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White House Official: No Trump Advisers In Touch With Russian Intelligence

White House chief of staff Reince Priebus
White House chief of staff Reince Priebus

The White House chief of staff has denied that advisers to President Donald Trump were in contact with Russian intelligence during the election campaign.

Reince Priebus also said in an interview February 19 on NBC TV that he had been assured from "the top levels of the intelligence community" that reports of those alleged contacts were false.

Priebus's comments were the latest efforts by the Trump administration to push back against reports that several Trump advisers had spoken with Russian officials during last year's campaign.

Trump's national security adviser, Michael Flynn, resigned last week after reports said he had discussed U.S. sanctions imposed against Russia with Russia's ambassador to the United States.

The White House has said Flynn did nothing illegal, but was asked to resign because he misled Vice President Mike Pence.

U.S. intelligence has asserted that Russia engaged computer hacking and propaganda effort to manipulate the presidential election that was won by Trump.

The FBI has multiple investigations open into the alleged campaign, and four separate Senate committees are also looking into it.

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Blinken, Cameron Urge Congress To Pass Aid For Ukraine, Calling It Critical For World Security

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken (right) and British Foreign Secretary David Cameron hold a joint press conference at the State Department in Washington on April 9.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken (right) and British Foreign Secretary David Cameron hold a joint press conference at the State Department in Washington on April 9.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and British Foreign Secretary David Cameron urged Congress on April 9 to approve new military aid for Ukraine, saying the stalled funding was critical for U.S., European, and world security. Speaking after a meeting at the State Department, Blinken repeated long-standing appeals for lawmakers to unblock the assistance that President Joe Biden has sought for months, while Cameron said he would make the same case in meetings on Capitol Hill. Cameron is the latest foreign government official to urge U.S. lawmakers to act swiftly to approve the assistance amid increasing concern over the Washington's role.

Russian Soldier Who Fled War In Ukraine Captured In Armenia

The Russian military base in Gyumri
The Russian military base in Gyumri

Russian military police have captured a Russian soldier in Armenia wanted in his homeland for refusing to fight in Ukraine, according to the Vanadzor branch of the Helsinki Citizens' Assembly.

Ani Chatinian, a lawyer for the Helsinki Citizens' Assembly, said the organization learned of the arrest of Anatoly Shchetinin on April 9 and was trying to prevent him from being sent to Russia.

Shchetinin was detained on the territory of a Russian military base in Armenia's northwestern city of Gyumri and preparations were under way to fly him to Russia, according to human rights activists.

Artur Sakunts, the head of the Helsinki Citizens' Assembly office in the Armenian city of Vanadzor, told the publication that first reported Shchetinin's arrest that it was unknown under what circumstances he was detained. In a statement, the organization said that the "abduction" of the soldier violated Armenian law.

The case is similar to one last year involving Russian citizen Dmitry Setrakov, who fled Russia to avoid mobilization to the war in Ukraine. Setrakov was detained in November.

Rights watchdogs said at the time that Setrakov was detained by Russian military police on Armenian territory.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian, in an interview with France 24 in February, expressed concern over the detention of Setrakov, calling it "an abduction" and saying "we cannot tolerate illegal actions on our territory."

Setrakov deserted from the Russian Army and was also detained in Gyumri. Twelve days after his arrest, he was taken to Russia.

Chatinian said the actions of the Russians in both cases were "unauthorized and criminal."

"We've sent a report to the Prosecutor-General's Office about the crime," Chatinian said. The report says Russian law enforcement agencies in the territory under the jurisdiction of Armenia "have no jurisdiction to carry out such an operation, and Anatoly Shchetinin should be transferred immediately to law enforcement agencies in Armenia."

Shchetinin's reason for refusing to fight is unknown. It is also not known how he arrived in Armenia and whether he was conscripted into the military or volunteered to fight.

What happened both in the case of Setrakov and in Shchetinin's case is illegal and exaggerates the scope of the powers of the Russian military, Chatinian stressed.

She added that lawyers must act very quickly to avoid repeating what happened to Setrakov, who was sentenced to up to 15 years in prison and is now in the fourth month of that sentence in a prison in Rostov.

Russian Anti-War Activist Demidenko 'Committed Suicide,' Prison Officials Say

Aleksandr Demidenko
Aleksandr Demidenko

Russian anti-war activist Aleksandr Demidenko, whose death in custody last week was announced to his family by his lawyer on April 8, committed suicide while in pretrial detention, Russia's Federal Penitentiary Service told the Bel.Ru Telegram channel. The Russian media website IStories said Demidenko's family had yet to see his body. The 61-year-old activist, who openly protested Russia's invasion of Ukraine and helped hundreds of Ukrainian refugees in the Belgorod region to return to Ukraine, was arrested in October 2023. He was initially sentenced to 10 days in jail for drinking alcohol in public. Police later charged him with illegal weapon possession. To read the original story by Current Time, click here.

Zelenskiy Inspects Fortifications In Kharkiv, Urges Western Partners To Send More Aid

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy inspects new fortifications in the Kharkiv region on April 9.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy inspects new fortifications in the Kharkiv region on April 9.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on April 9 visited the Kharkiv region to inspect defensive fortifications and issue another appeal for more military aid from Ukraine's Western backers in light of daily shelling of the region by the Russian military.

"Kharkiv region is a very important area. We have to be prepared. And the Russians must see that we are ready to defend ourselves," Zelensky said in a statement on his website.

Regional Governor Oleh Synyehubov said that the fortifications consisted of an extensive system of trenches, dugouts, and other types of shelters. Blockades being set up in the region include rows of concrete pyramids known as dragon's teeth, and anti-tank ditches.

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.

Ukraine will do everything it can to better protect the city from Russian attacks, Zelenskiy said, adding that the military leadership had a solution to strengthen Kharkiv's air defenses.

Later on April 9, the U.S. State Department announced an emergency $138 million in foreign military sales for Ukraine to provide critical repairs and spare parts for Hawk medium-range, surface-to-air missile systems, which provide air defense.

The announcement came after Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told a congressional hearing that without Washington's support, the United States risks that Ukraine will fall to Russia.

"Ukraine matters, and the outcome of the conflict in Ukraine will have global implications for our national security as well," Austin said.

Both the State Department and Defense Department have been pushing Congress to pass a $60 billion aid package that has been stalled in the U.S. Congress for months amid domestic political wrangling.

Meanwhile, Russian attacks on Kharkiv have intensified in recent weeks. Mayor Ihor Terekhov said recently that Russian troops often fire S-300s at Kharkiv from the Belgorod region of Russia, and these missiles reach the city in 40 seconds. Iranian-made Shahed drones are also being used more and more often.

Ukraine is struggling to protect its cities from incoming Russian missiles, drones, and bombs amid shortages of crucial ammunition and air-defense systems.

WATCH: At least one woman was killed and three others wounded in the Ukrainian town of Bilopillya, in the Sumy region, after the Russian military dropped four guided bombs in the center of the town, local officials said on April 8.

Russian Strikes Hit School, Shops In Eastern Ukraine
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Zelenskiy has been demanding on an almost daily basis that Kyiv's Western backers increase their supplies of arms.

"Kharkiv needs robust defense. There is a solution to Russia's constant terror. We need air-defense systems and missiles for them," Zelenskiy said earlier.

"The world has no right to remain indifferent while Russia deliberately destroys the city day after day and kills people in their homes," he said.

Zelenskiy held meetings during his visit to Kharkiv on the defense of critical infrastructure and the functioning of energy systems in the Kharkiv region.

He met with the commander of the air force, General Mykola Oleshchuk, to discuss "the organization of a new scheme for the protection of Kharkiv from the air with the involvement of additional air defense equipment."

He also met with Synyehubov, Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko, and Volodymyr Kudrytskiy, chairman of Ukrenerho, who reported on the consequences of Russian shelling on energy generating capacities and the current situation with electricity supply.

The General Staff of the Ukrainian military said there were 66 combat clashes during the day on the front line. It said the situation in the north "did not change significantly during the day."

In eastern Donetsk, Russian forces continued their attempt to break through Ukrainian defenses in several comminities west of Avdiyivka, and in southern Kherson region, the General Staff said Russian forces continue to try to knock Ukrainian forces from bridgeheads on the left bank of the Dnieper River.

Ukraine's air force said earlier it destroyed all 20 drones launched by Russia early on April 9 at seven of its regions -- Mykolayiv, Odesa, Kherson, Dnipropetrovsk, Poltava, Vinnytsya, and Lviv.

Russia's Defense Ministry meanwhile said its forces had destroyed a Ukrainian anti-ship Neptune missile over the Black Sea and four drones over the Belgorod and Voronezh regions.

Neither report could be independently confirmed immediately.

With reporting by AP, Reuters, and dpa

Armenian Opposition Has Concerns After Parliament Holds Closed-Door Border Session

Taguhi Tovmasian said the concern was that "after [what happened] to (Nagorno-Karabakh), the Republic of Armenia is in serious danger." (file photo)
Taguhi Tovmasian said the concern was that "after [what happened] to (Nagorno-Karabakh), the Republic of Armenia is in serious danger." (file photo)

Members of the opposition in Armenia's parliament said their concerns over negotiations with Azerbaijan on border-delimitation issues were not allayed by government officials during a special session held at their initiative on April 9.

After the 90-minute meeting, Taguhi Tovmasian, a member of the Pativ Unem faction, told reporters that she actually learned "nothing new" on the border-delimitation process.

The pro-government majority in parliament approved holding the meeting with Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigorian behind closed doors.

This prompted Tovmasian to say it took place "under the smokescreen of secrecy" as the government "once again tried to impart some mysteriousness to their actions."

She said the concern was that "after [what happened] to Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh in Armenian), the Republic of Armenia is in serious danger."

Baku and Yerevan have been conducting negotiations over their respective borders for decades, but the process took on new urgency after Azerbaijan recaptured Nagorno-Karabakh amid a swift military offensive in September 2023.

Unlike in the past, the talks are now being conducted one-on-one without Russian, U.S., or EU mediators.

Mirzoyan said on April 6 that Yerevan and Baku had agreed several times at top-level meetings on recognizing each other's territorial integrity based on the 1991 Alma-Ata Declaration, but the Azerbaijanis showed a "reluctance" when it is placed in a draft treaty.

Ishkhan Saghatelian, a member of the Hayastan faction, claimed that the closed-door meeting again showed that "there is no real border delimitation and demarcation work" and "no real Armenia-Azerbaijan negotiations."

He claimed "new demands for capitulation" are being presented by Azerbaijan and the current authorities "intend to yield" to them.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian and his team have repeatedly refuted opposition claims that Yerevan is going to cede any part of the internationally recognized territory of Armenia to Baku.

Mirzoyan and Grigorian did not talk to the media after the session. Grigorian told RFE/RL prior to the meeting that there was still no final decision on starting the delimitation process in Armenia's northeastern Tavush Province.

"The decision to start the delimitation from that part can be made when there is a consensus on the rest of the fundamental issues," he said.

Talks about the start of the border delimitation and demarcation process in Tavush began in March, when Pashinian traveled to the province to meet with residents of local communities situated next to four villages that used to be part of Soviet Azerbaijan but have been under Armenian military control since the 1990s.

Locals Fear Being Cut Off Amid Armenian-Azerbaijani Peace Talks
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Pashinian signaled his readiness to accept Baku's demands for Armenian withdrawal from those villages but did not make their handover conditional on the liberation of any Armenian territory occupied by Azerbaijani forces in the early 1990s and 2021-22. He said Azerbaijan would go to war unless Armenia handed those territories back.

The statement prompted strong condemnation from opposition leaders and serious concern from residents of several Tavush villages that would be affected by the withdrawal.

The villagers said they would lose access to their land, have trouble communicating with the rest of the country, and be far more vulnerable to Azerbaijani attacks.

During a phone call with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz reported by Pashinian's office on April 9, he said that Armenia was ready for solutions "based on the principles agreed on October 6, 2022, in Prague, on May 14 and July 15, 2023, in Brussels, as well as on October 5, 2023, in Granada."

Pashinian has said the principles concern mutual recognition of territorial integrity and borders, border delimitation based on a 1991 declaration signed by a dozen former Soviet republics including Armenia and Azerbaijan, and the sovereign jurisdictions of the states over transportation links passing through their territories.

"Pashinian considered any attempt to distort these principles unacceptable," the statement said.

The closed-door Armenian parliament session came amid heightened tensions at the border with Azerbaijan. The Armenian Defense Ministry released three statements during the day denying Baku's claims that Armenian armed forces had fired at Azerbaijani Army positions.

At the same time, the ministry accused Azerbaijani armed forces of firing at Armenian positions.

The Armenian Interior Ministry reported more damage to a house in the southern village of Tegh as a result of "sporadic gunfire" by Azerbaijani forces.

With reporting by Shoghik Galstian

U.S. Lawmakers Call For Kara-Murza's Release, Say Russian Prisoner 'Not Forgotten'

Vladimir Kara-Murza attends an event in 2021.
Vladimir Kara-Murza attends an event in 2021.

Two years after Russian opposition politician Vladimir Kara-Murza's arrest and conviction on terrorist charges viewed as politically motivated, U.S. lawmakers say they haven't forgotten their "friend."

At an April 9 conference in Washington organized to coincide with the anniversary of Kara-Murza’s arrest, the lawmakers said they will fight for him until he is released and called on the State Department to declare him wrongfully detained.

"We will continue to advocate for his immediate and unconditional release for as long as it takes," Representative Jim McGovern (Democrat-Massachusetts), co-chair of the Congressional Human Rights Commission.

"We will continue to raise our voices. We will continue to have gatherings like this all throughout the country and all throughout the world," he told those gathered, including Kara-Murza’s wife, Yevgenia, and two children.

Kara-Murza was arrested on April 11, 2022, upon his return to Russia following talks in the United States and Europe where he called President Vladimir Putin a war criminal for his decision to invade Ukraine.

Putin in March 2022 outlawed criticism of the war -- which he calls a "special military operation" -- and the armed forces as part of a sweeping post-invasion crackdown on freedoms.

A court sentenced Kara-Murza, 43, to a quarter-century in prison, the longest jail term handed to a Kremlin opponent in post-Soviet Russia and one more reminiscent of Stalinist times. The long sentence is symbolic of the harsher pivot Putin has taken since launching the war.

U.S. lawmakers, who were joined at the conference by European ambassadors, expressed deep concern about Kara-Murza's fate in prison, highlighting the death of fellow opposition politician Aleksei Navalny in an Arctic prison in unclear circumstances in February.

Navalny, 47, was serving a 19-year sentence on extremism charges he and Western officials say were politically motivated.

"Russian prisons are notorious for their death toll," McGovern said. "Sitting in a Siberian prison, Vladimir's health is at risk. His life is a risk. And those in Russia with hope for a better future should not have to lose another leader to Putin's fear and paranoia."

Latvian Ambassador to the United States Maris Selga called on Western countries, especially the United States, to continue to support Ukraine militarily, saying Moscow's defeat is critical to ushering in the democratic Russia that Kara-Murza is fighting for.

"As we support him and condemn his imprisonment, we must remain committed to stopping Putin and hold him accountable. This includes by supporting Ukraine in every way possible necessary until they achieve victory," Selga said.

Representative Steve Cohen (Democrat-Tennessee), a member of the Congressional Helsinki Commission on human rights, expressed frustration that the State Department hasn't declared Kara-Murza wrongfully detained despite multiple requests.

"We have written and we have written and we have written" to the State Department, he said.

RFE/RL has also pushed the State Department to designate its journalist, Alsu Kurmasheva, who has been jailed in Russia since last year, as wrongfully detained without success.

When a person is declared wrongfully detained, it activates various State Department offices and other U.S. government agencies to work together with colleagues inside and outside the government to develop a strategy to secure their release.

Sonata Coulter, the deputy assistant secretary of state overseeing policy toward Russia and Central Europe, said Secretary of State Antony Blinken as well as U.S. ambassadors to the United Nations, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), and other international organizations consistently raise Kara-Murza's case.

She did not comment on whether the State Department will declare him wrongfully detained. She said Kara-Murza was one of about 700 political prisoners in Russia.

"Russia's internal repression enables its external aggression. These are inextricably linked, and we cannot address one without the other," she said.

James Roscoe, deputy head of mission at the British Embassy in Washington, also said that U.K. diplomats continued to raise Kara-Murza's case with Russian officials in Moscow and at the United Nations. Kara-Murza is a dual Russian and British citizen but has spent much time in the United States, where his wife and children live.

Kara-Murza played a leading role alongside his mentor, Boris Nemtsov -- who was assassinated in 2015 -- in persuading the U.S. Congress to pass groundbreaking sanctions legislation that targets corrupt officials and human rights abusers in Russia, including people close to Putin.

Kara-Murza believes he was twice poisoned deliberately in Moscow due to his lobbying for the legislation. In both of his illnesses, his Russian doctors indicated he suffered toxic effects of an "unidentified substance."

In a sign of the legislation's power to inflict economic pain, the Kremlin lobbied hard to prevent its passage and later sought its repeal.

Kara-Murza returned to Russia despite pleas by U.S. lawmakers and others not to. He told them he was a Russian politician and must be in the country to have an impact.

Since his arrest and conviction, he has been moved around in prison. In January, he was transferred to a punitive cell unit in a Siberian prison.

Unlike in regular parts of prisons where inmates can move around, work, visit a library or prayer rooms, or engage in other leisure activities, those incarcerated in punitive cells are isolated from the rest of the correctional facility.

His interaction with the outside world is through his lawyer.

"The worst fear of a political prisoner is to be forgotten," Cohen told the audience. Kara-Murza "has not been forgotten."

Nobel Laureate Byalyatski's Condition Worsens After 1,000 Days In Belarusian Prison, Wife Says

Ales Byalyatski attends a court hearing in Minsk in January 2023.
Ales Byalyatski attends a court hearing in Minsk in January 2023.

Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Byalyatski marked his 1,000th day in prison in Belarus on April 9 amid increasing fears about his deteriorating health, his wife said. Natallya Pinchuk told AP that Byalyatski, 61, had been in solitary confinement for the past half-year despite chronic illnesses. She said she had learned from people who have left the prison that his condition is continuing to worsen. She urged the United Nations to "act more actively" to help Byalyatski, who is serving a 10-year sentence linked to his human rights activities, and other political prisoners in Belarus.

Chechen Woman's Disappearance Investigated As Possible Murder, Rights Group Says

Seda Suleimanova
Seda Suleimanova

Police in St. Petersburg are investigating the disappearance of a Chechen woman who was forcibly sent back to Chechnya last year as a possible murder, the SK SOS human rights group said on April 8.

The human rights group said earlier that police in Russia's second-largest city started an investigation into Seda Suleimanova's disappearance in late March, adding that the 26-year-old may have been the victim of a so-called "honor" killing in her native region.

SK SOS now says it discovered that Suleimanova's case is being investigated as murder but did not say how it found out or release details about the investigation.

Russian authorities had been reluctant to investigate Suleimanova's case and in recent months had briefly detained several of her supporters who tried to raise awareness about her disappearance.

Meanwhile, Suleimanova's relatives insisted that she left Chechnya on February 5. However, SK SOS said its activists called two of Suleimanova's relatives on February 6, and they assured them that she was there with them but refused to pass the telephone to her so that she could talk.

On February 7, SK SOS quoted two independent sources in Chechnya as saying that the woman may have been killed.

Suleimanova's story attracted the attention of international human rights organizations in August after police in St. Petersburg detained her along with her partner, Stanislav Kudryavtsev, at their apartment and took them to a police station. There she was informed that she was suspected of stealing jewelry in Chechnya, a charge she denied.

Suleimanova was then transferred to Chechnya, and attempts to locate her by Kudryavtsev, who converted to Islam to be able to visit Chechnya and marry Suleimanova, have failed.

In September, Chechen authorities issued a video showing Suleimanova in Chechnya. She did not speak in the video, and after it was released no information on her whereabouts was made public.

Suleimanova had turned to SK SOS in October 2022 for help leaving Chechnya, saying that her relatives might kill her for being "insufficiently religious."

Human right defenders say families in the North Caucasus often file complaints accusing fugitive women of crimes, usually theft, to legalize their detention and return them to their relatives. When they return, the women face violent abuse.

Domestic violence has been a problem in Russia's North Caucasus region for decades. Victims who manage to flee often say that they may face "punishment," including "honor killings," if they are forced to return.

To make matters worse for the victims, local authorities usually take the side of those accused of being the abusers.

Despite Being Jailed, Iranian Activist Sentenced For Failing To Report To Prison

Hossein Razzagh (file photo)
Hossein Razzagh (file photo)

An Iranian political activist who was granted medical leave from Tehran’s Evin prison last year has been sentenced to 74 lashes for what authorities termed "absence and failure to report to prison," even though he was actually in prison when the case was filed against him.

Hossein Razzagh was arrested in July 2022 in the northern Iranian city of Amol, and was transferred to Evin prison. He was granted several days of medical leave in April 2023 due to health issues but subsequently returned to prison despite medical advice that his health was poor.

Despite his return, the Tehran Public and Revolutionary Court initiated a case against him in absentia, saying there was a "lack of access to the accused." Razzagh was subsequently sentenced to 74 lashes. The court did not explain its decision.

In March, Razzagh's Telegram channel announced that he had lodged complaints against various security and judicial officials for beatings he allegedly received in Evin prison's ward 209, under the jurisdiction of the Intelligence Ministry.

Security personnel in ward 209 reportedly subjected Razzagh to hours of torture following the beatings.

Razzagh was one of the founders of a room on the Clubhouse social-media site called "Freedom Square," which he said was removed from the platform due to pressure and threats from the ministry.

An audio-based social-media application, Clubhouse has become a major platform for dialogue among Iranians, who join virtual chat rooms to hear from analysts, journalists, and dissidents.

Razzagh is one of several political prisoners in Evin prison who have publicly condemned the judiciary for its treatment of prisoners, including the reported "exile" of Saeed Madani, a social researcher and civil activist, to Damavand prison.

Since September 2022, when 22-year-old Mahsa Amini died in police custody for an alleged head-scarf violation, thousands of Iranians have taken to the streets to demand more freedoms and women's rights, with the judiciary, backed by lawmakers, responding to the biggest threat to the Islamic government since the 1979 revolution with a brutal crackdown.

Several thousand have been arrested, including many protesters, as well as journalists, lawyers, activists, digital rights defenders, and others. At least nine protesters have been executed after what rights groups and several Western governments have called "sham" trials.

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

Prison Term Of Former Head Of Navalny's Bashkortostan Team Extended

Lilia Chanysheva appears in court in Ufa in June 2023.
Lilia Chanysheva appears in court in Ufa in June 2023.

The Supreme Court of Russia's Bashkortostan region on April 9 extended the prison sentence of Lilia Chanysheva, the former head of late opposition leader Aleksei Navalny's team in Ufa, by two years after prosecutors said her initial 7 1/2-year sentence for extremism was too lenient.

Prosecutors had demanded an extension of 2 1/2 years to bring her sentence to 10 years. Chanysheva, speaking during a court hearing, reiterated her not-guilty plea.

Chanysheva was initially sentenced in June 2023 after a court in Ufa, the capital of Bashkortostan, found her guilty of creating an extremist community, inciting extremism, and establishing an organization that violated citizens' rights.

Her co-defendant, activist Rustem Mulyukov, was sentenced to 2 1/2 years on charges of taking part in the activities of an extremist organization, including organizing events, educational seminars, investigative programs, and rallies and demonstrations in Ufa. The Supreme Court did not change his prison term.

Chanysheva headed the local unit of Navalny's network of regional campaign groups until his team disbanded them after a Moscow prosecutor went to court to have them branded "extremist."

The request was accepted, effectively outlawing the group.

Chanysheva's defense team said at the time that her arrest was the first since the movement was banned. The charges appeared to be retroactive to the period of time before the organization she worked for had been legally classified as extremist.

Navalny died on February 16 in an Arctic prison while serving a 19-year term on extremism and other charges.

Several opposition leaders and other associates of Navalny have been charged with establishing an extremist group.

Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, several of Navalny's former associates have been charged with discrediting the Russian military, distributing "fake" news about the military, and extremism.

Also last year, the former leader of Navalny’s team in the Altai region, Vadim Ostanin, was sentenced to nine years in prison on an extremism charge.

With reporting by SOTAVision, Mediazona, and Meduza

Iran Blocks 'Blind Date' As Part Of Social-Media Crackdown

Blind Date has gained significant popularity within Iran, drawing millions of viewers to its YouTube-based episodes where participants, unfamiliar with each other, engage in conversations to determine potential compatibility.
Blind Date has gained significant popularity within Iran, drawing millions of viewers to its YouTube-based episodes where participants, unfamiliar with each other, engage in conversations to determine potential compatibility.

Iran's judicial authorities have seized the Instagram page of the popular online program Blind Date, hosted by an Iranian influencer known as Viny, as part of a sweeping crackdown on social-media content.

The official announcement, made on Viny's Instagram page, which has more than 1.2 million followers, said the action was taken by judicial order and the page would remain inaccessible until further notice.

"This page is by order of the honorable judicial authority by Faraja and until further notice is unavailable," the only post now available on the page says.

Blind Date has gained significant popularity within Iran, drawing millions of viewers to its YouTube-based episodes where participants, unfamiliar with each other, engage in conversations to determine potential compatibility.

The show's success highlights how Iranian vloggers have been showcasing the lifestyle of the country's new generation even though it clashes with the conservative Islamic leadership.

Iran has long faced criticism for its extensive Internet restrictions, with many citizens relying on virtual private networks (VPNs) to access blocked content, including social media such as YouTube, Twitter, Instagram.

The government's action against Viny marks a significant escalation in its efforts to control online content.

Historically, such interventions were limited to individuals whose activities garnered widespread recognition on social media.

The clampdown also reflects the authorities' concern over the rising influence of "Generation Z" and their unfiltered portrayal of life in Iran, challenging the government's narrative and censorship efforts.

This generation's documentation of their lives and then sharing their experiences often pushes the boundaries of what is traditionally acceptable, posing a new challenge for a government grappling with the pervasive reach of the Internet and social media, analysts say.

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

Kremlin Warns Worse To Come As Floods Ravage Russia, Kazakhstan

A photo from Russia's Emergencies Ministry shows flooding in the Orenburg region on April 9.
A photo from Russia's Emergencies Ministry shows flooding in the Orenburg region on April 9.

The Kremlin has warned that water levels have yet to peak in several regions of the country as tens of thousands in southern Russia -- and in neighboring Kazakhstan -- scrambled to avoid some of the worst flooding in decades as unseasonably warm temperatures melt snow faster than usual.

More than 10,000 homes have already been flooded by water cascading from the Ural Mountains and Siberia, with thousands more at risk, according to local officials.

In northern Kazakhstan, the situation is said to be worse, with more than 86,000 people evacuated.

Several regions in both countries have declared states of emergency as officials scramble to coordinate their response.

"Difficult days are still ahead," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in Moscow on April 9. "There is a lot of water coming."

Peskov said Russian President Vladimir Putin held telephone talks with his Kazakh counterpart, Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev, on joint efforts to deal with the disaster.

"Close collaboration of the two nations' corresponding agencies that have been jointly monitoring and forecasting the situation, outlining and implementing coordinating measures to react to the situation were emphasized during the talks," a statement on the Kremlin website said, adding that "the leaders of the two countries agreed to intensify emergency efforts."

WATCH: In Russia, anger boiled over as crowds asked for help from President Vladimir Putin and chanted "Shame on you!" at local officials.

A Flood Of Anger As Russia Struggles With Raging Waters
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In Russia, the worst flooding has been in the Orenburg region, where a local dam has ruptured three times in the city of Orsk since April 5.

At least five people have died during the floods, and on April 8 local residents picketed the local government headquarters in Orsk, demanding increased official action and urging Putin to intervene.

Peskov told reporters on April 9 that Putin did not plan to visit the Orenburg region at the moment, stressing that the president "is taking care of the issue" without being at the site.

According to the latest information from Kazakhstan's Emergencies Ministry, 3,365 private homes and 348 households remain under water in the country’s Atyrau, Aqmola, Aqtobe, North Kazakhstan, and Qostanai regions.

WATCH: Floodwaters in the western Kazakh city of Oral forced residents to move to safer ground. Many complained official rescue efforts were disorganized.

Locals Describe Chaos, Confusion As More Kazakhs Forced To Flee Floods
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It said that 15 trucks with 300 tons of humanitarian aid, including food, tents, clothes, flashlights, and energy generators, had arrived in four flood-affected regions.

With reporting by Tengrinews and RFE/RL's Kazakh, Kyrgyz, and Russian services

Some Members Of Kyrgyz Investigative Group Released To House Arrest

Joodar Buzumov, Maksat Tajibek-uulu, Saipidin Sultanaliev, and Tynystan Asypbekov were released on April 9.
Joodar Buzumov, Maksat Tajibek-uulu, Saipidin Sultanaliev, and Tynystan Asypbekov were released on April 9.

A Bishkek court on April 9 ordered four of eight jailed reporters from the Temirov Live investigative group to be transferred to house arrest. Joodar Buzumov, Tynystan Asypbekov, Maksat Tajibek-uulu, and Saipidin Sultanaliev were released following the court decision. The four were among 11 journalists detained on January 16 for allegedly "calling for mass riots," a charge the journalists reject. In March, two of the 11 journalists were transferred to house arrest, while one was released on condition they would not leave Bishkek. Rights groups have condemned the detentions, calling them an attack on media freedom. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service, click here.

EU Drops Sanctions On Iranian Tech Firm Accused Of Internet Censorship

The U.S. State Department says it will maintain its sanctions, as ArvanCloud "maintains a close relationship" with Iran's Intelligence Ministry.
The U.S. State Department says it will maintain its sanctions, as ArvanCloud "maintains a close relationship" with Iran's Intelligence Ministry.

A European Union official says the bloc has removed sanctions on the Iranian tech startup ArvanCloud because it "no longer" saw the need to keep them on a company it once accused of being involved in Tehran's crackdown on Internet access.

The Council of the European Union on April 4 decided to drop its sanctions on ArvanCloud -- less than two years after imposing them -- without explanation. The EU official confirmed the decision to RFE/RL late on April 8.

The company remains under U.S. and British sanctions.

The EU placed sanctions on ArvanCloud in November 2022, at the height of nationwide protests, for its alleged involvement in Internet censorship and "efforts of the Iranian government to shut down the Internet" during the unrest.

It also accused the company of having ties to people "responsible for serious human rights violations in Iran," including the EU-sanctioned Information and Communications Technology Minister Isa Zarepour.

At the time, ArvanCloud said that it had "failed to counter rumors and defend "our innocence."

The company said it "welcomes" the EU’s decision to delist it, which it said came after it presented "technical and legal documentations" to the European Court of Justice challenging the sanctions.

An EU official speaking on condition of anonymity told RFE/RL on April 8 the bloc's member states "agreed that the reasons to keep [ArvanCloud] on the list are no longer there" during the council's regular review of its sanctions regime.

"This is based on the deliberations and assessment in the relevant council bodies, which are confidential," the official said, without mentioning the court case.

The EU's apparent lack of transparency has drawn the ire of advocates.

"To say that the delisting of a company listed for its human rights violations occurred like this is very concerning," said Mahsa Alimardani, senior program officer for the Middle East and North Africa at Article19, a U.K.-based rights organization.

"There was very little public transparency over the process or the opportunity for civil society to get involved."

A leaked document, which Alimardani said had been independently verified by Article19, suggests that the government of Iran's conservative President Ebrahim Raisi supported ArvanCloud's court case.

The United States and Britain imposed sanctions on ArvanCloud in 2023, and Washington says it has no intention of delisting the company.

"ArvanCloud will remain sanctioned by the United States for its clear role in facilitating censorship to the detriment of the people of Iran," U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a press conference on April 8.

He added that the company "maintains a close relationship" with Iran's Intelligence Ministry.

"This is a very dangerous precedent for human rights advocacy and accountability," Alimardani said of the EU's decision, but added, "The very strong and enduring U.S. sanctions might still deter the EU from doing business with Arvan[Cloud]."

U.S. Sent Seized Iranian Munitions To Ukraine

A photo released by CENTCOM on February 15 shows a shipment it said was of Iranian weapons destined for Yemen's Huthi rebels that the navy seized from a vessel in the Arabian Sea on January 28.
A photo released by CENTCOM on February 15 shows a shipment it said was of Iranian weapons destined for Yemen's Huthi rebels that the navy seized from a vessel in the Arabian Sea on January 28.

The United States has given Ukraine small arms and ammunition that were seized while being transferred from Iran to Tehran-backed Huthi rebels in Yemen, the U.S. military said on April 9. The transfer last week came as Ukraine suffers from significant shortages of ammunition and Republican lawmakers block new aid. "The U.S. government transferred over 5,000 AK-47s, machine guns, sniper rifles, RPG-7s and over 500,000 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition to the Ukrainian armed forces" on April 4, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said on X, formerly Twitter.

Tajik Man Arrested In Italy For Alleged Terrorism-Related Crimes

Italian police said on April 8 that a Tajik man was arrested in Rome as he arrived from the Netherlands on suspicion of being a member of the Islamic State extremist group. Italian media identified the man as 32-year-old Ilhom Sairahmonzoda, adding that he was arrested at Tajikistan's request. According to the police, the man is wanted for terrorism-related crimes. The statement did not say if the man had any links to several ethnic Tajiks arrested in Russia last month for their alleged involvement in a terrorist attack on an entertainment center near Moscow that claimed more than 140 lives. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Tajik Service, click here.

Belarusian Activist Gets 10 Years In Prison For Supporting Ukraine

Ivan Sukhamerau
Ivan Sukhamerau

A court in the southeastern Belarusian region of Homel sentenced activist Ivan Sukhamerau to 10 years in prison on April 8 on charges of taking part in an extremist group's activities, financially supporting Ukraine's armed forces, and planning to join the Kastus Kalinouski Regiment, consisting of Belarusian citizens who have been fighting alongside Ukrainian armed forces against occupying Russian troops. Investigators also accused the 28-year-old activist of being a subscriber to "extremist" Telegram channels, spreading false information about authoritarian ruler Alyaksandr Lukashenka, and calling for international sanctions against Belarus. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Belarus Service, click here.

Ukraine Says It Struck Russian Aviation Center In Voronezh

A worker walks at a thermal power plant damaged by a Russian missile strike at an undisclosed location in Ukraine on April 8.
A worker walks at a thermal power plant damaged by a Russian missile strike at an undisclosed location in Ukraine on April 8.

The Ukrainian Defense Ministry's Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR) has confirmed that an aviation training center in Russia's southwestern Voronezh region was struck in a drone attack early on April 9.

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"We will not disclose the details, but according to preliminary information, the main production facilities of the enterprise were damaged," HUR representative Andriy Yusov told RFE/RL.

Russian Telegram channels led by Baza, which is linked to Russia's security services, reported drone strikes on the premises of the aviation training center in Borisoglebsk, a city in the Voronezh region located some 255 kilometers northeast of the Ukrainian border.

The Ukrainian claim could not be independently verified.

The Russian Defense Ministry separately reported that four Ukrainian drones were allegedly shot down by its air-defense systems -- two in the Belgorod region and two in the Voronezh region. It said the drones did not cause any damage.

Ukraine, whose cities have been suffering massive casualties and material damage from Russian missile and drone strikes since the start of Moscow's invasion in February 2022, has in recent months stepped up its own strikes deep into Russian territory and off its shores.

Ukraine has targeted in particular Russian oil-production facilities with aerial drone strikes and military vessels with naval drones.

In an apparent confirmation that Ukrainian strikes have been effective, Reuters reported, citing anonymous sources, that Russia had asked Kazakhstan to supply it with 100,000 tons of gasoline.

The Istories website said Ukrainian drones might have destroyed 15 percent of Russia's oil refinery facilities, while the Russian statistics service said that by the end of last month, the country's gasoline production had decreased by 14.3 percent.

On April 8, Ukraine's military intelligence reportedly carried out a special operation that damaged a Russian warship docked off the exclave of Kaliningrad on the Baltic Sea in what appears to be the latest in a string of strikes on Russian ships.

In a video posted on X, Ukraine’s military intelligence said a fire inside the Serpukhov missile corvette had completely destroyed its means of communications and automation.

It gave no information about who started the fire and how or whether anyone was injured. Experts said the video appeared to indicate sabotage from inside the ship.

The Kyiv Post and Kyiv Independent both reported that Ukraine was behind the attack, citing unidentified intelligence sources.

Last month, the HUR said high-tech Ukrainian sea drones struck and "sunk" the Russian patrol vessel Sergey Kotov off the coast of occupied Crimea.

In February, Ukraine's military said it had destroyed the Tsezar Kunikov, one of the largest Russian landing ships, also off the Crimean coast, and had sunk the missile-armed corvette Ivanovets in the Black Sea using naval drones.

Russia has not commented on the Ukrainian claims.

Meanwhile, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi said the UN body had been informed of a drone attack on a training center at the site of the Russian-held Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant in Ukraine on April 9.

"Reported explosion consistent with IAEA team's observations. No direct threat to nuclear safety this time but latest incident again underlines extremely serious situation," he said on X, formerly Twitter.

The agency's board of governors has reportedly called an extraordinary meeting for April 11 to discuss attacks on the plant. In a confidential note to member states on April 9, the board's chairman said Ukraine and Russia had written to him on April 8 requesting the meeting.

Meanwhile, UN monitors recorded a sharp increase in civilian casualties in Ukraine last month as Russian forces stepped up attacks, the UN Human Rights Office said on April 9.

The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission verified at least 604 civilians killed or injured in Ukraine in March, a 20 percent increase from February. The toll included at least 57 children, double the number from February.

The mission found that most civilian casualties -- 93.5 percent -- as well as most damage to educational and health facilities and critical infrastructure occurred in areas controlled by Ukraine.

With reporting by Reuters

Tajik President Calls Current Global Situation 'Cold War's New Phase'

Tajik President Emomali Rahmon
Tajik President Emomali Rahmon

Tajik President Emomali Rahmon called the current global situation "a new phase of the Cold War" and called on his compatriots to be politically vigilant amid "growing tensions as the process of the world's repartitioning is intensifying." "In these difficult and dangerous circumstances, we should not let our citizens, our children, turn into toys in the hands of the groups involved in the global standoff," Rahmon said in a statement on April 9, the Eid al-Fitr holiday that marks the end of the month of Ramadan. Of the 11 men in custody as suspects in the Crocus City Hall massacre claimed by Islamic State, 10 are Tajik.

Ukraine Strikes Reportedly Prompt Russia To Ask Kazakhstan For Gasoline

Russia's Federal State Statistics Service said the volume of gasoline produced in Russia had decreased by 14.3 percent.
Russia's Federal State Statistics Service said the volume of gasoline produced in Russia had decreased by 14.3 percent.

Reuters cited three sources on April 8 as saying Russia had asked Kazakhstan to supply it with 100,000 tons of gasoline in case of shortages caused by Ukrainian drone attacks at Russian oil refineries. Reuters added that one of the sources said a deal on using Kazakh reserves for Russia has already been agreed. The Istories website said Ukrainian drones might have destroyed 15 percent of Russia's oil refinery facilities. Russia's Federal State Statistics Service said earlier that, by the end of March, the volume of gasoline produced in Russia had decreased by 14.3 percent. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Russian Service, click here.

Bulgaria's Caretaker Government Takes Office As Snap Elections Announced

Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev
Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev

SOFIA -- A Bulgarian caretaker government led by Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev was sworn in by parliament on April 9 after being appointed by President Rumen Radev, who also announced snap general elections for June 9.

The elections, which will be the sixth since April 2021, were prompted by the refusal on March 28 of the populist There Is Such a People (ITN) party to form a government, the third party to decline the mandate.

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

Following 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 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.

The fresh poll is set to coincide with elections for Bulgaria's members of the European Parliament.

Before the April 2023 elections, the country was run by caretaker governments appointed by Radev in the absence of a stable elected coalition.

Radev on April 6 gave Glavchev, the head of Bulgaria's Court of Auditors, the mandate to set up a caretaker government.

Glavchev's cabinet is the sixth caretaker government that Radev has appointed since he became president and the first one to be formed according to new rules adopted at the end of last year.

Before becoming head of the Court of Auditors, the 60-year-old Glavchev was a member of GERB and was speaker of parliament in 2017.

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.

Under the new rules, the current parliament will continue to work, while the main task of the caretaker government will be to organize the upcoming elections.

With reporting by dpa
Updated

In Major Upgrade Of Serbian Air Force, Vucic Agrees Jet Deal With France

French President Emmanuel Macron (right) and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic before a working dinner at the Elysee Palace in Paris on April 8
French President Emmanuel Macron (right) and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic before a working dinner at the Elysee Palace in Paris on April 8

Serbia and France have reached agreement on Belgrade buying 12 French-made Rafale fighter jets, President Aleksandar Vucic said, a move that will lead to a substantial modernization of the Western Balkan state's air force.

Vucic, on the second and final day of a visit to France on April 9, made the announcement in Paris after talks with President Emmanuel Macron and other French officials, including representatives of Dassault Aviation, the company that manufactures the Rafale.

France has yet to confirm the deal that would beef up Serbia's air force, currently a collection of old Soviet-made MiG 29s and Yugoslav-manufactured aircraft.

It would also mark a departure from its traditional arms supplier, Russia, with which Belgrade has maintained warm relations while refusing to join international sanctions following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, despite being a candidate to European Union membership.

"The signing of the contract can be expected in approximately two months, in the presence of the president of France," Vucic told Serbian media, adding that Macron would visit Serbia "in the next several months."

Vucic said the deal was "is incredibly significant" for Serbia, adding that it would also open up "some other chapters, some other opportunities for Serbia."

Vucic did not say how much Belgrade would pay for the aircraft. But in February 2023, Vucic said that the purchase of the Rafales would represent Serbia's largest military purchase, "amounting to 3 billion euros ($3.25 billion)."

Serbia has stepped up defense cooperation with France in recent years.

Serbia bought military helicopters from French company Airbus worth 105 million euros ($108 million), two C-295 transport planes valued at 66 million euros ($71.5 million), and spent another 15 million euros for equipment and retraining of pilots

Belgrade has also acquired 18 French antiaircraft Mistral systems with 50 missiles for a price yet unknown.

According to data from the Stockholm International Research Institute, Serbia leads the Western Balkans in military spending. From 2018 to 2022, it spent more than $1.4 billion.

Vucic has announced on several occasions that the military spending will continue, for which close to 740 million euros will be allocated this year.

Critics have warned the West against arming Serbia, which has increasingly tense relations with its former province of Kosovo, whose 2008 declaration of independence Belgrade has refused to recognize.

Vucic has recently made veiled threats of a possible military intervention in Kosovo, which has a sizeable ethnic Serb minority in the north.

On April 8, Vucic met with representatives of the French energy company Electricite de France (EDF). The two sides signed a memorandum of understanding that establishes a framework for potential cooperation in the fields of energy transition and low-carbon technology.

Vucic said the development of hydro and nuclear power in Serbia would enhance its energy security while also helping it meet carbon emission targets. He said nuclear energy would help meet a rising demand for electricity driven by the electrification of transport and artificial intelligence.

He said he hoped Serbia would have nuclear power by 2035, noting it takes a few years to carry out a feasibility study and about seven years to build a plant.

Following the 1986 catastrophe in Chernobyl, Serbia banned the development of nuclear power. Vucic said last month at a conference in Brussels that he would seek to change the legislation.

France is one of the world leaders in civilian nuclear development. Nuclear plants account for more than 60 percent of its electricity generation.

With reporting by AP
Updated

In A First, Ukraine Cites Damage To Russian Warship In Baltic Sea

The Serpukhov sails in the Bosphorus, on its way to the Mediterranean, in 2016.
The Serpukhov sails in the Bosphorus, on its way to the Mediterranean, in 2016.

Ukraine's military intelligence reportedly carried out a special operation that damaged a Russian warship docked off the exclave of Kaliningrad on the Baltic Sea, which, if true, would demonstrate Kyiv's increasing ability to hit Kremlin assets far beyond its borders.

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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.

In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Ukrainian military intelligence said a fire inside the Serpukhov missile corvette had completely destroyed its means of communications and automation.

It gave no information about who started the fire and how or whether anyone was injured. Experts said the video appeared to indicate sabotage from inside the ship.

The Kyiv Post and Kyiv Independent both reported that Ukrainian military intelligence was behind the attack, citing unidentified sources.

RFE/RL could not immediately confirm the attack. Russian state media has been silent on the matter.

The Serpukhov, belonging to the Buyan-M series, was commissioned in 2015.

The attack would be the latest by Ukraine against a Russian warship and the first in the Baltic Sea.

Due to its location, the attack is likely to have more of a psychological impact than any impact on the course of the war.

Ukraine has hit nearly two dozen Russian warships and other Russian vessels in the Black Sea since Moscow launched a full-scale invasion in February 2024, killing possibly hundreds of sailors.

Russia has rarely released any information about the sinkings and death toll.

Since the start of 2024, Ukraine has stepped up attacks deep inside Russia with long-range drones.

Ukraine earlier this month hit a drone factory in Russia's Tatarstan region, about 1,200 kilometers from the Ukrainian border.

Iranian University Threatens Female Students Over Graduation Celebration

A group of Al-Zahra University students in Bushehr celebrate their graduation.
A group of Al-Zahra University students in Bushehr celebrate their graduation.

The president of Iran's Al-Zahra University has threatened legal action against a group of female students after video of them celebrating their graduation by dancing to music surfaced on social media.

The video, which garnerned widespread attention over the weekend, depicts architecture and engineering students marking the their matriculation by dancing with each other, even riding motorcycles, while still dressed in their graduation gowns and caps. In total, around eight to 10 students -- all female -- appear in the video.

Zahra Hajiani, the president of Al-Zahra University in the western port city of Bushehr, responded to the video by stating that the university's security department was investigating the event organized by students "spontaneously without coordination and obtaining permission from the university."

"This matter is being investigated by university security. The student who made this film has been identified and will be held accountable for this work," Hajiani said.

Hajiani said that no official graduation ceremonies had been held at the college since the COVID-19 pandemic due to financial constraints. She added that the clip circulating on social media was organized independently by a group of university graduates without the institution's approval or knowledge.

"The university had no involvement in the event's organization," Hajiani said.

The incident highlights ongoing tensions between students and authorities over a lack of social freedoms and regulatory compliance in Iran, particularly concerning women's rights and the mandatory hijab policy.

The Islamic republic has faced significant challenges in enforcing its interpretation of religious dress codes in the face of civil opposition and protests advocating the Woman, Life, Freedom movement and greater autonomy over personal lifestyle choices.

The hijab became compulsory for women and girls above the age of 9 in 1981, two years after the Islamic Revolution. The move triggered protests that were swiftly crushed by the new authorities.

Many women have flouted the rule over the years and pushed the boundaries of what officials say is acceptable clothing.

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

Kyrgyz Man Who Mutilated Ex-Wife Jailed For 20 Years

Azamat Estebesov (center) is escorted by police in January.
Azamat Estebesov (center) is escorted by police in January.

The Chui regional court in northern Kyrgyzstan on April 8 rejected an appeal by a man who was handed a 20-year prison sentence in January for severely beating his ex-wife and cutting off her nose and ears. Azamat Estebesov was convicted of torture, rape, attempted murder, violation of privacy, and inflicting serious bodily harm. The case caused a public outcry and numerous rallies were held calling on the government to curb domestic violence. Rights activists launched an online petition demanding life in prison for Estebesov. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service, click here.

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