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Two Civilians, Eight Taliban Killed In Afghan Raid

HERAT, Afghanistan -- A U.S.-led coalition air strike has killed a woman and child and eight Taliban fighters in western Afghanistan, a top Afghan Army official said.

The raid in Farah Province was aimed at the house of a local Taliban commander who was among those killed, Ghulam Faruq Niami, an Afghan National Army commander for the western zone, said.

He did not have any details on the woman and child killed in the operation.

There was no immediate comment from the U.S.-led coalition on the air strike. It said separately several militants had been killed in an operation in northern Kapisa Province.

Western military officials say Taliban fighters deliberately use civilians as cover, drawing coalition firepower against noncombatants in an attempt to reap propaganda gains.

Farah Province, where the latest raid took place, adjoins Herat where the government says more than 90 civilians were killed in a U.S.-led coalition air strike last month.

The U.S. military disputes the Herat casualty figure and a three-way investigation involving the United Nations has been proposed.

Farah's deputy governor, Mohammad Yunus Rasuli, confirmed the latest bombing and said there were casualties, although he did not have a precise figure.

More than 500 civilians have been killed during operations by foreign and Afghan forces against the militants so far this year, according to the Afghan government and some aid groups.

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Russia May Have Used New Guided Bomb To Attack Kharkiv, Kyiv Says

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

Russia may have used a new type of guided bomb in air strikes on the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv that killed at least one person on March 27, local officials said.

Live Briefing: Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine

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

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy condemned the attack as "Russian terror" and Volodymyr Tymoshko, head of the Kharkiv regional police, said Moscow may have used a new type of guided bomb which he described as the UMPB D-30.

"This is something between a guided aerial bomb which [the Russians] have used recently, and a missile. It's a flying bomb, so to say," Tymoshko said at the site of the strike.

On March 28, Ukraine said it had intercepted 26 out of 28 Shahed-type drones launched by Russia in the early hours.

It said the drones were shot down over Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Odesa, and Zaporizhzhya.

Local authorities in Zaporizhzhya said homes had been struck and at least two people wounded.

Meanwhile, Ukraine's foreign minister arrived in New Delhi on March 28 for a two-day visit to boost bilateral ties and cooperation with India, which considers Russia a time-tested ally from the Cold War-era.

Dmytro Kuleba will meet with his Indian counterpart, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, on March 29, as well as the deputy national security adviser, according to India's Foreign Ministry.

Russians Visit Pyongyang To Discuss 'Cooperation Against Spying'

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Latvia Expels Russian Diplomat For 'Unacceptable' Actions

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

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

Iranian Police Chief Sentenced To Death For Killing Protester In 2022

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

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

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

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

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

Updated

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

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

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

Live Briefing: Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

With reporting by AFP and Politico

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Alleged Former North Caucasus Insurgent Detained In Daghestan

Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) said on March 27 that a suspected former member of the North Caucasus insurgency was detained in Daghestan last week. According to the FSB, Islam Batsiyev is suspected of taking part in an attack in Chechnya against Russian paratroopers in February 2000, in which 84 Russian soldiers were killed in one day. Batsiyev was charged with banditry, armed mutiny, and the attempted murder of military personnel. Russia fought two wars against separatists in Chechnya, in 1994-1999 and 1999-2009. The conflicts resulted in tens of thousands of civilian casualties and hundreds of thousands of displaced people. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Caucasus.Realities, click here.

Hungarians Rally As Whistle-Blower Exposes Alleged Corruption In Orban's Government

Peter Magyar -- among the ruling party’s most senior defectors -- speaks at a protest in downtown Budapest on March 26.
Peter Magyar -- among the ruling party’s most senior defectors -- speaks at a protest in downtown Budapest on March 26.

BUDAPEST -- Hungarians are keeping up public pressure on the ruling Fidesz party fueled by an audio recording a longtime insider claims is evidence of rampant corruption among senior prosecutors and members of Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s government.

Peter Magyar is a former high-ranking official at state-held companies including the Student Loan Center, a major lender, and is among the ruling party’s most senior defectors of the past decade.

Following weeks of public attacks on Orban and his inner circle, Magyar posted a recording on social media on March 26 purportedly of his estranged ex-wife, a former justice minister, acknowledging that government officials persuaded prosecutors to tamper with evidence in a major corruption case.

At a demonstration near Kossuth Lajos Square in downtown Budapest hours later, Magyar said he had shared the recording with investigators and he urged the crowd to demand justice and an investigation into what is known in Hungary as the Schadl-Volner case.

Thousands of people waved Hungarian flags and booed and whistled on cue as Magyar read a prepared statement laying out accusations against senior Fidesz officials he claims have been corrupted by long years in power.

“Jail them! Jail them!” the crowd chanted at one point.

Orban and Fidesz have dominated successive Hungarian elections since 2010 and have used their supermajority to reshape election rules and the judiciary, marginalize independent media, and effectively deny political opponents a significant role in oversight.

WATCH: A rally organized by Hungarian government critic Peter Magyar attracted thousands on March 26. The businessman addressed protesters outside the building of the Supreme Court and Prosecutor-General's Office.

'Lock Them Up!' Thousands Join Rally Of Former Hungarian Government Insider
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Magyar broke publicly with Fidesz after a pardon scandal forced the resignation last month of Hungarian President Katalin Novak and a retreat from political life of Magyar’s estranged former wife, ex-Justice Minister Judit Varga.

Varga, who abandoned plans to lead Fidesz’s candidates in European Parliamentary elections in June, dismissed Magyar’s recording as coerced and a “vile manipulation” in a long-running effort to “blackmail” her. She repeated accusations that Magyar had abused her during their marriage.

Magyar has repeatedly denied mistreating Varga.

Magyar spent several hours in the Prosecutor-General’s Office on March 26 and emerged saying the recording implicates officials in multiple crimes. He also said he has many more recordings relating to the Schadl-Volner case and will continue to share them with investigators.

The long-running Schadl-Volner case involves possible activities by Gyorgy Schadl, head of the chamber of judicial officers, and a former secretary of state at the Justice Ministry, Pal Volner, and reportedly involves wiretaps and classified data.

In a copy of the recording that Magyar posted to YouTube and Facebook, he seemingly prompts Varga into discussing a case before a voice resembling hers says, “They told prosecutors what should be removed.”

“I think they can’t do anything other than to summon several members of the government as witnesses [and], in fact, I say they can’t do without summoning the prime minister as a witness,” Magyar said of prosecutors. “Obviously, [Orban] is aware of much more [wrongdoing] than what my ex-wife and I were aware of.”

Magyar has accused Orban loyalist Antal Rogan, who runs the prime minister’s cabinet office and shapes government messaging, of wielding enormous influence within a corrupt political syndicate.

Fidesz officials have dismissed Magyar’s allegations as unfounded opportunism and harassment of his ex-wife.

Magyar has called for another rally in Budapest on April 6 to push for change in what he hopes is “the biggest demonstration of the last 14 years.”

His call for an anti-government protest to coincide with a national holiday on March 15 attracted an estimated 35,000 people who heard Magyar announce his intention to launch a new political party.

That rally followed major anti-government demonstrations in February over a presidential pardon signed off on by Varga and granted by Novak to a man convicted for helping cover up sexual abuse at a children’s home.

Updated

Ex-Kyrgyz Customs Official Known As 'The Kingmaker' Sent To Pretrial Detention

Surrounded by security officers, Raimbek Matraimov appears at a courthouse in Bishkek on March 27.
Surrounded by security officers, Raimbek Matraimov appears at a courthouse in Bishkek on March 27.

BISHKEK -- Raimbek Matraimov, the former deputy chief of Kyrgyzstan’s Customs Service, was placed in pretrial detention for at least one month on March 27, a day after being extradited from Azerbaijan.

The Birinchi Mai district court in Bishkek ruled that Matraimov must stay in the detention center of the State Committee for National Security (UKMK) at least until April 26.

The UKMK said earlier in the day that Matraimov, along with his brothers -- Tilek, Ruslan, and Islambek -- had been brought to Bishkek from Azerbaijan at Kyrgyzstan's request a day earlier.

According to the UKMK, Matraimov -- once known as "the kingmaker" -- is suspected of money laundering and the abduction and illegal incarceration of unnamed individuals.

Kyrgyzstan's Former 'Kingmaker' Appears In Bishkek Court
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Matraimov in 2020-2021 was at the center of a high-profile corruption scandal involving the funneling of close to $1 billion out of Kyrgyzstan.

A Bishkek court in February 2021 ordered pretrial custody for Matraimov in connection with the corruption charges. He received a mitigated sentence that involved fines amounting to just a few thousand dollars but no jail time.

The court justified the move saying that Matraimov had paid back around $24 million that disappeared through corruption schemes that he oversaw.

In November, the chairman of the state security service, Kamchybek Tashiev, accused Matraimov and crime boss Kamchy Kolbaev (aka Kamchybek Asanbek), who was added by Washington to a list of major global drug-trafficking suspects in 2011, of "forming a mafia in Kyrgyzstan."

Matraimov left Kyrgyzstan in October after Kolbaev was killed in a special security operation in Bishkek. In January, the Kyrgyz Interior Ministry said Matraimov was added to the wanted list of the State Committee for National Security.

ALSO READ: Investigation: The Matraimov Kingdom

In 2019, an investigation by RFE/RL, the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, and Kloop implicated Matraimov in a corruption scheme involving the transfer of hundreds of millions of dollars out of Kyrgyzstan.

Last week, a court in neighboring Uzbekistan sentenced Kolbaev's close associate, influential Uzbek crime boss Salim Abduvaliev to six years in prison on charges of illegal possession and transporting arms and explosives.

Abduvaliev is believed to have ties with top Uzbek officials and leaders of the so-called Brothers' Circle, a Eurasian drug-trafficking network that included Kolbaev.

Pussy Riot Member Gets 6 Years In Absentia

Pussy Riot activist Lyusya Shtein (left) with her partner Maria Alyokhina (file photo)
Pussy Riot activist Lyusya Shtein (left) with her partner Maria Alyokhina (file photo)

A self-exiled member of the Pussy Riot protest group, Lyusya Shtein, has been sentenced in absentia to six years in prison over her online posts about Russian armed forces involved in the war in Ukraine.

Moscow's Basmanny district court issued the ruling against Shtein on March 27 after finding her guilty of spreading false information about the Russian military.

In May 2022, the Interior Ministry added Shtein to its wanted list for violating a parole-like August 2021 sentence for ignoring coronavirus safety precautions by calling on people to rally against the arrest of opposition politician Aleksei Navalny.

Navalny died last month in an Arctic penal colony under suspicious circumstances.

Shtein, who is also a member of the SK SOS group defending LGBT rights, left Russia in April 2022 after her apartment door was marked with a Z-shaped sticker and the inscription, "Collaborator. Do not sell the Motherland."

Many Russian military vehicles and tanks have been marked with the letter Z during the ongoing invasion, with the insignia becoming an increasingly ubiquitous symbol of support for the war -- launched against Ukraine on February 24, 2022 -- for the military, the Kremlin’s policies, and above all for President Vladimir Putin.

Shtein's partner and Pussy Riot founding member Maria Alyokhina also fled Russia in 2022 after a Moscow court changed the remainder of her one-year parole-like sentence to real prison time for an alleged violation.

Shtein, Alyokhina, and other members of the protest group were sentenced to up 15 days in jail several times in 2021-2022 for taking part in protest actions and unsanctioned rallies.

Pussy Riot came to prominence after three of its members were convicted of "hooliganism motivated by religious hatred" for a stunt in which they burst into Moscow's Christ the Savior Cathedral in 2012 and sang a "punk prayer" against Vladimir Putin, who was prime minister at the time and campaigning for his subsequent return to the Kremlin.

Alyokhina and bandmate Nadezhda Tolokonnikova had almost completed serving their two-year prison sentences when they were freed in December 2013 under an amnesty.

The two have dismissed the move as a propaganda stunt by Putin to improve his image ahead of the 2014 Winter Olympics, which were held in the Russian resort city of Sochi.

Poverty Forces Nearly 1 Million Iranians Out Of School

More than half a million school dropouts in the past year were from the 15-17-year age group.
More than half a million school dropouts in the past year were from the 15-17-year age group.

Some 930,000 Iranian children and adolescents were forced to abandon their education in the recent academic year, the Statistical Center of Iran reported, in a potential indication of rising poverty in the Islamic Republic.

According to official data, there are 3,6 million individuals of school age in Iran.

In an analysis of the latest data from the Statistical Center, Tejarat News, a website that covers economic issues, said the majority of school dropouts -- 556,994 -- come from the 15-17-year age group.

The phenomenon has been attributed to deepening poverty in the country, an opinion echoed by educational activists and experts alike.

At the start of the current academic year, the Organization of Iranian Teachers and the Cultural Educators' Assembly issued statements decrying the socio-economic disparities and that plague Iran's educational sector.

The government-affiliated Resalat newspaper acknowledged a surge in the dropout rate of more than 17 percent over the past six years, attributing this escalation to the country's worsening poverty.

Iran's economy has been ravaged by U.S. sanctions, hitting budget revenues hard while also leading to a surge in public protests.

Labor Ministry data shows that Iran's poverty rate doubled in 2021, with one-third of the population living in "extreme poverty." Since then, conditions have failed to improve.

Meanwhile, in September, 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.

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

The death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini while in police custody for allegedly wearing a head scarf improperly has added fuel to the unrest, as Iranians have also demonstrated against a lack of freedoms and women's rights.

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

Samsung Pay System To Stop Using Russia's Mir Payment Cards

Mir cards have become major payment cards for Russians after Visa and Mastercard suspended their operations in the country following Moscow’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
Mir cards have become major payment cards for Russians after Visa and Mastercard suspended their operations in the country following Moscow’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

Samsung announced on March 27 that its Samsung Pay system will stop using Russia's Mir payment cards as of April 3. Last week, Russia's National Card Payment System (NSPK) said Armenian banks will stop servicing Mir payment cards as of March 30. Mir cards have become major payment cards for Russians after Visa and Mastercard suspended their operations in the country following Moscow’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine. Many banks in Central Asia stopped or limited Mir payment cards use earlier. In March 2022, weeks after Russia launched its full-scale aggression against Ukraine, Apple Pay also stopped using Mir cards. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Russian Service, click here.

Iran Rejects Release Plea By Dissident Rapper Toomaj Salehi

Iranian rapper Toomaj Salehi (file photo)
Iranian rapper Toomaj Salehi (file photo)

Iranian authorities have once again denied imprisoned rapper and vocal government critic Toomaj Salehi's an early release request, according to an account on X, formerly Twitter, linked to the artist.

Salehi is currently in prison after an Iranian court sentenced him to six years for his involvement in the 2022 protests triggered by the death in police custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who had been detained for improperly wearing a mandatory Islamic scarf.

The @OfficialToomaj account said that one of the primary reasons for the rejection of Salehi's request was that one of the charges under which he was convicted was "corruption on earth," an accusation that can carry the death penalty.

Salehi's legal representative had previously said the artist was cleared of the "corruption on earth" charge last year.

Salehi, 33, was initially arrested in October 2022 after making public statements in support of the protests, which had erupted the previous month following Amini's death.

He spent much of his pretrial detention in solitary confinement.

He was subsequently sentenced to more than six years in prison but released after the Supreme Court, on appeal, found "flaws in the original sentence." His case was sent back to a lower court for reexamination and possible retrial.

He was temporarily released on bail in November after spending over a year in prison, including 252 days in solitary confinement, but then was rearrested shortly after publicly talking about his alleged torture in prison in a video.

Salehi has gained prominence for lyrics that rail against corruption, widespread poverty, executions, and the killing of protesters in Iran.

His songs also point to a widening gap between ordinary Iranians and the country's leadership, accusing the authorities of "suffocating" the people without regard for their well-being.

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

Death Toll From Concert Hall Attack In Russia Rises To 143

A woman lays flowers on the roadside in front of the burned-out Crocus City Hall following a deadly attack at the concert venue that left 140 people dead.
A woman lays flowers on the roadside in front of the burned-out Crocus City Hall following a deadly attack at the concert venue that left 140 people dead.

The death toll in the Crocus City Hall terrorist attack near Moscow has risen to 143, the Ministry of Emergency Situations said on March 27.

It was not clear whether new bodies were discovered at the site or whether people who were injured during the rampage on March 22 died.

More than 80 people who were wounded in the attack are still being treated in hospitals.

Four armed men attacked the Crocus City Hall concert complex, spraying bullets and slashing people as well as using incendiary weapons to set the venue on fire.

A Russian court charged four Tajik citizens on March 25 with committing an act of terrorism. Another four have been accused of helping the attackers.

Reports say people from Central Asia who live in Russia are under more pressure and face anti-migrant sentiment following the attack. This week, several migrant workers from Uzbekistan and Tajikistan were detained and questioned in Moscow for hours.

As Tajik Suspects Face Charges For Moscow Attack, Other Migrants Face Backlash In Russia
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The Tajik government, which is close to the Kremlin, has interrogated the relatives of the four men accused of carrying out the attack.

Uzbekistan has advised its citizens in Russia to comply with the heightened security measures and always carry their identification documents and labor permits.

The government in Kyrgyzstan has urged against travelling to Russia due to fears that its citizens will be harassed, while the authorities in Turkmenistan are looking to bring home Turkmen national studying in Russia.

What We Know About The Moscow Shooting Suspects
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The attack has been claimed by the Islamic State (IS) militant group. While IS has not explicitly credited any of its affiliates, Western intelligence and experts blame Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K) for the incident.

Top Russian officials insist that Ukraine and the West were involved in the attack. Kyiv has rejected the allegation, while the United States says it warned Moscow of an imminent attack two weeks before the incident.

Uzbek Citizens Urged To Obey Tougher Security Measures In Russia

This week, several migrant workers from Uzbekistan and Tajikistan were detained in Moscow for questioning that lasted for up to 10 hours. (file photo)
This week, several migrant workers from Uzbekistan and Tajikistan were detained in Moscow for questioning that lasted for up to 10 hours. (file photo)

Uzbekistan has urged its citizens who work in Russia to comply with the stepped-up security measures that Moscow introduced following last week's deadly attack at a concert hall near Moscow.

Central Asian migrant workers in Russia have found themselves under enormous pressure and faced a backlash after Russian officials announced they had detained 11 suspects, including four ethnic Tajiks, who allegedly attacked the Crocus City Hall entertainment center in the city of Krasnogorsk. At least 139 people were killed in the attack, which was claimed by the Islamic State militant group.

On March 24, the four men were sent to pretrial detention until at least May 22. Four other men, all Central Asian natives, were later also sent to pretrial detention for two months.

In its March 27 statement, the agency asked Uzbek citizens traveling to Russia, leaving Russia, and residing in Russia "to always carry ID documents, residence, and labor permits" with them.

"Do not go to public sites without reason, stay away from talking to strangers or suspicious people, avoid storing banned photos, audio and video materials on phones and other gadgets," Uzbekistan's Agency for External Labor Migration said in a statement on March 27. It also recommended that those who plan to travel while in Russia to arrive at airports or train stations earlier for possible security checks by Russian authorities.

As Tajik Suspects Face Charges For Moscow Attack, Other Migrants Face Backlash In Russia
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RFE/RL correspondents talked to dozens of Central Asian migrant workers in Russia in recent days, who said that anti-Central Asian migrant sentiment, already at high levels in the country, had spiked alarmingly following the arrests of the alleged attackers.

This week, several migrant workers from Uzbekistan and Tajikistan were detained in Moscow for questioning that lasted for up to 10 hours, while many businesses owned by migrants from Central Asia have been suddenly inspected.

Reports about arson attacks targeting businesses owned by Tajik migrants and beatings of Central Asian men in the streets of cities across Russia have been circulating in recent days. Several Tajik taxi-drivers in Russia complained that customers had canceled their orders after learning that the drivers were from Central Asia.

Earlier this week, Kyrgyzstan advised its citizens to refrain from traveling to Russia out of fears that Kyrgyz nationals could be harassed or attacked.

RFE/RL correspondents in Turkmenistan reported earlier that Turkmen authorities have been exploring how to bring Turkmen students studying at Russian universities back home, amid fears of the anti-immigrant backlash.

UN Report Accuses Russia Of Executing Ukrainian Prisoners Of War

An injured Ukrainian prisoners of war is helped by comrades following a prisoner swap with Russia in April last year.
An injured Ukrainian prisoners of war is helped by comrades following a prisoner swap with Russia in April last year.

A new report by the United Nations has said Russia may have executed at least 32 Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) in the three months to February 29.

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The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said on March 26 that between December 1 and February 29, it had received reports of 12 cases of executions of at least 32 POWs and was able to verify the killing of seven captured Ukrainian servicemen.

The report added that the Ukrainian POWs were killed either after laying down their weapons or during interrogation.

The OHCHR said that during the reporting period it interviewed 60 Ukrainian POWs who had been released as part of a prisoner exchange. More than half of the POWs, all men, disclosed that they had been subjected to sexual violence, electric shocks, and beatings.

The Kremlin has not commented on the UN report.

The UN rights office also said that it had interviewed 44 Russian POWs, who said they had been tortured either immediately after capture or during transport to detention facilities.

On February 21, the United Nations reported that at least 10,582 Ukrainian civilians had been killed and over 19,875 had been injured since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, adding “it is likely the real number of civilian casualties is much higher.”

Despite vast amounts of evidence to the contrary, Moscow has denied targeting civilians in Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Ukraine claimed to have shot down 10 out of 13 Shahed-type drones launched by Russia in the early hours of March 27. The drones were launched from Russia’s Kursk region and targeted the Kharkiv, Kyiv, and Sumy regions in Ukraine.

In Izyum, in the Kharkiv region, at least one person was wounded by falling debris and a school building was damaged, regional governor Oleh Synyehubov reported on Telegram.

Separately, Russia’s Defense Ministry alleged that it had intercepted 18 Ukrainian missiles approaching the Belgorod region. One person was reportedly injured, and buildings were damaged as a result of falling debris.

Neither Kyiv nor Moscow has commented on the other’s claim.

Updated

3 Missing After Flash Floods In Kazakhstan

Residents of Qoyandy blocked a major road for hours, demanding that authorities declare a state of emergency in the region.
Residents of Qoyandy blocked a major road for hours, demanding that authorities declare a state of emergency in the region.

Three people are missing after floods caused by melting snow hit Kazakhstan's northeastern region of Abai.

Emergency officials said on March 27 that the two individuals went missing in the Ayagoz district after floods destroyed a bridge over a local river, the level of which jumped following massive floods caused by abrupt warm weather that melted enormous amounts of snow.

Earlier this week, another local resident went missing when trying to cross the river on horseback.

A state of emergency was announced in the district as emergency workers are now supervising the crossing of the river by local residents.

The floods also damaged several buildings in the region's other districts, as well as the local towns of Shar and Podkhoznoye, the authorities said.

On March 26, residents of Qoyandy village near Kazakhstan's capital, Astana, blocked a major road for hours, demanding that authorities declare a state of emergency in the region over the floods.

The protesters left the site after the authorities sent troops to the village.

The rapid melting of snow caused by a sudden spell of warm weather led to flash floods in the area near Astana overnight. According to emergency officials, 74 people, including 30 children, were evacuated from the area close to Qoyandy.

Also on March 26, local residents in the Central Asian nation's northwestern region of Aqtobe told RFE/RL that melting snow has caused floods in the region as well.

A resident of the town of Shubarqudyq told RFE/RL that it is the third March in a row that the region has faced floods caused by warm weather.

Last week, heavy rains and warm weather caused floods in neighboring Kyrgyzstan's capital, Bishkek, where residences in several parts of the city were inundated.

In another Central Asian country, Tajikistan, dozens of people and their livestock were evacuated from several villages due to mudslides caused by heavy rains. The Tajik Committee for Emergencies said on March 22 that water levels in some rivers jumped significantly, causing flooding in some areas.

Ukraine, Georgia Qualify For Euro 2024

Ukraine's Mykhailo Mudryk (right) celebrates at the end of his country's victorious Euro 2024 playoff against Greece on March 26.
Ukraine's Mykhailo Mudryk (right) celebrates at the end of his country's victorious Euro 2024 playoff against Greece on March 26.

Ukraine came from behind to beat Iceland in a play-off to qualify for Euro 2024 on March 26, while Georgia qualified for a first ever major tournament after beating Greece on penalties. Ravaged by war, Ukraine has qualified for a major international tournament for the first time since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022. Meanwhile, Georgia beat the Euro 2004 champions to make history by getting to a major international tournament for the first time since it gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. Held in Germany, the European Championship will kick off on June 14.

Serbian Court Holds Hearing On Extradition Of Belarusian Journalist Wanted By Minsk

Belarusian journalist and filmmaker Andrey Hnyot (file photo)
Belarusian journalist and filmmaker Andrey Hnyot (file photo)

A Belarusian journalist, filmmaker, and political activist who has been held in prison in Serbia for nearly six months pleaded with a court in Belgrade on March 26 not to be sent back to Belarus, saying his life would be endangered if he were extradited to his home country.

Andrey Hnyot was arrested on October 30 at Belgrade airport based on an Interpol warrant issued at the request of Minsk for alleged tax evasion. Since then, he has been held in detention at Belgrade Central Prison.

"I hope Serbia won't succumb to Belarus's pressure to extradite me," Hnyot told the Higher Court, adding that extradition would put him in "mortal danger."

Hnyot, wearing a T-shirt with the word Truth written on it, denied the tax evasion charges, calling the criminal complaint against him politically motivated, unfounded, and false.

“The Belarusian regime subjects anyone who opposes it to harsh repression," said Hnyot, who said he came to Serbia to work on an international video project and was arrested when he got off a flight from Bangkok.

An appeals court in early March overturned a decision by the Higher Court in Belgrade, which had determined that the legal prerequisites for his extradition to Belarus had been met. But the appeals court returned the case to the Higher Court for reconsideration, saying there had been significant violations of procedures.

Hnyot left Belarus for Thailand in 2020 after criticizing the Belarusian regime and participating in protests following that year’s disputed presidential elections.

Authoritarian leader Alyaksandr Lukashenka claimed a sixth term in office in the election, which no Western governments recognized as free and fair. Faced with massive street demonstrations against his regime, Lukashenka launched a crackdown on civil society and independent media.

Hnyot told the court that Lukashenka's regime wants to punish him for his activism primarily because he is one of the founders of the nongovernmental organization Free Association of Athletes of Belarus (SOS BY).

"We openly opposed the dictatorship, human rights violations, and electoral fraud in Belarus in 2020. They are seeking revenge on us, and that's why I'm here now," Hnyot said.

The SOS BY called for the annulment of the elections, Lukashenka's resignation, and the release of citizens arrested during demonstrations against the regime. The organization was subsequently labeled extremist, a move that Western governments see as an instrument used to persecute political dissidents.

Hnyot presented documentation to the court that he said proved his claim that his human rights would be endangered in Belarus, and he spoke at length about why he wouldn't receive a fair trial there.

His lawyer, Filip Sofijanic, told RFE/RL that there are no legal grounds for extradition and his fears about being persecuted are justified, especially in light of reports from the United Nations that people incarcerated in Belarus are subjected to various forms of torture.

The hearing was attended by representatives of EU countries' embassies and human rights activists, including several Russians temporarily residing in Belgrade.

"I'm here to support Andrey as a colleague from the film industry. I sympathize with him, and I hope he'll be fine," one of the Russians, identified as Dina from Moscow, told RFE/RL.

Another Russian, who identified herself as Anastasia, told RFE/RL that she didn’t know Hnyot personally, but she wanted to support him because he's oppressed.

“The more people know about his case, the greater the chances of his defense," she said.

After the hearing Hnyot was returned to Belgrade Central Prison to await further proceedings in his case.

Azerbaijan Reportedly Extradites Former Kyrgyz Customs Official Matraimov

Former Kyrgyz customs official Raimbek Matraimov (file photo)
Former Kyrgyz customs official Raimbek Matraimov (file photo)

Sources close to Kyrgyz law enforcement told RFE/RL on March 26 that Azerbaijan extradited the former deputy chief of the Kyrgyz Customs Service, Raimbek Matraimov, to Bishkek, where he is wanted for alleged abduction and the illegal incarceration of unspecified individuals.

Media reports in Kyrgyzstan said a brother of Matraimov was extradited along with him. Kyrgyz authorities have not issued a formal statement, but the State Committee for National Security (CSTO) reported that Raimbek Matraimov was in Baku.

The special service said it had sent a letter to Azerbaijan regarding Matraimov's arrest, and that the issue of his extradition to Kyrgyzstan was being discussed.

Matraimov was at the center of a high-profile corruption scandal in 2020-2021 involving the funneling of close to a billion dollars out of Kyrgyzstan.

A Bishkek court in February 2021 ordered pretrial custody for Matraimov in connection with the corruption charges. He received a mitigated sentence that meant no jail time and fines amounting to just a few thousand dollars.

The court justified the move by saying that Matraimov had paid back around $24 million, which had disappeared through corruption schemes he oversaw.

In November 2023, the chairman of the state security service, Kamchybek Tashiev, accused Matraimov and crime boss Krimtubol Kolbaev of "forming a mafia in Kyrgyzstan."

Matraimov left Kyrgyzstan in October after Kolbaev was killed in a special security operation in Bishkek.

The Kyrgyz Interior Ministry said on January 26 that Matraimov had been added to the wanted list of the State Committee for National Security.

ALSO READ: Investigation: The Matraimov Kingdom

Also in January, Kyrgyz authorities issued a search warrant for Matraimov and directed police officers to investigate him. He has not commented on the charges.

In 2019, an investigation by RFE/RL, the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, and Kloop implicated Matraimov in a corruption scheme involving the transfer of hundreds of millions of dollars out of Kyrgyzstan.

International Envoy To Bosnia Imposes Measures To Improve Election Integrity

The high representative of the international community in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Christian Schmidt (file photo)
The high representative of the international community in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Christian Schmidt (file photo)

The international envoy to Bosnia-Herzegovina imposed technical changes to the election law on March 26 that he said were meant to strengthen electoral integrity. Christian Schmidt said the goal was to restore voter trust through electronic scanning, increased security in the handling of election materials, and voter identification, as well as making election committees more professional. Schmidt said he was taking the steps to support Bosnia "on its way to the European Union” and “for the citizens of this country.” Former elections have been marred by reports of irregularities and fraud, and international observers have been urging reforms. To read the full story by RFE/RL's Balkan Service, click here.

Azerbaijan Reportedly Extradites Former Kyrgyz Customs Official

Raimbek Matraimov, who in 2020-2021 was at the center of a high-profile corruption scandal, escaped imprisonment at the time by paying 2 billion soms ($22.3 million) to Kyrgyzstan’s state treasury.
Raimbek Matraimov, who in 2020-2021 was at the center of a high-profile corruption scandal, escaped imprisonment at the time by paying 2 billion soms ($22.3 million) to Kyrgyzstan’s state treasury.

Sources close to Kyrgyz law enforcement told RFE/RL on March 26 that Azerbaijan extradited the former deputy chief of the Kyrgyz Customs Service, Raimbek Matraimov, to Bishkek, where he is wanted for alleged abduction and the illegal incarceration of unspecified individuals. Media reports in Kyrgyzstan said a relative of Matraimov was extradited along with him. Matraimov, who in 2020-2021 was at the center of a high-profile corruption scandal, escaped imprisonment at the time by paying 2 billion soms ($22.3 million) to Kyrgyzstan’s state treasury. He faced the new charges after Kyrgyz police shot dead criminal kingpin Kamchybek Kolbaev in October. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service, click here.

Lukashenka Contradicts Putin's Claim About Concert Hall Attackers' Escape Plan

Belarusian border guards patrol along the frontier near the Divin border crossing point between Belarus and Ukraine in the Brest region on February 15, 2023.
Belarusian border guards patrol along the frontier near the Divin border crossing point between Belarus and Ukraine in the Brest region on February 15, 2023.

Belarusian authoritarian ruler Alyaksandr Lukashenka said on March 26 that the gunmen who attacked a concert hall near Moscow last week tried to flee into his country but were unable to because of additional security measures.

Lukashenka was quoted by state news agency BelTA as saying the security measures were put in place along Belarus's border with Russia when it became apparent the perpetrators had driven into the Russian region of Bryansk, which borders both Belarus and Ukraine.

When the attackers fled to the southwest out of Moscow into the Bryansk region, Belarus quickly set up checkpoints.

“That’s why they couldn’t enter Belarus. They saw that, so they turned away and went to the area of the Ukrainian-Russian border," said the long-term ruler of the former Soviet republic, which is allied with Russia. "[Russian President Vladimir] Putin and I didn't sleep for a day," he added. “There was constant interaction."

What We Know About The Moscow Shooting Suspects
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Putin has claimed the suspects wanted to flee to Ukraine and were expected there. Ukraine and the United States have rejected the claims, saying Ukraine had nothing to do with the attack in which at least 139 people were killed on March 22 at the Crocus City Hall entertainment venue.

Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K) has claimed responsibility for the attack, and the United States and other Western countries have said they consider that claim to be credible, but Russian officials continue to insist Ukraine is involved.

Aleksandr Bortnikov, head of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), on March 26 reiterated Putin’s claim that that not only Ukraine but the West had a role in the deadly attack.

Without offering any evidence, Bortnikov alleged that Western spy agencies also could have been involved in the attack even as he acknowledged receiving a tip from the United States early in March about a potential terrorist attack.

Lukashenka’s version of events echo the comments of Belarusian Ambassador to Russia Dzmitry Krutoy, who stated earlier that Belarusian special services "helped Russia fulfill the task of preventing terrorists from escaping across the border.”

Political analyst Artyom Shreibman told RFE/RL that the statements made by Lukashenka and Krutoy were “very contrary to what Russia says.” If the attackers had wanted to flee to Ukraine, then Belarus would have had “absolutely nothing to do with it.”

Shreibman said any involvement of Ukraine means that it would have been necessary to come up with an exit route in advance.

He said Putin and other Russian government officials are trying more and more to promote the "Ukrainian trail" in this terrorist attack.

“The longer they talk about it, the more this contradiction will be revealed,” he said, adding that Lukashenka "now needs to pray" that no one asks Putin about what he (Lukashenka) is saying about being the one who turned the terrorists around.

He also said it was a “mystery” to him how the alleged attackers traveling in Bryansk would have known about the additional security checkpoints, saying that it appeared to be Lukashenka’s way of “playing an evil joke” and expressing his “Soviet local desire for recognition” from Moscow.

With reporting by AP and dpa

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