbia has never questioned the territorial integrity of neighboring Bosnia-Herzegovina, stating Serbia will be a partner for everyone who wants to work on strengthening the Dayton peace accords that ended the Bosnian War and established two entities -- Republika Srpska and the Bosniak-Croat federation -- under a weak central government.
"No one can forbid us from loving the Republika Srpska,” he said, referring to the entity dominated by ethnic Serbs. “No one will impose guilt or the stigma of a genocidal people on us," he said in an apparent reference to a proposed UN resolution that would declare July 11 as the International Day of Remembrance for the Genocide.
The genocide near Srebrenica in 1995 of more than 8,000 Bosniak men and boys by Bosnian Serb forces has been deemed genocide by various international courts. Serbia has voiced strong opposition to the resolution.
Vucevic also mentioned Serbia’s relations with other Balkan countries. There are numerous challenges in Serbia’s relations with Croatia, but he said Serbians in Croatia will always be able to rely on their home country, “which will help them not only financially but also culturally and thus prevent their assimilation."
Speaking about relations with Montenegro, he said that throughout history, "no one has been closer to Montenegro than Serbia and there is no reason for it not to be so again," adding that Serbia will not dispute Montenegro's statehood.
The prime minister-designate said that one of the priorities of the new government will be to strengthen the standard of living, and special attention would be paid to pensioners. He also announced that the future government would continue with intensive investments in the Serbian armed forces.
The new government was announced four and a half months after elections in which the SNS won a majority in parliament.
Opposition coalitions Serbia Against Violence and NADA (Hope) have accused the coalition led by the SNS of electoral theft in the December 17 vote, and numerous irregularities were identified by both international and domestic observer missions.
Serbian authorities have repeatedly denied that there were any serious electoral irregularities.
New Serbian Government Maintains Policy Of 'Sitting On Two Chairs' Of East And West
BELGRADE -- By appointing two members who are under U.S. sanctions to the new Serbian government, Belgrade has only nurtured its relationship with Moscow, a senior associate with the Berlin-based Council for Democratization Policy told RFE/RL on April 30.
But including the two sanctioned officials to the new government roster "doesn't imply abandoning the policy of sitting on two chairs" -- one in the East and one in the West, said Bodo Weber, who replied to e-mailed questions from RFE/RL after the government was named.
The "two-chair" policy refers to Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic's attempt to maintain good relations with the European Union -- which Serbia strives to join -- while keeping close ties to traditional ally Russia, even after the Kremlin's decision to invade Ukraine in February 2022.
Milos Vucevic, leader of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), was tapped last month to form a new government, and on April 30 he announced it will include former intelligence chief Aleksandar Vulin, who has been under U.S. sanctions since July 2023, to the post of deputy prime minister, and Nenad Popovic, another official blacklisted by the United States, as a minister without portfolio.
Vulin was placed on the U.S. sanctions list in July 2023 for allegedly using his position to further Russian and criminal agendas, including arms dealing and drug trafficking.
Popovic, designated in November 2023, used his Russia-based businesses to enrich himself and gain close connections with Kremlin senior leaders, according to the U.S. Treasury Department.
The U.S. State Department told RFE/RL that the United States is "disappointed to see two sanctioned individuals proposed for positions in the new government." The department's e-mailed response to a request for comment added, "Our position on Mr. Vulin and Mr. Popovic is well known. They remain under U.S. sanctions."
Vucevic also named Milica Djurdjevic Stamenkovski, president of the right-wing Zavetnici party, to head the Ministry of Family Care. The Zavetnici party, formerly in opposition, entered into cooperation with the SNS after the December elections, which were marred by widespread allegations of fraud and irregularities.
There also are several new names in the 25-member government, while 13 ministers remain at the helm of the same ministries they led in the previous government.
"There's a recognizable continuation of the trend of greater involvement of party operatives [and] members of the inner circle around Vucic," said Weber, adding that he didn't see any ideological shift in the policy of Vucic's regime in the composition of the new government.
He said Vucic's regime has always relied less on a specific ideology and more on maintaining power, "so the authoritarian mindset behind it, rather than its nationalist ideological heritage, has been and remains more important."
Asked what message the new government sends to the international community, Weber said EU membership has long been more of a means for Vucic to consolidate and maintain power and to strengthen Serbia's international position rather than a serious goal.
At the same time Weber is very critical of the European Union's "appeasement policy" toward Serbia, saying it means Vucic doesn't need to worry about what message his new government sends.
"Since the EU has failed to muster the strength to stop its long-failed appeasement policy toward the authoritarian-autocratic regime in Serbia, what continues is a performance devoid of any substance called Serbia's European integration," he said.
An initiative by Germany and France on the political dialogue between Serbia and Kosovo, a former province of Serbia whose independence Belgrade does not recognize, "was based precisely on that previously proven failed appeasement policy toward Vucic," Weber added. "It has gloriously failed in an unprecedented escalation in northern Kosovo, which Western capitals still aren't willing to acknowledge."
Tensions in ethnic-Serb dominated northern Kosovo have remained high since an incident in September that left an ethnic Albanian Kosovar police officer dead after an encounter with masked commandos allegedly led by a Kosovar Serb politician. Three of the gunmen were also killed.
Weber said Belgrade will never face sanctions for the regime's "direct responsibility for the attack…ensuring that even resorting to massive electoral fraud in the December elections in Belgrade won't provoke a serious reaction from the West."
He added that Vucic apparently had no concerns about a possible strong U.S. reaction to the appointment of two sanctioned ministers.
The policy of imposing sanctions on officials close to the Kremlin remains "entirely disconnected from the general policy of the U.S. administration towards Belgrade."
Weber also criticized the United States as having "taken a leading role in the Western appeasement policy."
However U.S. envoy for the Western Balkans Gabriel Escobar has urged the two sides to resolve their differences. And in March during a visit to Pristina he put pressure on Prime Minister Albin Kurti to reverse a ban on the use of Serbia's dinar in the country's north.
But Weber said it was apparent that nurturing relations with Moscow was considered in forming the government at a time when Vucic feels pressure due to the Council of Europe coming closer to admitting Kosovo and a UN resolution on the genocide in Srebrenica.
"However, this still doesn't mean abandoning the policy of sitting on two chairs," Weber said.
Weber also said Vucevic has the capacity to lead the government and keep the cabinet together based on his status as a member of Vucic's "inner circle" and his position as president of the party.
He added that it will be interesting to see how Vucic relates to the prime minister, noting it won't be as easy to shift blame for negative events onto the government when it's led by the president of the ruling party.
None of this will jeopardize the stability of a regime that currently isn't seriously threatened, "least of all by the West, and it seems, no longer by the opposition," Weber said.
With reporting by RFE/RL's Balkan Service
Russia Says Draft UN Srebrenica Resolution 'One-Sided'
Russia’s envoy to the United Nations has dismissed a proposed General Assembly resolution on the 1995 massacres in the Bosnian town of Srebrenica as "one-sided" and "politically charged." Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya told the Security Council on April 30 that the draft, which was submitted by Germany and Rwanda and proposes declaring July 11 the International Day of Remembrance for the victims of the "Srebrenica genocide," would not promote reconciliation among the peoples of Bosnia and Herzegovina. In 1995, Bosnian Serb militias killed more than 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys in an action that has been labeled genocide by international tribunals. To read the original story by RFE/RL’s Russian Service, click here.
Trucker Protests Over Fuel Cuts Feed Labor Unrest Sweeping Iran
A surge of labor unrest, buffeted by widespread protests over sharp cuts to fuel quotas for truck drivers, has swept across Iran as economic hardship and poor living standards wrack the country’s workforce.
Several cities and provinces have seen large-scale protests by truck drivers in recent days ahead of the May 1 international labor day holiday, as they vent their anger of a cut in monthly fuel allocations from 3,000 liters to just 500 liters.
The reduction in fuel quotas has increased costs for operators, in turn raising the prices of goods and services for the broader population.
The protests have coincided with other protests by retired workers and in various industrial sectors across the country, which is reeling from the bite of economic sanctions on the economy over Tehran’s nuclear program.
In Arak, retired workers voiced their discontent against what they perceive as government mismanagement of the economy, while workers from Pars Paper Mill in Haft Tappeh and retirees in Shush rallied against local officials, demanding accountability and improved living conditions.
Local authorities in several regions, including Dashtyari, have reportedly ignored the protests, leading to increased frustration among the demonstrators.
According to the Free Union of Iranian Workers, the local governor in Dashtyari left his office without engaging with the protesters, exacerbating tensions.
In an attempt to quell dissent ahead of International Workers Day, several labor and social activists in Sanandaj were summoned and interrogated by local intelligence services, rights groups said.
Unrest -- including months of protests by workers -- has rattled Iran in recent years in response to declining living standards, wage arrears, and a lack of welfare support.
Labor Ministry data show 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.
Labor laws in Iran do not recognize the right of workers to form independent unions.
Written by Ardeshir Tayebi based on an original story in Persian by RFE/RL's Radio Farda
U.S. 'Disappointed' Proposed Serbian Government Includes Blacklisted Individuals
The United States said it was "disappointed" following the announcement that two individuals under U.S. sanctions have been included in the proposed new Serbian cabinet.
"We are disappointed to see two sanctioned individuals proposed for positions in the new government," a U.S. State Department spokesman told RFE/RL in a written statement on May 1.
The two nominees in question are Aleksandar Vulin, who has been proposed as deputy prime minister, and Nenad Popovic, who was tabbed as a minister without portfolio.
"Our position on Mr. Vulin and Mr. Popovic is well known," the State Department spokesman said. "They remain under U.S. sanctions." He added that Washington plays no role in the appointments in the Serbian government.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on May 1 that he is "not happy" with the State Department's position.
"I hope we will have good relations with our American partners," he said. "It is extremely important to have good relations."
Vulin, a former director of Serbia's BIA security agency, was sanctioned by Washington in July 2023 for "corrupt and destabilizing acts that have also facilitated Russia's malign activities in the region."
Popovic, a businessman and former minister without portfolio, was sanctioned in November 2023 for allegedly "operating in or having operated in the electronics sector of the Russian Federation economy."
In March, Vucic asked Defense Minister Milos Vucevic to form a new government after contested parliamentary elections last December.
Vucevic, the leader of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), has been serving as defense minister and deputy prime minister since 2022. The SNS and its coalition partners won a narrow majority of 129 mandates in the 250-seat legislature in the close-fought vote that was marred by allegations of fraud.
Vucevic announced his picks on April 30, saying his cabinet would include the heads of 25 ministries and five ministers without portfolios.
Current Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic has been proposed as interior minister, while Police Minister Bratislav Gasic was selected as defense minister.
Serbia's parliament was set to discuss the formation of the new government on May 1.
Georgian Parliament Adopts 'Foreign Agent' Bill On Second Reading Amid Protests
TBILISI -- The parliament of Georgia on May 1 voted to advance a controversial 'foreign agent' bill that has sparked weeks of mass protests in the capital, Tbilisi, and warnings from Brussels that it would damage Georgia's hopes of becoming a member of the European Union.
Lawmakers voted 83 to 23 to adopt the bill in a second reading after a heated debate that included the expulsion of four opposition deputies and a fight between members representing opposition and majority parties.
The ruling party has said it wants to sign it into law by mid-May.
Outside the parliament police officers started dispersing a demonstration by opponents of the bill using rubber bullets, tear gas, pepper spray, and water cannons. Video recordings circulating on social media, injured demonstrators are seen receiving first aid from other demonstrators or paramedics.
The incidents followed overnight clashes between police and demonstrators over the foreign agents bill regarded by many as mirroring a law used by the Russian government to stifle dissent in that country.
The Interior Ministry issued a statement calling on the demonstrators not to block streets and not to try to picket the parliament. But the statement also said people would have an opportunity to protest on the street at the front and back of the building.
At the same time police officers belonging to special forces units took over the street at the back exit of the parliament, where a small group of people were protesting.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen issued a statement on May 1, saying Georgia is at a crossroads and should "stay the course" on the road to Europe.
Citizens of the EU candidate country "are demonstrating their strong attachment to democracy and the Georgian government should heed this message, von der Leyen said.
"The European Union has also clearly expressed its concerns regarding the law on foreign influence. The Georgian people want a European future for their country," she added.
Police used tear gas and water cannons overnight to disperse an illegal demonstration and detained 63 people. Five protesters and six police officers were hospitalized with injuries.
Lawmakers Aleko Elisashvili and Levan Khabeishvili were injured in the clashes, Interior Ministry spokesman Aleksandre Darakhvelidze said.
Khabeishvili, chairman of the opposition United National Movement (UNM), was taken to a hospital and photographs showed he had bruises and cuts on his head and torso. The UNM said he had been “kidnapped” by police and claimed he was “helping an injured citizen” when he was detained.
An RFE/RL reporter at the scene recorded two incidents in which a masked individual punched demonstrators in the face.
European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell condemned the “violence against protesters” in a May 1 post on X, formerly Twitter.
“Georgia is an EU candidate country,” he wrote. “I call on its authorities to ensure the right to peaceful assembly.”
The Special Investigation Service announced that an investigation into excessive force against the demonstrators is ongoing.
The demonstration was the latest in a series of mass protests over the past two weeks against the legislation put forward by the ruling Georgian Dream party.
Critics call the bill "the Russian law," and President Salome Zurabishvili, who has distanced herself from the policies of the ruling party, has promised to veto it if it is formally adopted in a third reading, as expected.
However, the government has the votes to override a veto and has said it would do so. Lawmakers ended the session on April 30 without a vote.
Levan Ioseliani, public defender of Georgia, said there were reports of possible excesses of force by law enforcement officers circulating on social media and called on demonstrators "not to go beyond the scope of the peaceful assembly."
Ioseliani warned that the use of any kind of force or special means by law enforcement officers "must meet the strict test of necessity and proportionality." The use of pepper spray aimed at the face is not allowed, he said, adding that the use of any special means must be preceded by a warning.
On April 30, the international hacking collective Anonymous expressed support for the protesters and warned the Georgian police that "attacking protesters will result in the release of information about all your government officials."
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, the group threatened to hack and release databases and e-mail, saying "this is your first and only warning."
Russian Attacks On Towns In Eastern Ukraine Kill At Least 5
Five people were killed on May 1 in separate strikes in eastern Ukraine by Russian forces firing missiles and bombs that hit small towns in the regions of Kharkiv and Donetsk, local officials said.
In the northeastern Kharkiv region bordering Russia, a guided bomb attack killed two civilians, a 38-year-old woman, and her father inside a car, the region's governor said.
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On the morning of May 1, "two guided aerial bombs hit the center of the town of Zolochiv," around 15 kilometers from the Russian border, Kharkiv regional Governor Oleh Synyehubov said on national television.
Synyehubov said in addition to the two people killed in the car, another 13 people, including an 11-year-old child, were wounded.
Further east in the Kharkiv region close to the city of Kupyansk, Russian shelling killed a 67-year-old woman in the village of Lelyukivka, Synyehubov added.
In the Donetsk region, two people were killed and six were injured in the small town of Hirnyk, about 15 kilometers from the front line, said regional Governor Vadym Filashkin.
"The Russians attacked the town with Uragans (Hurricanes) this afternoon," Filashkin wrote on Telegram, referring to self-propelled rocket launchers designed in the Soviet Union to deliver cluster munitions.
The two people killed were a 57-year-old woman and a 64-year-old man, he added.
Artillery and drone strikes in Nikopol, located in the center-east of the country, wounded four people, regional Governor Serhiy Lysak said.
Three civilians were reported killed earlier on May 1 in a Russian missile strike against the Ukrainian Black Sea port of Odesa, local authorities said.
Regional Governor Oleh Kiper said three others were injured in the overnight attack, which damaged civilian infrastructure.
Russia has repeatedly attacked Odesa in recent days, including on April 29 using an Iskandr missile. Five civilians died in that attack and 23 were injured, officials said.
Meanwhile, an oil refinery in Russia’s Ryazan region was damaged by a drone strike early on May 1, the region’s governor said in a post on Telegram.
Governor Pavel Malkov wrote that there were no casualties.
Local residents posted videos purportedly showing a large fire and explosions at the refinery.
Earlier, the Russian Defense Ministry said a drone had been intercepted over the region, as well as three over the Voronezh region and one over the Kursk region.
Since the beginning of the year, 18 Russian oil refineries have been damaged by drone attacks.
Ukraine has not commented on the majority of the incidents.
With reporting by AFP
Bulgarian Parliament Adopts Broad Ban On Gambling Advertising
The Bulgarian parliament has unanimously approved legislation to ban advertising for gambling on nearly all forms of media -- from television and radio to newspapers and websites.
All 198 members present on April 30 -- the last day of work for the 49th parliament-- voted in favor of the ban on second reading.
The legislation, which will become law within a few weeks when it is published in the official register, provides for a complete ban on advertising for gambling except on billboards, social media, and at sports facilities that don't cater for children. The legislation places a distance limit of 300 meters on billboards near schools and says all ads must include a large warning taking up at least 10 percent of the ad that says gambling can lead to addiction.
The advertising restriction also does not apply to the state lottery on the grounds that it is obliged to distribute its profits for sports and to cover health-care expenditures, which is not the same for private operators.
The legislation was proposed last week by Temenuzhka Petkova of the center-right GERB party and its UDF partner as well as Yordan Tsonev of the ethnic Turkish MRF party. It moved rapidly through the Budget Committee and was quickly approved after its first reading in parliament.
Advertising for gambling is currently prohibited, but there are loopholes that businesses take advantage of. The law says that the amount of winnings and the names of winners cannot be included in advertisements, but prominent people can be featured in ads along with other messages.
Child protection organizations, psychologists, gambling groups, media experts, and citizens have been pushing for years for the law to be tightened, while major broadcasters, media groups, the Association of Broadcasters (ABBRO), and gambling businesses have strongly opposed the ban.
They say they are heavily dependent on revenue from advertising and argue it threatens freedom of speech. They also insist that there are other ways to limit advertising to protect vulnerable groups.
Revenue Losses?
The broadcasters and gambling operators also point out that they have already planned their budgets, which have factored in revenue from gambling associated with this summer's Euro 2024 soccer championship and have signed advertising contracts for the tournament.
The Bulgarian Gambling Association has also voiced its opposition, warning that the ban could result in the growth of unlicensed gambling sites, which would weaken consumer protection and deprive the government of budget revenues from taxes and fees for gambling.
Former Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov said the ban is a direct threat to the broadcasters and other media affected because it means a major source of revenue would disappear and Bulgaria's media outlets would become less independent.
While Denkov’s Continue the Change/Democratic Bulgaria (PP-DB) supported the bill in principle, some of its members say it should be amended to include restrictions on people who receive social benefits and people facing foreclosures.
The Confederation of Employers and Industrialists in Bulgaria (CEIBG) said on April 29 that the ban would have "lasting adverse effects on the state, society, and the business climate in the country."
They say that banning advertising for gambling will lead to the loss of about 100,000 jobs along with losses in tourism, sports, culture, and the state budget, and that it will affect foreign investment and exacerbate capital flight.
Georgian 'Foreign Agent' Bill Would Hamper NGOs, OSCE Official Warns
A draft bill Georgia's government is pushing through parliament, the so-called “foreign agents” bill, will place a blanket label on civil society organizations and human rights defenders that creates an atmosphere of "mistrust, fear and hostility" making it difficult for the country's civil society to operate, according to a senior official at the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).
Matteo Mecacci, director of the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) at the OSCE, told RFE/RL's Georgian Service on April 30 that the bill, which has sparked huge protests in the capital, Tbilisi, and called into question the Caucasus nation’s subsequent path towards membership in the European Union, will have "negative consequences for civil society.
"The draft law imposes restrictions on civil society organizations for receiving foreign funding, which is too broad. Some of the provisions are also vague which increases the risk of arbitrary application,” he explained.
"If the essence and content of the draft law is approved, the impact on civil society will still be negative," he added.
Georgia’s parliament was set to vote on April 30 on the second reading of the controversial bill that critics at home and abroad say mirrors Kremlin legislation that has been used in Russia to silence critics and dissent.
Tens of thousands have taken to the streets of Tbilisi for more than two weeks to protest the legislation introduced by the ruling Georgian Dream party.
The United States, Britain, and the European Union, which granted Georgia candidate status in December, have all criticized the bill. EU officials have said it could halt Georgia's progress toward integration with the bloc.
If adopted, the law would require organizations and groups to register as "foreign agents" if they receive more than 20 percent of funding from abroad.
"I understand that the majority of civil society organizations in Georgia receive financial support from international donor institutions, (and indeed almost all larger organizations voluntarily reveal the list of their donors),” Mecacci said in written remarks to questions from RFE/RL.
"This draft law, if adopted, would therefore turn the vast majority of civil society institutions overnight into 'foreign agents' or 'representatives of foreign powers,' which is contrary to the spirit of international cooperation.”
At a pro-government rally in Tbilisi on April 29, former prime minister Bidzina Ivanishvili, the billionaire who founded the ruling Georgian Dream party and remains influential, claimed that a "global party of war" had hijacked the EU and NATO and was using those institutions to undermine Georgian sovereignty.
Critics say the legislation is similar to a law in Russia that first targeted NGOs and rights groups before being expanded to include media organizations, individual journalists, YouTube vloggers, and others who receive money from outside of Russia. Kyrgyzstan has passed similar legislation and lawmakers in Kazakhstan have been mulling such a move.
Such “foreign agent” laws have a "chilling effect" on civil society, said Mecacci, who headed the OSCE election observation mission to Georgia in 2013 and was a member of the Italian parliament.
“A blanket label on civil society organizations and human rights defenders as foreign agents or anything similar creates an atmosphere of mistrust, fear and hostility that makes it difficult for civil society to operate, Mecacci explained.
“The European Court of Human Rights has also said clearly that this kind of labelling is not just unjustified and prejudicial, but also has a strongly stigmatizing effect on their activities.”
Backers of the Georgian bill defend it by claiming it is similar to legislation in Western countries, including the United States.
That comparison was misleading if not flat-out false, argued Mecacci.
“There is a fundamental difference between the draft law under discussion and legislation in the U.S. and some other countries.
"In the latter, the legislation does not label civil society simply for receiving foreign funding, but rather seeks to ensure that private companies or nonprofits that take part in advocacy or lobbying efforts on behalf of a foreign power, register with the authorities, and then that this information is made publicly available,” he said.
“Such legislation does not apply to independent civil society organizations or media as such, and the mere receipt of funding from abroad is not sufficient to presume that they are “agents” of a foreign power and put into question their independence. The issue is not the origin of the funding received by the organization, but the nature of its activities and the work they conduct in the country.”
The Georgian bill is nearly identical to a proposal that the governing party was pressured to withdraw last year after large street protests.
The only change in wording from the previous draft law says noncommercial organizations and news media that receive 20 percent or more of their funding from overseas would have to register as “pursuing the interests of a foreign power.” The previous draft law said “agents of foreign influence.”
Although Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili says she would veto the law if it is passed by parliament in the third reading, the ruling party can override this by collecting 76 votes. Then the parliament speaker can sign it into law.
The final reading of the bill is scheduled to be debated on May 17.
Secret Documents Show Iranian Forces Assaulted And Molested Teen Killed In Custody, Says BBC
"Highly confidential" documents uncovered by British broadcaster BBC indicate that Nika Shakarami, a 17-year-old Iranian protester, was sexually assaulted and killed after being detained by security forces during unrest sparked by the Women, Life, Freedom protests in 2022.
According to a report published by the BBC on April 30, the documents contain detailed minutes and a report of Shakarami's case as compiled by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). It reportedly includes the names of the individuals responsible for her death and senior commanders who allegedly tried to cover up what occurred.
RFE/RL has not been able to independently verify the BBC report.
"This document summarizes the appalling actions taken against Nika Shakarami, detailing her arrest and the subsequent cover-up attempts by senior commanders," the BBC said.
Shakarami went missing during protests in September 2022 in Tehran over the death of Mahsa Amini, who died while in police custody for allegedly wearing her head scarf improperly.
In her last communication with her friends, Shakarami said she was being chased by security forces.
Eight days later, Nika's body was returned to her family. The government said she had committed suicide.
The BBC report said documents showed Shakarami was forcibly taken into a refrigerated van, where she was handcuffed and assaulted by a male officer. As she was being assaulted, Shakarami fought back, prompting the officers to beat her with batons, they added.
Nasrin Shakarami, Nika’s mother, told RFE/RL’s Radio Farda in an exclusive video message that “the forensic medical certificate indicated that my daughter died from multiple blows from a hard object to her head.”
The BBC’s investigation revealed that a former Iranian security officer confirmed the authenticity of the documents through contacts within the IRGC’s archive, utilizing an "official code issued daily to senior intelligence officers." Questions remain about how the former agent still had access to the changing security codes.
"The document explicitly states that after being apprehended, Ms. Shakarami was placed in a van with several security agents," according to the BBC. One of the agents, as per the document, admitted to becoming “aroused” during the assault, although he later denied certain actions attributed to him.
In the document, Behruz Sadeghi, a member of the security team, is quoted as saying that it was "completely dark" inside the van and "we could only see each other with the light from our mobile phones."
When Shakarami became restive, Sadeghi says, two of his colleagues, Arash Kalhor and Sadegh Manjazi, moved to forcibly restrain her.
"She started cursing again which led to Arash Kalhor gagging her with his sock, while Sadegh laid her on the van floor and sat on her to calm her down.”
The documents quoted Kalhor as saying in a statement that, when Shakarami started yelling and struggling again, "I turned on my mobile phone and saw Sadegh Manjazi sitting on her with his hand in her trousers."
Iranian authorities and the IRGC did not respond to inquiries made by the BBC about the documents.
Following her death, the authorities were ordered by senior officials to ditch Shakarami’s body on a quiet street next to the Yadegar Imam highway in Tehran, the BBC reported, citing the documents.
During the "Women, Life, Freedom" protests, Iranian state media attempted to claim that Shakarami had committed suicide by jumping from an unfinished building near her aunt’s home, where she was living.
Her family has stated that they were not allowed to see her body, only viewing parts of her severely damaged head and face.
"Who do we complain to when no one in the government will take responsibility for killing Nika?" her mother said in despair.
The incident was similar in some ways to what Amini endured before her death.
Authorities have said she fell into a coma soon after her arrest because of health problems. But her family says she was in good health, while eyewitnesses said the 22-year-old was beaten while she was being detained.
Public anger at Amini's death has been widely seen as one of the biggest threats to Iran's clerical establishment since the foundation of the Islamic republic in 1979.
At least 500 people have been killed around the country since authorities began a crackdown on her supporters, with thousands more detained or harassed.
Written by Ardeshir Tayebi based on an original story in Persian by RFE/RL's Radio Farda
- By Reuters
Nuclear Watchdog Chief Set To Visit Iran On May 6-8
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi is scheduled to visit Iran to take part in a nuclear conference from May 6 to May 8 and to meet Iranian officials, Iran's semiofficial Mehr news agency said on April 30. "Grossi will meet Iranian officials in Tehran before participating in the International Conference of Nuclear Sciences and Technologies held in Isfahan," the agency reported. The IAEA chief said in February that he was planning a visit to Tehran to tackle a "drifting apart" in relations between the agency and the Islamic republic.
Kyiv Dismantles Monument Honoring Centuries-Old Russian-Ukrainian Agreement
Kyiv authorities on April 30 started dismantling a monument honoring the Pereyaslav Agreement signed in 1654 at talks organized for the Ukrainian Cossack state’s ceremonial pledge of allegiance to the Russian tsar. The monument is located under the so-called Arch of the Ukrainian People (formerly the Arch of Peoples' Friendship). The monument to the Pereyaslav Agreement is the second Soviet-era monument to be dismantled and removed from under the arch. Kyiv officials took down the first one -- a monument symbolizing the reunification of Ukraine and Russia -- in April 2022, two months after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, click here.
5 Russians Suspected Of Arson Attack On Helicopter Arrested
A Moscow court on April 30 ordered pretrial detention of at least two months for five young people suspected of an arson attack on a Ka-32 helicopter in the Russian capital's outskirts. Anastasia Molchalina, Stanislav Khamidulin, Nikita Bulgakov, Roman Yakovets, and Daniil Yamskov were charged with terrorism and face up to 20 years in prison each if found guilty. Investigators say the group's leader, Khamidulin, was recruited by Ukrainian intelligence. It is unknown how the suspects pleaded. On April 26, Ukraine’s military intelligence (GUR) issued a video on YouTube showing what it said was the arson attack. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Russian Service, click here.
Jailed Iranian Scholar Released From Prison Due To Health Issues
Imprisoned Islamic scholar and civil activist Sedigheh Vasmaghi has been released on bail amid concerns over her deteriorating health after she was moved to a hospital from Tehran's notorious Evin prison earlier this month.
Her release was reported on April 29 by the Emtadad Telegram channel, which said her state of health had worsened. The news was confirmed by a source speaking to RFE/RL's Radio Farda.
Vasmaghi, a vocal critic of Iran's mandatory hijab policy, was initially detained at her home on March 16, on charges of "propaganda against the system in cyberspace" and "public appearances without Shari'a-compliant hijab."
Doctors had urged for her transfer to a hospital from prison, but officials had refused several times to carry out the move. Her deteriorating health caused her to go blind.
Prior to her release, Vasmaghi penned a letter to a United Nations fact-finding committee detailing her experiences while detained by the Islamic republic, highlighting her wrongful arrest on charges of removing her hijab, or Islamic head scarf, and the subsequent brutal treatment and torture she endured at the hands of state officials.
Vasmaghi underscored in her letter that, despite her blindness, she was repeatedly taken for interrogation without legal representation and was transferred to serve her sentence without undergoing due legal process.
In November 2023, she posted a video on social media where she wasn't wearing a hijab in defiance of Iran's strict dress codes for women.
Speaking to RFE/RL’s Radio Farda at the time, Vasmaghi said she regarded her action as a protest against the religious regime's oppressive policies toward women, and advocated for the right of women to choose their own attire.
From inside Evin prison, Vasmaghi declared the mandatory hijab policy a failure. In her communication with the UN, she urged international human rights organizations to continue their efforts to hold Tehran accountable for its oppressive actions, particularly against women.
Vasmaghi has also been highly critical of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, calling him a dictator and slamming the country's "oppressive" leadership.
The death of Mahsa Amini in police custody in September 2022 after her arrest for allegedly improperly wearing her head scarf led to months of nationwide protests that thrust women's rights and public disapproval of the hijab law to the fore.
Iranian authorities responded by carrying out a violent crackdown that resulted in the deaths of over 500 protesters. They have also implemented a stricter hijab law with harsher penalties and longer prison sentences for those who disobey it.
The fact-finding committee of the UN Human Rights Council labeled these government 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
Fugitive Businessman Extradited To Montenegro From Great Britain
Dusko Knezevic, once a close ally of former Montenegrin President Milo Djukanovic, has been extradited to Montenegro from Britain to face corruption charges. Montenegro’s Justice Ministry said in a statement that Knezevic was flown from London to Podgorica early on April 30 on a special flight. Knezevic, who holds British, Montenegrin, Cypriot, and Serbian passports, has been charged with committing the “criminal acts of abusing a position in business operations through incitement, creating a criminal organization, and money laundering," Montenegrin police said. To read the original story by RFE/RL’s Balkan Service, click here.
Austin Calls On Countries That Have Patriot Air Defense Systems To Transfer Them To Ukraine
U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on April 30 appealed to the partners of the United States to transfer Patriot air defense systems to Ukraine, which has repeatedly requested more of the air defense systems to help protect Ukrainian cities and infrastructure from Russian attacks.
"There are countries that have Patriots, and so what we're doing is continuing to engage those countries," Austin told the House Armed Services Committee. "I have talked to the leaders of several countries...myself here in the last two weeks, encouraging them to give up more capability or provide more capability."
Austin did not identifying the countries, but among those that are known to possess the systems are Spain, Greece, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, and Sweden.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told NATO members last week that his country needs a minimum of seven additional Patriot air defense systems to counter Russian air strikes.
Austin told the committee that he speaks with Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov every week and "he is well aware of what we are doing, how we are engaging other countries, looking for additional capabilities around the world."
Austin's testimony came after two people were killed and six wounded in a Russian strike on Ukraine's second-largest city, Kharkiv, regional head Oleh Synyehubov said on Telegram as an air-raid alert was announced for most of the country.
Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov said separately that two infrastructure targets were hit during the strike. The air-raid alert was declared for the regions of Rivne, Zhytomyr, Kyiv, Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Cherkasy, Kirovohrad, Poltava, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhya, and Donetsk.
A day earlier a Russian missile attack in the Ukrainian port of Odesa killed at least five people and wounded several others, including Serhiy Kivalov, a former lawmaker for the pro-Russian Party of Regions, who founded a law school in the Gothic-style building that was struck.
Kivalov lives at the site, where he runs the Odesa Law Academy.
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.
Hours before the strike Zelenskiy called on the West to speed up deliveries of desperately needed weapons for depleted and outgunned Ukrainian troops.
Zelenskiy made his comments in Kyiv at a joint news conference with visiting NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg. He said that small quantities of weapons and ammunition had begun arriving in Ukraine, but he urged that the deliveries gain momentum faster in order to be useful.
"Timely support for our army. Today I don't see anything positive on this point yet. There are supplies, they have slowly begun, but this process needs to be sped up," he said.
"Promptness in supply literally means a stabilization of the front line.... Together we must disrupt the Russian offensive."
An influx of weapons is expected to flow after U.S. President Joe Biden signed a long-delayed $61 billion military aid package last week. Biden said the package would include air defense munitions to help Ukraine protect its cities and infrastructure, artillery shells, and long-range missile systems.
Stoltenberg, visiting the Ukrainian capital for the third time since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, acknowledged "serious delays in support have meant serious consequences on the battlefield."
"For months, the U.S. was unable to agree a package and European allies have been unable to deliver ammunition at the scale we promised," he added. "Ukraine has been outgunned for months and forced to ration its ammunition.... More support is on the way."
Kazakh Journalist Charged With Hooliganism Over Flood-Related Video
The West Kazakhstan region's police department told RFE/RL on April 30 that journalist Raul Uporov, who extensively covered ongoing unprecedented floods in the city of Oral, had been charged with hooliganism.
A day earlier, Uporov said on Facebook that police were forcibly taking him to a police station to officially charge him in an administrative case.
He later said that the case against him was launched over his online video about a move by the local Emergencies Department to ban journalists from visiting areas affected by the floods and filing reports from such places.
The department explained the move by citing "safety precautions," while Uporov harshly criticized the move in a video he made about the floods, which was posted on Instagram. Police said they considered some of the words used by Uporov in the video "vulgar" and filed a hooliganism charge against the reporter.
Meanwhile, the situation around floods caused by abrupt warm weather that led to massive snowmelt in late March remains complicated in the western Atyrau region.
The Kazakh Emergencies Ministry said on April 30 that rescue teams from 10 regions and military personnel remain in the Atyrau region to monitor the water level in the Zhaiyq River every hour.
The ministry said a day earlier that, among those who were forced to flee the flooding, 38,521 people had returned home, adding that some of the rescue teams and military personnel deployed to help flood-affected regions had started leaving as water levels begin to recede.
In all, about 120,000 people, including 44,000 children, had been evacuated from areas affected by the floods.
According to the ministry, 17,000 of its rescue experts and military personnel, as well almost 2,000 equipped vehicles, have been involved in the rescue efforts in the flood-affected regions of the Central Asian nation's northern regions.
At least five people died in Kazakhstan during the floods, while at least four have been missing since early April.
- By Reuters
Estonia Says Russia Violating International Rules With GPS Interference
Estonia accused Russia of violating international airspace regulations by interfering with GPS signals. The Baltic nation's foreign minister said Tallinn will take up the matter with its NATO and European Union partners. Finnair on April 29 announced a temporary suspension of its flights to Tartu in eastern Estonia for a month due to ongoing GPS disturbances that prevented two aircraft from landing. The flights will be suspended to allow the airport to install an alternative approach method not relying on GPS, Finnair said. Most airports have such equipment installed.
Kazakh Activists Under Pressure Before Announced Rallies
Kazakh authorities have jailed several opposition activists on the eve of rallies planned across the country on May 1. A court in Astana on April 29 sentenced opposition activists Amangeldi Zhakhin and Marat Musabaev to 15 days in jail each on a charge of disobeying police orders. The same day, a court in the northern Pavlodar Province sentenced activist Embergen Qurmanov to 17 days in jail after convicting him of making online calls for an "illegal" rally. Three days earlier, a court in the East Kazakhstan Province sentenced Ruslan Nurkhanov to 15 days in jail on the same charge. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Kazakh Service, click here.
2 Killed In Russian Strike On Ukraine's Kharkiv
Two people were killed and six wounded in a Russian strike on Ukraine's second-largest city, Kharkiv, early on April 30, regional head Oleh Synyehubov said on Telegram as an air-raid alert was announced for most of the country. Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov said separately that two infrastructure targets were hit during the strike. The air-raid alert was declared for the regions of Rivne, Zhytomyr, Kyiv, Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Cherkasy, Kirovohrad, Poltava, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzya, and Donetsk. To read the original stories by RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, click here and here.
Former Kazakh Interior Minister Detained Over Deadly 2022 Unrest
The Kazakh Prosecutor-General's Office said investigators have detained former Interior Minister Erlan Turghymbaev on a charge of abuse of office and power.
In a statement on April 30, the office said Turghymbaev's detention was linked to "ongoing investigations into the events that took place in January 2022," a reference to nationwide demonstrations that were sparked by protests against an abrupt fuel price hike in the Central Asian nation's southwestern town of Zhanaozen.
The unrest that quickly spread across the country turned into unprecedented anti-government protests that saw more than 200 people killed.
Much of the protesters' anger was directed at former President Nursultan Nazarbaev, who ruled Kazakhstan from 1989 until March 2019, when he handed over power to his then-ally Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev. Despite moving into the background, Nazarbaev was widely believed to have remained in control.
The protests were violently dispersed by police and military personnel, including troops from the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) that Toqaev invited into the country, claiming that "20,000 extremists who were trained in terrorist camps abroad" had attacked Almaty, the country's largest city.
The authorities have provided no evidence proving Toqaev's claim about foreign terrorists.
Following the unrest which claimed at least 238 lives, including 19 police officers, the chief of the Committee for National Security (KNB) and one of Nazarbaev's closest allies, Karim Masimov, and three of his deputies were arrested.
Masimov was later sentenced to 18 years in prison, while his deputies, Anuar Sadyqulov and Daulet Erghozhin, were sentenced to 16 years and 15 years, respectively. A court in Astana found all three men guilty of high treason, attempting to seize power by force, and abuse of office and power.
Another former deputy of Masimov, Marat Osipov, was sentenced to three years in prison on a charge of abuse of office.
In February of this year, another former deputy and a nephew of Nazarbaev, Samat Abish, was convicted on a charge of abuse of power and handed a suspended sentence of eight years.
Abish's older brother, Qairat Satybaldy, was arrested in March 2022 and later sentenced to six years in prison on corruption charges.
Some 400 Naturalized Russians Stripped Of Citizenship Under New Law
Russia's TASS news agency quoted Interior Ministry officials on April 30 as saying that 398 naturalized Russian citizens had their passports revoked after the adoption of a law in October that allows naturalized Russians to be deprived of their citizenship if they are convicted of a crime. Those crimes include, among other felonies, discrediting Russia's military, distributing false information about Russian armed forces, calling for sanctions against Russia, espionage, high treason, violating the law on "foreign agents," and taking part in the activities of "undesirable organizations.'" To read the original story by RFE/RL's North.Realities, click here.
RFE/RL has been declared an "undesirable organization" by the Russian government.
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