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COVID-19: Iran 'Successfully' Battling Outbreak Despite Sanctions; Patriarch Seeks To Save Moscow
The global death toll has surpassed 54,000 with over 1 million infections confirmed, causing mass disruptions as governments continue to try to slow the spread of the new respiratory illness.
Here's a roundup of developments in RFE/RL's broadcast countries.
Iran
President Hassan Rohani says U.S. sanctions have not hampered Iran's ability to fight the Middle East's worst outbreak of the coronavirus.
"We did not face a problem due to cohesion, good management, skilled and professional medical staff, and all of these came together," Rohani was quoted as saying during a cabinet meeting on April 2.
He also said that according to the country's Central Bank governor, "Iran has no problem in providing foreign currency until the end of the [Iranian] year," in March.
U.S. sanctions have cut off oil revenue and devastated the Iranian economy, causing the national currency, the rial, to fall in value.
"We have a good reserve of essential commodities for the next months and agriculture and trade ministers have given very promising reports for the situation during the coming months," Rohani said.
His comments come amid increased calls by Iranian officials, as well as a number of countries, the United Nations, and several U.S. lawmakers for the United States to ease sanctions, which some say have made it difficult for Tehran to contain the outbreak that has officially killed nearly 3,300 Iranians, including some 50 health-care workers and several politicians.
U.S. State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said on Twitter that Rohani's comments were a confirmation of Washington's stand that U.S.-led economic sanctions do not hamper Iran as it battles the coronavirus pandemic.
"We have repeatedly said that U.S. sanctions do not impede the Iranian regime's response to the COVID-19 crisis," Ortagus tweeted.
Live Map: The Spread Of The Coronavirus
Meanwhile, former U.S. Vice President and Democratic Party presidential contender Joe Biden on April 2 joined those calling for an easing of U.S. sanctions reimposed in 2018 after U.S. Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the 2015 nuclear deal aimed at curbing Iran's nuclear program.
"In times of global crisis, America should lead," Biden said in a statement released on April 2.
"We should be the first to offer help to people who are hurting or in danger. That's who we are. That's who we've always been," he added.
While noting that Tehran "failed to respond effectively to this crisis," Biden said that "it makes no sense, in a global health crisis, to compound that failure with cruelty by inhibiting access to needed humanitarian assistance."
Iranian authorities have been criticized for a slow initial response to the pandemic and a failure to quarantine the city of Qom, where the coronavirus outbreak erupted in February.
Recently, Tehran has enforced tougher measures, including a ban on intercity travel and strict social-distancing rules, to try to contain the pandemic.
Biden said the United States should take a number of steps, including issuing licenses to pharmaceutical and medical-device companies and creating a dedicated channel for international banks to support Iran in its fight against COVID-19.
Trump has previously offered Iran humanitarian assistance.
Asked on April 2 whether he would consider easing sanctions on Iran amid the coronavirus outbreak, Trump told reporters that Tehran had not made a formal request.
"They haven't asked us to do that," he said, adding that "If they want to meet, we'd love to do that."
In his statement, Biden said the Trump administration's offer of aid to Iran was "insufficient" if not backed by concrete steps to ensure that Washington is not exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in the country.
"Whatever our many, many disagreements with the Iranian government, it's the right and humane thing to do," Biden said, adding that Tehran should also make a humanitarian gesture and allow the U.S. citizens it has imprisoned to return home.
According to Iran's official figures released on April 3, the death toll from the coronavirus crisis is 3,294 people while 53,183 cases of infection have been confirmed. Health Ministry spokesman Kianush Jahanpur said recently that 3,956 of the patients were in intensive care.
The real numbers of infected and dead are believed to be significantly higher.
An exclusive report by Radio Farda based on statements made by local officials and medical experts puts the number of those infected with the virus in Iran at more than 70,000 and the death toll at 4,762 as of April 2.
Iranian leaders have called for the removal of the "unjust" and "illegal" sanctions while rejecting Washington's offer of help. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has also suggested that Washington could be behind the pandemic, which has killed more than 6,000 Americans and infected nearly 250,000.
Iran has asked the International Monetary Fund for $5 billion in emergency funds to battle the coronavirus outbreak.
Russia
The head of the Russian Orthodox Church has embarked on a tour around Moscow with one of Russia's most revered icons in an effort to free the Russian capital from coronavirus.
The motorcade carrying Patriarch Kirill and the Tenderness icon of the Mother of God on April 3 drove along the Moscow ring highway, which is more than 100 kilometers long.
Kirill, 73, called on believers to stay at home and join him in prayer to get rid of the coronavirus pandemic as the capital is under strict lockdown.
He is set to serve the morning service at Moscow's Yelokhovo Epiphany Cathedral on April 4.
A total of 4,149 coronavirus cases have been registered across Russia as of April 3, with 34 deaths, according to a database maintained by Johns Hopkins University in the United States.
Critics say they believe the real number is higher and have accused Russian authorities of underreporting the extent of the outbreak in the country.
To slow the spread of the virus, most of Russia's regions have implemented self-isolation measures and closed nonessential businesses.
The Russian Orthodox Church was against the closure of churches at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, but Kirill has recently instructed believers to pray at home.
Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump has said the United States accepted medical equipment from Russia and he had no concerns about the gesture being used as propaganda.
Trump said on April 2 that the equipment was offered by Vladimir Putin during his phone call with the Russian president earlier this week to discuss the fight against the coronavirus outbreak and that he considered it a “very nice gesture.”
“I could have said 'no thank you' or I could have said 'thank you' and...I said I'll take it," Trump said at a White House briefing.
The United States confirmed that a Russian plane carrying the supplies, including ventilators and personal protection equipment, arrived on April 1 in New York City.
State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said the items had been purchased but did not say how much the United States paid for the equipment.
Trump said he was "not even a little bit" concerned about Russia using the gesture for propaganda.
Putin "offered a lot of medical, high-quality stuff that I accepted and that may save a lot of lives," Trump said. "I'll take it every day."
Russia's deputy UN ambassador, Dmitry Polyansky, was quoted by Interfax as saying that while nothing has been agreed, it "is not ruled out" that further shipments may follow.
Trump also said there could be more shipments. Putin "would send more aid if we asked for it," he said.
Kremlin critics questioned why Moscow would send equipment abroad at a time when there are questions about it meeting its own needs.
"I thought this was a stupid April Fool's joke but turns out it's true. Russia really did SELL the U.S. masks and medical equipment at a time when doctors and nurses all over the country are working without masks and infecting one another. It's monstrous. Putin's mad," opposition leader and vocal Putin critic Aleksei Navalny said on Twitter.
In Russia, where the accuracy of official data has been questioned, the number of confirmed coronavirus cases has jumped in recent days, but still appears low compared with other European countries.
Central Asia
Kyrgyzstan has recorded its first official fatality from COVID-19 after a man in the southern region of Osh who had tested positive for the coronavirus died.
Health officials said on April 3 that the 61-year-old, who had "serious co-existing diseases," came back to the country from a trip abroad and had been placed under observation after becoming ill. He later tested positive for the virus and was admitted to a hospital.
“To be honest, when he was buried, none of his relatives was with him,” district commander Malik Nurdinov said, referring to the limited ability of people to move after the government declared a state of emergency in a number of cities, including the capital, Bishkek.
RFE/RL's Coronavirus Crisis Archive
Features and analysis, videos, and infographics explore how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting the countries in our region.
Kyrgyz officials said that the number of coronavirus cases in the Central Asian nation had reached 130.
In neighboring Kazakhstan, Defense Minister Nurlan Ermekbaev said on April 3 that thousands of reservists will be called for up to three months to help combat the coronavirus outbreak and to also provide temporary employment to those who have lost jobs in lockdowns and business closures.
Health authorities in the oil-rich country said that as of April 3, the number of coronavirus cases was 453, including three deaths.
In another Central Asian nation, Uzbekistan, the number of coronavirus cases reached 221. Two persons have succumbed to the virus there.
In two other countries in the region, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, officials have not officially registered any coronavirus cases so far.
Turkmenistan
During a televised cabinet meeting, Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov for the first time publicly used the word "coronavirus."
"Coronavirus is raging in the world" and is having a negative effect on the gas-rich country's economy, Berdymukhammedov said on April 3.
The Turkmen leader also "ordered to take measures to counter the spread of coronavirus," according to state TV.
He did not specifically admit that the country was facing an outbreak of the respiratory illness, however.
The autocratic former Soviet republic has been largely silent about the pandemic and has not yet reported any coronavirus cases, raising international suspicions.
The authorities "are avoiding use of the word 'coronavirus' as much as possible in order to deter the spread of information about the pandemic," according to Reporters Without Borders (RSF).
"By banning use of the word 'coronavirus' on the streets and never mentioning it in official documents and in the media...Turkmenistan's government is putting its citizens in danger,” the Paris-based media-freedom watchdog said.
Turkmenistan's tightly controlled economy has been struggling for months, with government revenues depleted in part to unsuccessful energy deals and low global prices for natural gas, the country's main export.
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijanis will be able to venture into the streets only after sending a text message with their identification number and the reason for their trip under additional requirements announced on April 2 to help control the spread of the coronavirus.
Beginning on April 5, Azerbaijanis will have to text their ID number along with a number corresponding to the reason for their trip to 8103, officials said. The text message is free of charge.
The number 1 is for medical services; 2 is for food, pharmacy, bank, and postal services; and 3 is for trips to attend the funeral of a close relative.
Azerbaijan last week tightened its quarantine rules to slow the spread of the coronavirus, barring the movement of vehicles between regions and cities across the country, with some exceptions, including ambulances, social services, and agricultural vehicles.
Baku's subway system is operating only five hours a day, and, as in much of the world, restaurants, cafes, teahouses, and shops -- except supermarkets, grocery stores, and pharmacies – are closed.
The South Caucasus country has reported 400 coronavirus cases, with five deaths.
With reporting by RFE/RL's Azerbaijani, Kyrgyz, Kazakh, and Uzbek services, Rossia-24, Interfax, Reuters, AFP, and TASS
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Putin's Re-Election Confirms Russia Is 'Authoritarian Society,' Says NATO Chief
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Russia's presidential election was "not free nor fair" and only confirms that Russia is "an authoritarian society."
In an interview with RFE/RL on March 18 in Tbilisi on the second day of a trip to the South Caucasus, Stoltenberg said the election that handed President Vladimir Putin a fifth term was "rigged and, of course, no surprise." Stoltenberg also said Moscow's attempt to conduct the vote in occupied territories of Ukraine was a violation of international law.
The NATO secretary-general said Putin incorrectly stated in his victory speech that NATO troops are in Ukraine. NATO allies have provided training but "are not planning any military presence on the ground."
Stoltenberg also reiterated that NATO has an open-door policy for countries that seek membership and denied that the alliance is "expanding aggressively eastward," which was one of the justifications Putin used for launching Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Countries in Eastern Europe have been told that if they meet NATO standards and are democratic societies, then NATO membership is open to them, he said.
"We respect if you don't want NATO membership. But of course, we also respect if you want NATO membership," he said, adding that those countries cannot "live in a world where Moscow decides what [its] neighbors can do or not do."
Stoltenberg would not say whether Ukraine's bid to join NATO would be granted during the NATO summit in Washington in July, but he said he expects the alliance to "make decisions that will move Ukraine even closer to NATO," including steps to ensure that Ukraine's military is "fully operable" with NATO and to further integrate political cooperation.
"First of all, we are implementing what we have already agreed, but I also expect new decisions," he said.
Asked whether Georgia's aspirations to join NATO would advance during the summit, Stoltenberg said he could not "prejudge or preempt" the summit's outcome.
"I think the most important thing we can do is to ensure that we help [Georgia] to implement the necessary reforms on transparency, on fighting corruption, on strengthening a rule of law in institutions," he said.
For the first time Stoltenberg said Georgia and Ukraine "have separate and independent responsibilities" when it comes to their NATO applications, indicating a decoupling of the two countries' bids.
"They are at different levels in different ways," he said, implying that Ukraine's application is more urgent because it is currently fighting Russian forces.
"I'm not saying that Ukraine is ahead of Georgia in all fields," he said. "There are individual assessments, there are individual efforts to support Georgia and to support Ukraine, and there will be individual separate decisions."
Asked about the recent requests for protection from Moscow by separatists in the breakaway Transdniester region of Moldova and in Georgia's breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, the NATO chief admitted that the alliance wouldn't be able to offer much other than to condemn the presence of Russian forces and to pressure Russia to revoke its recognition of these territories as separate states.
Stoltenberg, who has been urging NATO members to provide Kyiv with badly needed ammunition and military equipment, also acknowledged that international support for the Ukrainian military has not remained at the same high level as it was at the beginning of the war, noting that a major aid package from the United States has stalled in Congress.
He said he still expects the United States to agree to support Ukraine because a majority in the U.S. Congress supports more aid for Ukraine and because it is in the security interest of the United States to do so.
With reporting by Vazha Tavberidze of RFE/RL's Georgian Service
- By RFE/RL
Russia Labels Two Canadian Schools, Democracy NGO As 'Undesirable Organizations'
Russia's Prosecutor-General's Office on March 18 labeled two Canadian educational institutes -- the Munk School of Global Affairs at the University of Toronto and Carleton University's Norman Paterson School of International Affairs -- and the Russian Canadian Democratic Alliance NGO as "undesirable." The "undesirable organization" law, adopted in 2015, was a Kremlin-backed regulation on NGOs that receive funding from foreign sources. The label has been applied to dozens of foreign groups since Moscow began using the classification and effectively bans organizations outright.
Kyrgyz Court Annuls Ministry's Move To Block Independent Kloop Russian Website
BISHKEK -- A court in Kyrgyzstan's capital, Bishkek, ruled to annul a move by the Central Asian nation's Culture Ministry to block the Russian-language website of the independent media outlet Kloop.
Lawyer Nurbek Sydykov told RFE/RL on March 18 that if the court's decision is not appealed or if an appeal is rejected by the Bishkek City Court, the website will resume operations.
The website was blocked last September and later in November the Kyrgyz-language website for the outlet was also blocked amid a government campaign to pressure the Kloop Media Public Foundation.
The former Soviet republic's Culture Ministry said it blocked the sites after the State Committee of National Security (UKMK) claimed the media outlet distributed false information.
The claim was about a report that appeared on Kloop's website in September about jailed opposition politician Ravshan Jeenbekov and a statement he made saying that he was tortured while in custody.
The ministry demanded Kloop remove an article about the alleged torture of Jeenbekov from its site in Russian or face being blocked.
On September 12, Kloop published a statement saying it was refusing to remove the material as the story in question attributed all information about the situation faced by Jeenbekov while in custody to actual individuals and sources.
Kloop said at the time it was officially informed of the lawsuit against it and that the move was taken after an audit by the UKMK determined its "published materials are aimed at sharply criticizing the policies of the current government" and that "most of the publications are purely negative, aimed at discrediting representatives of state and municipal bodies."
Established in June 2007, Kloop is a Kyrgyz news website (kloop.kg) whose main contributors are students and graduates of the Kloop Media Public Foundation School of Journalism. As an independent media entity, it is known for publishing reports on corruption within various governmental bodies and providing training to Central Asian journalists in fact-checking and investigative techniques.
RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service, known as Radio Azattyk, Kloop, and the Center for Corruption and Organized Crime Research (OCCRP) have collaborated on a series of investigations concerning corruption in Kyrgyzstan.
Kyrgyzstan's civil society and free press have traditionally been the most vibrant in Central Asia. But that has changed amid a deepening government crackdown.
Kyrgyz authorities blocked Radio Azattyk's websites in Kyrgyz and Russian in late October 2022 after it refused to take down a video, which was produced by Current Time, a Russian-language network run by RFE/RL in cooperation with Voice of America.
Officials of the Central Asian state claimed that the authors of the video "predominantly" took the position of the Tajik side of a story. RFE/RL rejected the accusation saying the broadcaster "takes our commitment to balanced reporting seriously" and that after a review of the content in question, "no violation of our standards" was found.
In July 2023, the Bishkek court annulled the decision that shut down RFE/RL's operations in Kyrgyzstan.
- By RFE/RL
EU Council Approves New Aid Fund For Ukraine With $5.4 Billion
The European Council has approved the creation of the Ukraine Assistance Fund (UAF) and earmarked 5 billion euros ($5.4 billion) for it as Kyiv struggles to battle invading Russian forces. "With the fund, we will continue to support Ukraine defend itself from Russia’s war of aggression with whatever it takes and for as long as we need to," the EU's top diplomat, Josep Borrell said in a statement on March 18. The funds will be used for the provision of both "lethal and nonlethal military equipment and training," it said.
Kyrgyz Court Allows Jailed Politician To Get Medical Treatment Abroad
A court in Bishkek on March 18 allowed jailed politician Bektur Asanov to get back surgery in Turkey after his jailed co-defendants threatened to launch a hunger strike. Hundreds of people rallied last week in Kyrgyzstan's three regions demanding the release of Asanov, his 10 jailed co-defendants, and 16 other activists who are under house arrest over their 2022 protest against a Kyrgyz-Uzbek border delimitation deal. The activists were arrested after they protested the controversial deal that saw Kyrgyzstan hand over the territory of the Kempir-Abad Reservoir to Uzbekistan. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service, click here.
Belarusian Evangelical Pastor Gets Additional 15 Days In Jail Over Prayers For Ukraine
A court in Belarus has sentenced pastor Alyaksandr Zaretski, head of an evangelical church in the northeastern region of Vitsebsk, to an additional 15 days in jail over his calls to parishioners to pray for Ukraine and political prisoners in Belarus. Zaretski was initially arrested on February 23 and sentenced to 15 days in jail after local authorities accused him of "violating regulations of holding public gatherings." Zaretski pleaded not guilty. The state website for court decisions said on March 18 that Zaretski was sentenced to another 15 days in jail on March 5. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Belarus Service, click here.
Iranians Visit Slain Protesters' Graves As New Year Approaches
Iranian families have visited the graves of relatives who lost their lives in protests despite a heavy police presence and heightened tensions over government restrictions on freedoms.
In the western Iranian city of Sanandaj, despite a heavy security presence, many families of those who died in the Women, Life, Freedom protests made their way to the graves of their loved ones as the Persian New Year, which in 2024 coincides with the onset of spring on March 20, approaches.
Pictures and video on social media showed visitors at the resting places of notable figures, including Mahsa Mogouei, a taekwondo champion from Isfahan who was killed in 2022; Aylar Haqi, a doctor from Tabriz; Mohsen Mousavi from Tehran's bazaar area; and Abolfazl Mahdipour, among others.
In one expression of grief and remembrance, the family of Sina Naderi from Kermanshah could be seen arranging a traditional Norouz Haft-Sin table on his grave, blending the celebration of the new year with the mourning of their loss.
Kamellia Sajadian, grieving for her son Mohammad Hasan Turkman and in honor of Seyyed Mohammad Hosseini, who was executed during the protests, took to Instagram to urge Iranians to remember all of those "waiting for their kind-hearted and those imprisoned, whose hearts remain with their children buried in the soil."
Many Iranians took to the streets in 2022 to protest against declining living standards and a lack of freedoms. The unrest grew after the death of Mahsa Amini in September of that year. The 22-year-old died under mysterious circumstances while she was in police custody for an alleged head-scarf violation.
The clampdown resulted in the deaths of approximately 600 demonstrators, as reported by human rights groups, and thousands of arrests. The Iranian judiciary has also executed several protesters, further inflaming public outcry against the regime's harsh tactics.
The government has been accused of stepping up the pressure on the victims' families through collective arrests and the summoning of grieving families by security agencies with the aim of keeping them from commemorating the lives of their loved ones, which the government fears will trigger further unrest.
Written by Ardeshir Tayebi based on an original story in Persian by RFE/RL's Radio Farda
Kyrgyz, Tajik Officials Agree On 11 More Kilometers Of Border
Kyrgyz officials said on March 17 that Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan agreed on roughly another 11 kilometers of the border between the two nations after special talks were held in the Tajik town of Buston last week. The delimitation and demarcation of the Kyrgyz-Tajik border has been an issue for decades but turned into an extremely urgent problem in recent years after several deadly clashes took place along disputed segments of the frontier. In all, the border between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan is 972 kilometers, of which more than 700 kilometers have now been agreed upon. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service, click here.
Moldova's Sandu Calls On Lawmakers To Merge EU Referendum With Presidential Poll
Moldovan President Maia Sandu has called on lawmakers to organize a referendum on joining the European Union simultaneously with a presidential election in October. Speaking at a news conference in Chisinau on March 18, the pro-Western Sandu said merging the two would ensure "as high a turnout as possible," thus giving the plebiscite more legitimacy. Moldova, which has been seeking to shake off Russia's decades-long influence, was invited to open accession talks with the EU in 2022. Last week, the bloc's executive said Moldova had fulfilled six out of nine conditions necessary to start accession negotiations. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Moldovan Service, click here.
Kyrgyz Activist Under Investigation After Airing Video Critical Of Government
BISHKEK -- A court in Bishkek on March 18 released activist and traditional bard singer Askat Jetigen but ordered him not to leave the country while an investigation into his alleged "calls for mass unrest" continues. Jetigen, who was detained over the weekend, is known for his criticism of the Kyrgyz government. His last video criticizing reforms by the Culture Ministry was aired on March 15. Human rights groups have criticized President Sadyr Japarov's government for using the "mass unrest" charge as a tool to muzzle dissent and impose stricter control over independent media. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service, click here.
Nadezhdin Supporter Jailed For Conducting Exit Poll In Russian Vote
Another supporter of anti-war politician Boris Nadezhdin was sentenced to five days in jail on a charge of resisting police. Vasily Gorelikov was detained while conducting an exit poll on March 17, the last day of voting, at a polling station in the Far Eastern city of Nakhodka. Nadezhdin, whose application to run in the election was rejected by authorities over what they said were irregularities in support signatures, had said his "observers" would monitor the voting. Last week, at least three pro-Nadezhdin activists were handed jail terms of up to six days on charges that they rejected. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Russian Service, click here.
Baku Said To Be Preparing To Reopen Tehran Embassy After Attack
The Azerbaijani Embassy in Tehran is preparing to resume operations, according to Iran's ambassador to Baku, signaling a potential thaw in relations between the two countries.
In a statement to Baku TV, Iranian Ambassador Abbas Musavi said preparations for the reopening are under way, with an Azerbaijani delegation already having made the journey to Tehran. He did not give a specific date for the reopening.
The announcement comes a year after the Azerbaijani Embassy was the scene of an armed assault in January 2023 that resulted in the death of one embassy employee and left two others injured.
The attack, which Baku has called an "act of terrorism," led to a significant downturn in diplomatic relations, prompting Azerbaijan to remove its embassy staff from Tehran. Azerbaijan left open its consulate in Tabriz.
Musavi addressed the incident, saying that investigations by both nations concluded the attack was an isolated act driven by personal motives. The assailant, identified as Yasin Husseinzadeh, has been apprehended and tried. Details of the sentence were not released, but in Iran murder is punishable by a maximum penalty of death.
The trial of Husseinzadeh, marking a year since the attack, has been a focal point in discussions between the two countries, with Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian confirming on March 16 that a delegation from Azerbaijan would soon visit Tehran to facilitate the embassy's reopening.
Baku had said that the identification and prosecution of anyone involved in the attack were prerequisites for the normalization of relations and the reopening of its embassy in Tehran.
Relations between Iran and Azerbaijan also have been complicated by Azerbaijan's ties with Israel and Iran's support for Shiite groups in Azerbaijan. Such disputes have led to mutual accusations and arrests over alleged espionage and efforts to establish a theocratic state in Azerbaijan.
Azerbaijan has also accused Iran of backing Armenia in a long-standing conflict over the Nagorno-Karabakh region.
Iran also has long accused Azerbaijan of fueling separatist sentiments among its sizeable ethnic Azeri minority.
Written by Ardeshir Tayebi based on an original story in Persian by RFE/RL's Radio Farda
2 Killed By Ukrainian Strike On Russia's Belgorod, Officials Say
Two people were killed and four others were wounded in a Ukrainian air strike on Russia's Belgorod region on March 18, the head of the region's administration, Vyacheslav Gladkov, said on Telegram.
Gladkov said one of the two victims was a 17-year-old boy, while one of the wounded was a young girl pulled from under the rubble.
Ukraine has not commented on the attack, which could not be independently confirmed.
Russia's Defense Ministry earlier on March 18 said the Belgorod region had been targeted by 10 Ukrainian Vampire missiles. All had been shot down by the air defense systems, it said.
Meanwhile, air-defense systems shot down 17 of the 22 drones launched by Russia at several Ukrainian regions early on March 18, Ukraine's military said in a statement on Telegram.
The drones were destroyed over nine Ukrainian regions -- Kyiv, Poltava, Khmelnytskiy, Cherkasy, Kirovohrad, Dnipropetrovsk, Vinnytsya, Zaporizhzhya, and Rivne -- the military said, adding that the Kharkiv and Sumy regions were also targeted by a total of seven missiles.
The military did not report any casualties or damage, but regional authorities in Sumy said civilian infrastructure was damaged in the city of Konotop.
5 Men Sentenced To Life In Case Of Murdered Tajik Banker
DUSHANBE -- Tajikistan's Supreme Court has sentenced five men to life in prison in the high-profile case of the abduction and murder of one of the Central Asian nation's wealthiest bankers, Shohrat Ismatulloev.
The court told RFE/RL that the sentences and verdicts were pronounced on March 18 without giving any details.
Sources close to the court told RFE/RL that a former senior police officer, Dilshod Saidmurodov, as well as four other defendants -- Qamar Azizov, Akbar Ahmadov, Bakhtobar Safarov, and Shohrukh Khojaev -- were handed life sentences.
The court also ordered the confiscation of all properties and assets held by Saidmurodov.
Another 10 defendants were sentenced to prison terms of between one year and eight years for their involvement in Ismatulloev's murder.
No further details of the trial, which started in January, were available as it was held behind closed doors inside a detention center in Dushanbe, the capital.
Last month, Tajik Prosecutor-General Yusuf Rahmon said that two people suspected of involvement in Ismatulloev's abduction and murder are still at large, while two other suspects were dead -- Rustam Ashurov fled to Moldova in June of last year, where he was fatally wounded after he resisted Moldovan police at the Chisinau International Airport, and Parviz Mustafokulov, who died while in pretrial detention.
Moldovan authorities said at the time that Ashurov worked at the Tajik Interior Ministry for seven years but was fired for unspecified criminal activities.
Shohrat Ismatulloev, the deputy chairman of Orienbank, one of Tajikistan’s leading banks, was abducted in June last year. His body was found in August.
Investigators say the abductors wanted to extort money from the banker. According to the investigators, the abductors severely tortured Ismatulloev before killing him.
Orienbank, the largest private financial institution in the authoritarian Central Asian country, has been linked to the family of President Emomali Rahmon, several sources told RFE/RL.
Amid 'Repression And Intimidation,' Putin Posts 'Record' Election Win
Vladimir Putin has claimed a fifth presidential term with a landslide victory in a tightly controlled election that has been condemned by the West as neither free nor fair as the Russian leader seeks to prove overwhelming popular support for his full-scale invasion of Ukraine and increasingly repressive policies.
With 99.75 percent of ballots counted, Putin won another six-year term with a post-Soviet record of 87.29 percent of the vote, the Central Elections Committee (TsIK) said on March 18, adding that turnout was also at a "record" level, with 77.44 percent of eligible voters casting ballots.
The 71-year old Putin -- who has ruled as either president or prime minister since 2000 -- is now set to surpass Soviet dictator Josef Stalin’s nearly 30-year reign to become the longest-serving Russian leader in more than two centuries.
"This election has been based on repression and intimidation," the European Union's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told journalists in Brussels on March 18 as the bloc's foreign ministers gathered to discuss the election, among other issues.
The March 15-17 vote is the first for Putin since he launched his invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 that has killed tens of thousands of Russians and led to a clear break in relations with the West. In holding what has widely been viewed as faux elections, Putin wants to show that he has the nation’s full support, experts said.
The vote was also held in Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine, where hundreds of thousands of Russian soldiers are located. Moscow illegally annexed the regions since launching the invasion, though it remains unclear how much of the territory it controls.
The Kremlin's goal "is to get as many people as possible to sign off on Russia's war against Ukraine. The idea is to get millions of Russian citizens to retroactively approve the decision Putin single-handedly made two years ago," Maksim Trudolyubov, a senior fellow at the Kennan Institute, wrote in a note ahead of the vote.
In remarks shortly after he was declared the winner, Putin said the election showed that the nation was "one team."
But Western leaders condemned the vote, with a White House spokesman saying they "are obviously not free nor fair," and EU foreign ministers roundly dismissing them as a sham ahead of agreeing to impose sanctions on individuals linked to the mistreatment and death of Kremlin critic Aleksei Navalny.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told RFE/RL in an interview in Tbilisi on the second day of a visit to the Caucasus that the Russian election was "not free nor fair." He said those who have had the courage to oppose Putin "are either force to flee, to live abroad, they are jailed, or some of them are killed as we saw with Aleksei Navalny."
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, speaking at the start of the EU foreign ministers' meeting, said Russia's election was "an election without choice."
French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne said the conditions for a "free, pluralistic, and democratic election were not met," and British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said the election outcome highlighted the "depth of repression" in Russia.
"Putin removes his political opponents, controls the media, and then crowns himself the winner. This is not democracy," Cameron said.
France, Britain, and other countries condemned the fact that Russia had also held its election in occupied regions of Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Putin has become "sick with power" and he is just "simulating" elections.
"This imitation of 'elections' has no legitimacy and cannot have any. This person must end up in the dock in The Hague [at the International UN Tribunal for War Crimes]," Zelenskiy said on X.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan congratulated Putin and again offered to mediate between Moscow and Ukraine, the Turkish presidency announced.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the presidents of Azerbaijan and Belarus also congratulated Putin as did the leaders of China, Iran, and North Korea.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said President Xi Jinping and the Russian leader "will continue to maintain close exchanges, lead the two countries to continue to uphold longstanding good-neighborly friendship, deepen comprehensive strategic coordination."
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi called Putin's victory "decisive," the state news agency IRNA reported, and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said in a congratulatory message to Putin quoted by Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) that Russian voters had shown "unshakeable support and trust in" their president, state media reported.
In the tightly controlled race, Putin was opposed by three relatively unknown, Kremlin-friendly politicians whose campaigns were barely noticeable.
Prior to the election the Kremlin banned anti-war politician Boris Nadezhdin from the ballot after tens of thousands of voters lined up in the cold to support his candidacy. Nadezhdin threatened to undermine the narrative of a united nation behind Putin and his war, experts said.
Russia’s opposition movement suffered a serious blow last month when Navalny, who was Putin’s fiercest and most popular critic, died in unclear circumstances in a maximum-security prison in the Arctic where he was serving a 19-year sentence on charges of extremism widely seen as politically motivated.
Russian political analyst Ivan Preobrazhensky said in an interview with Current Time that Putin was also frightened by the rebellion staged by mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin in June when Prigozhin's forces briefly took control of Rostov-on-Don and were greeted by many citizens as heroes.
Prigozhin ended his rebellion before reaching Moscow and was later killed in a plane crash that many believe was retaliation by the Kremlin.
With reporting by Reuters, AFP, and dpa
Moldova Dismisses Separatists' Drone Strike Claim As Provocation
Moldova's government has dismissed claims in Russian and Transdniester media that a drone strike on March 17 had destroyed a military helicopter on the ground in the breakaway region.
Separatist-linked news portals and Telegram channels published photos and video footage of the alleged wreckage of a Russian attack helicopter and cited Transdniester's self-styled state security ministry as saying the helicopter was struck by a kamikaze drone.
"The incident is an attempt to provoke fear and panic in the region. The depicted equipment has not been working for several years,” the Moldovan government's Reintegration Bureau said in a statement. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Moldovan Service, click here.
Taliban Says It Strikes Back After Deadly Pakistani Strikes
Afghanistan's Taliban-led government said its border forces targeted the Pakistani military installation along its eastern border in retaliation for two air strikes that Islamabad carried out on Afghan territory that killed eight people, including three children.
The Taliban's artillery shelling on March 18 came hours after Pakistani warplanes bombed "militant hideouts" inside Afghanistan that Islamabad said belonged to Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP), also known as the Pakistani Taliban.
In Kurram, a western district in Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, locals confirmed the Taliban’s shelling of the area. There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.
Haji Nowroz Ali, a local tribal leader, told RFE/RL’s Radio Mashaal that a gunbattle between the Taliban and Pakistani forces ensued after four rockets were fired at the border village of Kharlachi from Afghanistan.
Pro-Taliban accounts on X, formerly Twitter, shared a video they claimed showed the Taliban's attacks on Pakistani installations in what appeared to be Kharlachi.
Tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan have been on the rise since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan following the withdrawal of the U.S.-led forces in August 2021. Islamabad accuses the conservative Islamist movement of harboring TTP militants on its territory and allowing them to carry out cross-border attacks in Pakistan. Afghanistan's ruling Taliban deny this.
At "around 3 a.m., Pakistani aircraft bombarded civilian homes" in Afghanistan's southeastern provinces of Khost and Paktika bordering Pakistan, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in a statement.
"Pakistan should not blame Afghanistan for the lack of control, incompetence, and problems in its own territory," Mujahid said in a statement.
He added the strikes targeted Pakistan's Barmal district of Paktika and the Spera district of Khost, killing three women and three children in Paktika, and two women in Khost.
In a March 18 statement, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry defended the attacks.
"Certain elements among those in power in Afghanistan are actively patronizing the TTP and using them as a proxy against Pakistan," the statement said, adding that groups like the TTP are a collective security, which requires the two neighbors to "work toward finding joint solutions in countering terrorism and to prevent any terrorist organization from sabotaging bilateral relations."
Pakistani officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, have said that the house of Abdullah Shah, one of the TTP commanders reportedly hiding in Afghanistan, was apparently targeted in the attacks in Paktika.
But Mujahid rejected the accusation and said Shah was inside Pakistan.
"The same [Pashtun] tribe lives on both sides [of the Durand Line border]. Its members frequently move among their communities," he said in a statement.
The TTP said the strikes targeted civilians, denying Shah's house had been hit.
The group issued a video in which Shah claimed to be present in the Shawal areas of Waziristan, which borders Afghanistan’s Paktika and Khost Provinces.
An unconfirmed social media post said "multiple" Pakistan strikes targeted the Paktika, Khost, and Kunar regions.
The reported strikes came after seven Pakistani soldiers were killed and 17 others wounded in a militant attack that targeted a sprawling army post in the volatile North Waziristan district near the Afghan border on March 16.
Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari, who attended the funeral of those killed in the attack on March 17, said Islamabad would give "a befitting reply to the terrorists" that perpetrated the attack.
With reporting by AFP and Reuters
- By RFE/RL
Putin Says He Agreed To Swap Navalny Days Before His Death
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said he agreed to swap his fiercest critic, Aleksei Navalny, several days before the opposition leader died in prison last month.
Speaking in Moscow on March 17 shortly after securing a new six-year term, Putin said he agreed to swap Navalny on the condition that he not return to Russia. It was the first mention of Navalny by name by the Russian leader in more than a decade.
Navalny died on February 16 in unclear circumstances in an Arctic prison where he was serving a 19-year term on extremism and other charges widely seen as politically motivated.
Putin did not say whom he wanted in return for freeing Navalny but last month in an interview with former Fox News host and political commentator Tucker Carlson, the Russian leader said he was willing to swap Westerners held in Russian prisons for convicted murderer and former Federal Security Service (FSB) Colonel Vadim Krasikov.
Investigative journalist Christo Grozev told RFE/RL in late February that he was involved in a plan to exchange Navalny for Krasikov, who was convicted of murdering a Chechen citizen of Georgian ethnicity.
The plan was presented to Putin in February.
At least three countries participated in the discussions -- the United States, Germany, and Russia -- Grozev said in an interview on February 27 with RFE/RL's Bulgarian Service.
The U.S. State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Putin’s remarks.
Apparent Fire-Bombing Disrupts Voting At Russian Consulate In Chisinau
Voting for Russia's presidential election was disrupted at the Russian Consulate in Chisinau on March 17 after an apparent fire-bombing. Flames and smoke broke out in the consulate's courtyard as dozens of voters were lined up to cast their ballots in an election widely expected to be won by incumbent President Vladimir Putin. A man was reportedly detained following the incident, which eyewitnesses said was caused when someone shouting "I despise Russia" threw something over the consulate fence. Images showed scorch marks on the wall of the consulate and smoke rising from the courtyard. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Moldovan Service, click here.
- By Reuters
Paris Olympics Could Feature Only 40 Russian Athletes
International Olympic Committee (IOC) Vice President John Coates is unsure how many Russians will compete as neutral athletes at the Olympic Games in Paris this summer, but thinks reports that it might be as low as 40 could be close to the mark. Under sanctions put in place because of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, for which Belarus acted as a staging post, the IOC is allowing only some Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete in Paris under tight restrictions. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has described the December decision to allow them as "shameful."
- By Reuters
Georgia's South Ossetia Reportedly Discusses Possible Inclusion Into Russia
South Ossetia, a breakaway region in Georgia, has discussed its possible inclusion into Russia with Moscow, Russian state-run news agency RIA Novosti reported, citing South Ossetia's parliament speaker on March 17. "We are discussing all these issues in close coordination with Russia, taking into account our bilateral relations and treaties," it quoted Alan Alborov as saying in response to a question about the possibility of holding a referendum on the subject.
- By AP
Traffic Accident In Southern Afghanistan Leaves 21 Dead, 38 Injured
A traffic accident in southern Afghanistan left at least 21 people dead and 38 injured, according to a provincial traffic department. The accident occurred on the morning of March 17 in the Gerashk district of Helmand Province on the main highway between the southern Kandahar and western Herat provinces, a statement from the department in Helmand said. A motorbike crashed into a passenger bus, which then hit a fuel tanker on the opposite side of the road, said a traffic official in Helmand. An investigation into the accident was under way, he added.
Ukraine Launches Far-Ranging Drone Attacks Amid Russia's Presidential Vote
Ukraine launched a massive new wave of drone attacks on March 17 that reportedly killed two people as Russians cast ballots on the final day of a presidential vote set to extend President Vladimir Putin's rule for another six years.
Meanwhile, Russia launched a missile attack on the southern Ukrainian city of Mykolayiv, injuring five people, local officials said. Sumy in the east was also hit.
The Russian Defense Ministry reported downing 35 Ukrainian drones overnight, including four in the Moscow region. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said there were no casualties or damage. The attack temporarily shut down three Moscow airports.
Live Briefing: Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine
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According to the Defense Ministry, another two drones were shot down over the Kaluga region south of the Russian capital and the Yaroslavl region northeast of Moscow. More Ukrainian drones were downed over the Belgorod, Kursk, Rostov, and Krasnodar regions.
The attack on Belgorod killed a 16-year-old girl and severely injured her father, local officials said. Belgorod, which borders Ukraine, has been shelled for the past three days, with at least six people killed, local officials said.
RFE/RL is unable to independently confirm death and injury counts on either side of the conflict.
In Krasnodar, Ukraine struck the Slavyansk refinery, triggering a fire and killing one person.
The attack is the latest against Russia's refining industry as Kyiv seeks to disrupt gasoline and jet-fuel supplies to the Russian armed forces as well as oil-product exports. Oil exports account for the lion's share of Russia's federal budget revenues.
Overall, Ukraine has increased the frequency of drone attacks inside Russia as it seeks to bring the Kremlin-launched war to the Russian people. Ukraine has invested heavily in its nascent drone industry as the weapon plays an increasingly important role in the war.
In Mykolayiv, at least two ballistic missiles landed in the city, injuring five and damaging homes and cars, according to local officials.
In Sumy near the Russian border, infrastructure came under fire. Russia has fired more than 800 artillery rounds at Sumy in recent days, or half of what it fired at the region last year.
Russia has been ramping up production of shells and rockets as it pours money into defense spending.
Russia has ramped up air and ground attacks against Ukrainian forces in recent months to take advantage of its superiority in weapons and people. Ukraine is suffering from a lack of manpower and ammunition at the moment amid Kyiv’s failure to pass a new mobilization bill and Washington’s failure to pass a $60 billion aid package for the embattled country.
Kyiv needs to mobilize several hundred thousand people, a politically unpopular move, if it hopes to drive back Russian forces, experts say. Kyiv could pass a new bill as early as the end of the month.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Congress could vote in the coming weeks on a new bill that would unleash aid to Ukraine. U.S. intelligence officials have warned that Ukraine could face serious setbacks if it does not receive U.S. aid soon.
With reporting by AP
- By Reuters
India Captures Bulgarian-Managed Ship From Pirates, Rescues Crew
Indian naval forces including special commandos seized a cargo vessel that had been hijacked by Somali pirates, rescuing 17 crew members, a spokesperson for the navy said on March 16. The navy said in a post on social media that all 35 pirates aboard the ship, the Maltese-flagged bulk-cargo vessel Ruen, had surrendered, and the ship had been checked for the presence of illegal arms, ammunition, and contraband. The Ruen was hijacked last year and the navy said it had intercepted the vessel on March 15. The ship was listed as being managed by Bulgarian company Navigation Maritime Bulgare.
Iran's Medical Council Warns Of Doctor Shortage Due To Emigration
Iran's Medical Council in a March 16 report warned that the country is facing a shortage of doctors, especially pediatric surgeons, because of the increasing number of physicians emigrating from the country. The nongovernmental organization's report cited the ongoing economic crisis in Iran as a key reason for medical personnel choosing to leave. Mohammad Raiszadeh, head of the council, previously called the "emptying of physicians" a "serious" crisis and warned about the future of Iran's health sector. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Radio Farda, click here.
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