Watchdog

It's been two years since U.S. citizen Robert Levinson went missing while on a trip to Iran.

Levinson, a retired FBI agent from Florida, was last seen on Iran's Kish Island on March 8, 2007. He was reportedly investigating cigarette smuggling.

Officials in Iran have said they have no information on his whereabouts.

Levinson's wife, Christine, says she believes her husband is still alive.

"Until someone gives concrete evidence of him not being alive, I will always believe he’s alive," she told RFE/RL.

On March 8, the U.S. State Department issued a statement marking the anniversary of Levinson’s disappearance and reiterating its call for Iran to help find him.

"We continue to call on Iran to stand by its commitment by providing full details about their authorities' investigation both to his family and to the Swiss Embassy in Tehran, which looks after U.S. interests in the absence of normal diplomatic relations," the statement said.

U.S. Senator Bill Nelson of Florida said last month he believes Levinson is alive and "being held by the Iranians."

In an effort to help locate him, his family has released a computer-enhanced photograph showing what Levinson may look like now.

More information on Levinson's case can be found here.

(by Golnaz Esfandiari)

A television cameraman in the southern Kyrgyz city of Osh was severely beaten by unknown assailants on his way home from work on March 7.

Bahadyr Kenzhebaev's condition remains very serious, his colleagues and relatives say.

Kenzhebaev has a concussion and numerous wounds and bruises.

Osh TV station director Khalilzhan Khudayberdiev told RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service that the attack might be connected with Kenzhebaev's professional work.

Khudayberdiev said the TV channel has been showing a series of reports on corruption in the Osh region.

Meanwhile, Osh regional police chief Azizbek Teshebaev told journalists that the attack may have been an attempted robbery.