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Longtime Anticommunist Activist To Become Germany's Next President
"I cannot give you a keynote address now in the confusion of my feelings. That is impossible. I'm just off the plane and was in a taxi when the chancellor got a hold of me. I'm not even showered," Gauck said. "It doesn't matter that you see that I am overwhelmed and a little bit confused."
From RFE/RL's Archives: An Interview With Joachim Gauck (2007)
He was a leader among the Christian pastors who demonstrated relentlessly and hastened the end of the communist regime. After the fall of the GDR, Gauck took over the Stasi archives and undertook the treacherous process of rooting out former secret police employees and collaborators.
"We have to deligitimatize [the communist era] not only because of the many victims and criminal acts, but [also because] modern politics in the entire Soviet empire was basically taken backward," Gauck said.
"You've now got the two top people in Germany both coming from the East -- although [Chancellor Angela] Merkel was actually born in the West, but she was raised in the East," Lucas said.
"And I think that is symbolically, psychologically very important. I think it will be good for relations with Poland, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia because this is a guy who understands what they went [through]."
"My main task will be closeness with the people who say 'yes' to responsibility -- and who are everywhere in our country, not only on the political level," Gauck said.
"And I want to work in a way that people take on this responsibility and don't just stand on the sidelines of public life as visitors and critical observers."
Josef Joffe, editor and publisher of the "Die Zeit," told RFE/RL by e-mail that Gauck is "a paragon of probity."
"His language is not the cloudy politically correct stuff that characterizes the political caste in Germany," Joffe says. "He is forthright and to the point, taking on the mushy consensus. The next five years will be quite interesting."
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Russia Says 4 Held In Daghestan On Suspicion Of Aiding Moscow Concert Gunmen
Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) said on April 1 that it has detained four people in the North Caucasus region of Daghestan suspected of providing financing and weapons to participants in the March 22 massacre at the Crocus City Hall concert venue near Moscow that killed 144 people. Video released by the FSB showed one suspect saying: "I took weapons to them, these guys who attacked Crocus City Hall. I took them weapons from [the regional capital] Makhachkala." It wasn't possible to determine if the admission was coerced. Russian officials earlier said that 11 suspects, including four men who allegedly attacked the entertainment center, had been arrested. The suspected gunmen have been identified as ethnic Tajiks. To read the original story by RFE/RL’s Russian Service, click here.
- By RFE/RL
Iranian Journalist Stabbed In Britain Says He's Out Of Hospital And 'Recovering'
Pouria Zeraati, the London-based Iran International news network TV host who was stabbed outside his home in Britain, said he has been discharged from the hospital, is feeling better, and "recovering." “My wife and I are residing at a safe place under the supervision of the Met[tropolitan] Police,” he wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on April 1. Zeraati, 36, was attacked on March 29 in Wimbledon, southwest London, by a group of men who fled the scene in a car, said Iran International, which is critical of Iran’s government. No arrests have been made. Police said it wasn’t immediately clear why he was attacked. Zeraati said “good progress has been made” in the investigation.
Azerbaijani Opposition Activist Sentenced To 5 Years On Fraud Charges He Rejects
Azerbaijani activist Elxan Aliyev was sentenced on April 1 to five years in prison on fraud charges that he and his supporters have rejected as politically motivated. Aliyev’s conviction and sentencing come amid an ongoing crackdown on dissent and independent media in Azerbaijan. The Baku prosecutor's office had demanded seven years in prison for Aliyev, who is a member of the opposition Azerbaijan Popular Front Party (AXCP). Aliyev's lawyer, Nemat Karimi, told RFE/RL that his client had actually been prosecuted not for fraud and forgery, but for political reasons. He said he would appeal the verdict. To read the original story by RFE/RL’s Azerbaijani Service, click here.
Suspected Israeli Air Strike 'Flattens' Iranian Consulate In Damascus, Kills Top Quds Commander
Multiple people were killed, including a commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), in an Israeli air strike on the Iranian Consulate in Damascus on April 1, according to Syrian and Iranian officials, media, and opposition groups, prompting angry threats of retaliation by Iranian officials.
"Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Zahedi, a senior commander of the IRGC's Quds Force, was martyred in an attack by Zionist regime fighters on the Islamic Republic of Iran's consulate building in Damascus," Iranian state TV reported.
Some reports identified Zahedi, 63, as a former commander of the Quds Force, but full details were not immediately available.
A military source told the official Syrian news agency that Israeli missiles were fired from the occupied Golan Heights and that the Syrian air defense system intercepted a number of them, but that some hit the target, leading to "total destruction of the building" and the killing and wounding of "everyone inside."
Iran said, however, that the consulate annex was hit by six missiles fired by F35 fighter jets.
An Israeli military spokesperson did not comment specifically, saying only, "We do not comment on reports in the foreign media."
The White House said it was aware of the reports. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said at a daily news briefing that Washington was "concerned about anything that would be escalatory or cause an increase in conflict in the region."
Iran’s ambassador to Damascus, Hossein Akbar, told Syrian TV that five to seven people were killed in the attack.
The ambassador said he and his family were unhurt, but he vowed that Iran’s response would be “harsh.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian told his Syrian counterpart, Faisal Mekdad, in a phone call that his government holds Israel responsible for the attack and labeled it “a breach of all international conventions," according to Iranian state TV.
Amir-Abdollahian "stressed the need for a serious response by the international community to such criminal actions," the report said.
The IRGC later said seven of its members had been killed, including Zahedi and his deputy, Hadi Haji Rahimi.
The Syrian Defense Ministry said in a statement that Israel attacked the consulate building and that "all those present in the building have been killed or injured." It said rescue crews were evacuating the wounded.
"We strongly condemn this heinous terrorist attack" that resulted in "the martyrdom of a number of innocent people," Mekdad said.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has been a close ally of Iran and Russia, relying on their support to remain in power despite major opposition and a civil war in the country.
Tehran has maintained a heavy military presence in Syria, while Israeli has periodically carried out attacks against Iranian sites in the country, often targeting IRGC commanders.
The Iranian state TV report said the Israeli strike was a targeted “assassination” attack on the Quds commander in what is sure to raise tensions in the already tense Middle East region.
The Quds Force is the elite foreign arm of the IRGC and has been declared a foreign terrorist organization by the United States.
The Iranian state TV report also said that several Iranian diplomats had been killed in the attack.
Saudi broadcaster Al-Arabiya reported that "a senior Iranian figure" was the target of the strike.
The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that “Israeli missiles” had destroyed an annex building of the Iranian Embassy in Damascus and that eight people had been killed.
According to reporters from Reuters at the scene, smoke was rising from the ruins of a building that had been “flattened.” The reporters said an Iranian flag was seen on a pole in front of the rubble and that Syrian and Iranian officials were at the scene.
With reporting by Reuters and AFP
Kremlin-Installed Official Killed In Blast In Occupied Ukrainian Region
A Kremlin-installed official in the Russian-occupied city of Starobilsk in Ukraine’s Luhansk region was killed in a car bombing on April 1, Russian officials said. He was identified as Valery Chaika, deputy head of the district Center for Services to Educational Organizations. Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) opened a criminal case against Chaika in 2023 on charges of collaborating with Russian forces, Ukrainian media reported. Numerous Kremlin-installed officials have been killed or injured in similar attacks in occupied areas since Russia launched its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. To read the original story by RFE/RL’s Russian Service, click here.
- By RFE/RL
Report: Anti-Kremlin Hackers Stole Russian Prisoner Database To Avenge Navalny
Hackers claim to have broken into the Russian prisoner database and displayed pictures of anti-Kremlin activist Aleksei Navalny while also stealing information on hundreds of thousands of Russian prisoners and their relatives, CNN reported on April 1, citing those said to be involved in the alleged breach. CNN reported that a message on the hacked website said: “Long live Aleksei Navalny.” CNN said the hackers were a “mix of nationalities,” including Russians and Ukrainians. Navalny died on February 16 at a remote Arctic prison in mysterious circumstances.
At Least 8 Killed In Train-Bus Crash In Russia's Yaroslavl Region
At least eight people were killed in Russia’s Yaroslavl region after a fast train smashed into a passenger bus at a railway crossing, the Emergency Situations Ministry said on April 1. It was not immediately clear how many people had been on the bus or if there were any survivors. Local reports said the train was traveling between Arkhangelsk and Moscow, but other details remain uncertain. To read the original story by RFE/RL’s Russian Service, click here.
Russia Extends Detention Of RFE/RL Journalist Alsu Kurmasheva
A court in Russia on April 1 extended the pretrial detention of RFE/RL journalist Alsu Kurmasheva until June 5, RFE/RL’s Tatar-Bashkir Service reports.
The Sovetsky District Court of Kazan also rejected a request by Kurmasheva's lawyers to have her detention switched to house arrest.
Before the court proceedings, Kurmasheva told reporters that she was "not very well physically," and that her living conditions in detention "are very bad.”
Kurmasheva said she was receiving "minimal" medical care and that conditions in her cell were primitive, with a hole in the floor serving as a toilet.
U.S. Consul General Stuart Wilson was present at the court during proceedings, according to Russian media, including the daily Kommersant.
Kurmasheva, 47, was arrested in Kazan last 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 as a journalist for RFE/RL in Prague. She had traveled to Russia to visit and care for her elderly mother 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.
Many critics and rights group say that the so-called foreign agent law is used by the Kremlin to crack down on any dissent.
Moscow also has been accused of detaining Americans to use as bargaining chips to exchange for Russians jailed in the United States.
In February, 23 countries nominated Kurmasheva for the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano 2024 World Press Freedom Prize.
The prize, created in 1997, is an annual award that honors a person or a group of people who make an "outstanding" contribution to the defense and promotion of press freedom across the globe despite the "danger and persecution" they face.
- By AP
Pakistan Suspends Sentence For Ex-PM Khan And Wife In Graft Case, But Couple Won't Be Freed
A Pakistani appeals court on April 1 suspended a 14-year prison sentence for former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, in a corruption case, but the couple won't be released because they are already serving prison terms in other cases, officials said. However, the court order was a legal victory for Khan, who was ousted from power in a no-confidence vote in April 2022. Khan now has more than 170 legal cases hanging over him.
- By Current Time
Russia Ends Search For Trapped Miners In Far East
Authorities in Russia’s Far East on April 1 called off a rescue effort for 13 workers trapped deep underground in a collapsed gold mine and declared them dead. The miners got trapped on March 18 at a depth of about 125 meters when part of the mine collapsed in the Zeysk district of the Amur region, about 5,000 kilometers east of Moscow. About 200 rescuers used powerful pumps to try to take out water that flooded the mine, posing a challenge to the salvage operation. To read the original story by Current Time, click here.
Ukraine Claims Russia Targeted Kyiv With 5 Hypersonic Missiles This Year
Russia has used five hypersonic Zircon missiles to attack Kyiv since the start of the year, the city's military administration said on April 1.
It added that Moscow had in total launched 180 weapons of various types, including missiles and drones, at the Ukrainian capital in the first three months of the year.
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 news comes as Russia has escalated its attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure in recent days, causing significant damage in several regions.
On March 22, Moscow's troops carried out what was described as the largest strike on grid infrastructure in the two-year-old full-scale invasion, causing major damage and resulting in massive power outages. It continued targeting Ukraine's thermal and hydropower plants last week.
In the latest attacks, the Ukrainian Air Force shot down two out of three Russia-launched Shahed drones overnight, the Ukrainian military said on April 1. The General Staff did not provide additional details on the attack in its report. It was unclear whether the drone that was not intercepted reached its target.
Elsewhere, Ukrainian border guards repelled an attack by what were described as Russian saboteurs in the Sumy region, Ukraine's State Border Guard Service reported on April 1.
On the diplomatic front, French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne said on April 1 that Paris expects China to send "clear messages" to its close partner Russia over its war in Ukraine, after meetings with his counterpart in Beijing.
Sejourne said France is determined to maintain a close dialogue with China to contribute toward finding a path to a lasting peace in Ukraine.
France and China have sought to strengthen ties in recent years and, during meetings in Paris in February, Foreign Minister Wang Yi told President Emmanuel Macron that Beijing appreciated his country's "independent" stance.
But Paris has also sought to press Beijing on its close ties with Moscow, which have only grown closer since the invasion of Ukraine.
- By Current Time
New Probe Claims Russia May Be Linked To Mysterious 'Havana Syndrome'
A new joint investigation claims that the mysterious Havana Syndrome, which has afflicted U.S. diplomats and intelligence agents in several spots around the globe, may be linked to a Russian military intelligence sabotage unit wielding energy weapons. A U.S. intelligence investigation whose findings were released last year found that it was "very unlikely" a foreign adversary was responsible for the ailment, first reported by U.S. Embassy officials in the Cuban capital, Havana, in 2016. But the investigation by The Insider, 60 Minutes, and Der Spiegel claims that members of a Russian military intelligence (GRU) unit, known as 29155, had been placed at the scene of reported health incidents involving U.S. personnel. Russia has denied any involvement, and a Kremlin spokesman on April 1 called the allegations "baseless." To read the original report by Current Time, click here.
Karakalpak Activist Wanted In Uzbekistan Detained In Kazakhstan
Kazakh security forces have detained a Karakalpak activist and member of an opposition party at the request of Uzbek authorities, RFE/RL’s Kazakh Service reports. Rasul Zhumaniyazov, a member of the opposition Forward Karakalpakstan party, was detained on March 26, the service quoted the party’s leader, Aman Sagidullaev as saying. Zhumaniyazov is the second activist from Karakalpakstan to be detained in Kazakhstan in 2024. Karakalpaks are a Central Asian Turkic-speaking people. Their region used to be an autonomous area within Kazakhstan before becoming autonomous within the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic in 1930 and then part of Uzbekistan in 1936. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Kazakh Service, click here.
- By RFE/RL
Iran's Repression Of Baha'is Amounts To 'Crime Against Humanity,' Says Rights Watchdog
Iran’s “decades-long systematic repression” of the Baha’i community “amounts to the crime against humanity of persecution,” Human Rights Watch said in a new report issued on April 1.
“Iranian authorities have intentionally and severely deprived Baha’is of their fundamental rights. Authorities have denied Baha’is their rights to freedom of religion and political representation. They have arbitrarily arrested and prosecuted members of the Baha’i community due to their faith. Authorities routinely trample on Baha’is’ rights to education, employment, property, and dignified burial,” the New York-based rights monitor said.
Baha’is, Iran’s largest non-Muslim minority, face systematic persecution in Iran, where their faith is not recognized in the constitution.
In recent years, as Iranian authorities have repressed widespread protests demanding political, economic, and social change in the country, the authorities have also targeted Baha’is.
Authorities have raided Baha’i homes, arrested dozens of Baha’i citizens and community leaders, and confiscated property owned by Baha’is, Human Rights Watch noted.
In its report, Human Rights Watch argues that the persecution faced by the Baha’is fell within the scope of the International Criminal Court (ICC) whose statute defines persecution as the intentional and severe deprivation of fundamental rights contrary to international law on national, religious or ethnic grounds.
HRW said that, while the intensity of violations against Bahai's "has varied over time," the persecution of the community has remained constant, "impacting virtually every aspect of Bahai's' private and public lives."
It said the Islamic republic holds "extreme animus against adherents of the Baha'i faith" and repression of the minority was enshrined in Iranian law and is official government policy.
"Iranian authorities deprive Bahai's of their fundamental rights in every aspect of their lives, not due to their actions, but simply for belonging to a faith group," said Michael Page, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch.
“It is critically important to increase international pressure on Iran to end this crime against humanity."
With reporting by AFP
- By AFP
France Seeking 'Clear Message' From China To Russia Over Ukraine War
French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne said on April 1 that Paris expects China to send "clear messages" to its close partner Russia over its war in Ukraine, after meetings with his counterpart in Beijing. France and China have sought to strengthen ties in recent years and, during meetings in Paris in February, Foreign Minister Wang Yi told President Emmanuel Macron that Beijing appreciated his country's "independent" stance. But Paris has also sought to press Beijing on its close ties with Moscow, which have only grown closer since the invasion of Ukraine.
EU Monitors See 'No Unusual Movements' By Armenian Troops After Azerbaijani Claim
The European Union’s border-monitoring mission in Armenia (EUMA) has reported no unusual movements of the Armenian military after Azerbaijan earlier on March 31 claimed Armenian troops had massed along the border. “EUMA patrolled along the Armenia-Azerbaijan border all day long. Everything is calm and quiet, no unusual movements observed. EUMA wishes everybody a peaceful Easter!” the mission said on X, formerly Twitter. Armenia’s Defense Ministry earlier released a statement refuting the allegations by Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry. Claims and counterclaims between Yerevan and Baku are taking place against the backdrop of efforts to start delimitation and demarcation of their heavily militarized South Caucasus border. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Armenian Service, click here.
- By AFP
Pakistani Man Who Allegedly Filmed Sister's 'Honor' Killing Arrested
A Pakistani man who allegedly filmed his brother strangling their sister to death has been arrested as part of the latest "honor" killing that has outraged the country, police said on March 31. Maria Bibi, 22, was killed on March 17, allegedly by her brother Muhammad Faisal and in the presence of her father, Abdul Sattar, in Punjab Province. A video filmed by the woman's other brother, Shehbaz, appears to show Faisal strangling her on a bed in the family home while their father sat nearby. Much of Pakistani society operates under a strict "code of honor," with women beholden to male relatives over choices around education, employment, and marriage.
- By Current Time
Russia Launches 'Counterterrorism Operation' In Daghestan; 3 Detained
Three people have been detained after Russia launched what it described as a “counterterrorism operation” in the southern region of Daghestan, Russian state news agencies reported on March 31, quoting the National Anti-Terrorism Committee (NAC).
Russian law enforcement has carried out sweeping checks of immigrants in the country after gunmen on March 22 killed 144 people at a concert hall near Moscow. Four of the suspected gunmen are Tajik citizens.
"Security agencies detained three bandits who were planning a number of terrorist offenses. During the inspection of the places where the criminals were detained, automatic weapons, ammunition, and an improvised explosive device ready for use were found," the NAC said in a statement on March 31.
The committee said the suspects had been apprehended after what it described as special forces of Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) had cordoned off several apartments in residential areas of Makhachkala, the regional capital, and Kaspiysk, one of the republic’s biggest cities.
The committee said there were no casualties and that the operation was continuing. No further details were released.
The reported raid comes as Russia rounds up hundreds of foreigners for deportation amid rising xenophobia following the deadly attack at Crocus City Hall on March 22.
Courts in St. Petersburg this week ruled to deport 418 foreign citizens while another 48 must leave on their own accord, spokeswoman Daria Lebedeva said in a post on Telegram.
The foreigners were rounded up in Russia’s second-largest city during broad searches of vehicles along major thoroughfares.
Other cities are carrying out checks of migrant workers as well.
Russia hosts millions of migrant workers from Central Asia who are employed in a variety of occupations, including construction, street cleaning, retail, and the restaurant industry.
The terrorist attack has sparked an increase in xenophobic remarks and attacks, prompting some to return home now.
Shakhnoza Nodiri, deputy head of Tajikistan's Ministry of Labor, Migration, and Employment, said on March 30 that the ministry has received “a lot of calls” from people who “want to leave.”
However, their departure could worsen Russia’s already tight labor market, experts say.
Russia’s unemployment rate is at a post-Soviet record low of 2.9 percent as the Kremlin recruits hundreds of thousands of men for its war in Ukraine.
The tight labor market is driving inflation higher, threatening economic stability, experts say.
Meanwhile, Russian authorities on March 31 continued to allege, without evidence, that Ukraine and Western spy agencies had links to the terrorist attack outside Moscow on March 22, even as they acknowledged receiving information from the United States early in March about a potential attack.
The Islamic State extremist group has said several times it was responsible for the attack, and the United States and other Western governments have said it was "abundantly clear” that Islamic State was solely responsible. Kyiv also has vehemently denied any connection to the attack.
On March 31, the Foreign Ministry in Moscow demanded “the immediate arrest and extradition” by Kyiv of “all persons linked to terrorist acts in Russia,” as it citied other attacks inside the country following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 2022. Among those listed in the ministry’s statement was Vasyl Malyuk, chief of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU).
- By RFE/RL
Zelenskiy Vows Ukraine Will 'Endure' Amid Relentless Russian Missiles, Drones
Ukraine suffered another night of Russian bombardment, with drones and missiles targeting civilian sites, including energy infrastructure, at several sites across the country, Kyiv’s military said, as a defiant Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy vowed his country will "endure" despite the ongoing Russian onslaught.
Russia has recently increased its attacks on Ukrainian energy installations, with significant damage reported, sparking fears in Ukraine of a repeat of the power outages they experienced in the winter of 2022-23 when Russia targeted Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, causing frequent blackouts.
Ukraine's largest private energy firm, DTEK, said on March 30 that five of its six plants had been damaged or destroyed, with 80 percent of its generating capacity lost, and that repairs could take up to 18 months.
“Now there is no night or day when Russian terror does not try to break our lives. Last night, they again fired missiles and Shahed drones against people. But we defend ourselves, we endure, our spirit does not give up and knows that it is possible to avert death. Life can prevail,” Zelenskiy wrote in a social media post published on March 31 to coincide with the Easter holiday.
Earlier, the Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russia had launched a total of 16 missiles and 11 drones at Ukraine in the overnight attack. It said the air force had managed to destroy nine of the drones and nine of the missiles.
One person was reported killed in a Russian overnight strike on energy infrastructure in the Lviv region, in western Ukraine, local officials said.
A 19-year-old man was killed in the Kharkiv region, the local governor said, after a projectile hit a gas station.
The latest strikes damaged energy infrastructure in the Odesa region and an agricultural facility in the Kherson region as well. Eight Shahed drones were shot down in the Odesa region by Ukrainian air-defense units, authorities said, with debris from falling drones triggering a fire at a local power plant.
Blackouts were reported in the region. The fire was extinguished, and no injuries were reported, the military said.
In the Kherson region, the Ukrainian military said a dormant agricultural facility was struck in a Russian aerial assault. No injuries were reported.
The latest Russian attack comes as news emerged on March 31 that Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree on routine spring conscription, calling up 150,000 citizens for military service.
WATCH: In the early days of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russian forces took the city of Bucha, near Kyiv, and killed hundreds of civilians, according to Ukrainian officials. The troops then withdrew on March 31, 2022. Residents of Bucha are still working to identify all the victims while also pushing for the atrocities committed there to be acknowledged internationally as war crimes.
In July, Russia's lower house of parliament voted to raise the maximum age at which men can be conscripted to 30 from 27. The new legislation came into effect on January 1.
Compulsory military service has long been a sensitive issue in Russia, where many men go to great lengths to avoid being handed conscription papers during the twice-yearly call-up periods.
Conscripts cannot legally be deployed to fight outside Russia and were exempted from a limited mobilization in 2022 that gathered at least 300,000 men with previous military training to fight in Ukraine -- although some conscripts were sent to the front in error.
In September, Putin signed an order calling up 130,000 people for the autumn campaign and last spring Russia planned to conscript 147,000.
Meanwhile, France will deliver hundreds of old armored vehicles and new surface-to-air missiles to Ukraine, French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu said on March 31.
In an interview with La Tribune Dimanche, Lecornu said that President Emmanuel Macron, following talks with Zelenskiy, had asked him to prepare a new aid package, which will include old but still functional French equipment.
With reporting by Reuters
Bulgaria, Romania Hail Schengen Zone Entry, Eye Full Accession
SOFIA/BUCHAREST -- Romania and Bulgaria have formally joined -- at least partially -- Europe’s visa-free Schengen travel zone as of March 31, a move widely hailed in both countries as well as the EU after years of painful negotiations.
Bulgarian Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov on March 31 described the event as a “big victory” for his nation of 6.6 million people.
"Bulgaria is at a historic moment, joining the Schengen Area, and this is not just a political cliché," said Denkov, who submitted his resignation this month but remains in office until a new government is formed.
"After 2007 and Bulgaria's accession to the EU, this is the biggest success of Bulgarian diplomacy, Bulgarian institutions, and Bulgarian politicians," he said.
Deputy Prime Minister Maria Gabriel also called the day a "historic moment."
"Bulgaria is becoming a community of millions of people traveling freely, with benefits for business, tourism, and culture. Let's all move forward together to the ultimate goal of abolishing checks at land borders," she said.
Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said it is a “well-deserved achievement” for his country of 19 million people.
“We have a clear and firmly assumed government plan for full accession to the Schengen Area by the end of the year,” he stated.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a statement on March 30 that “this is a great success for both countries. And a historic moment for the Schengen Area -- the largest area of free movement in the world.”
“Together, we are building a stronger, more united Europe for all our citizen,” she added.
As of midnight, there is now free movement for those arriving and departing on flights and by boat to both countries, but not by road. That’s because Austria objected, arguing opening land routes to both Romania and Bulgaria could make it easier for migrants to enter other EU states.
Denkov said a "suitable political moment" was being sought to determine when to drop checks at land borders.
"Maybe after the elections in Austria [in the autumn] or for the European Parliament [June 9]," he said.
Both Bulgaria and Romania, which started negotiations to enter Schengen back in 2011, are hoping land borders will be opened by the end of 2024.
Created in 1985, the Schengen Area allows more than 400 million people to travel freely without internal border controls. It now includes 29 European countries -- 25 EU member states plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland.
Romania and Bulgaria are the only EU member states not to have full Schengen benefits.
Croatia -- which joined the bloc in 2013, six years after Romania and Bulgaria entered in 2007 -- was accepted fully in the Schengen zone in January 2023.
Romania has said that it will carry out random checks to guard against false travel documents and to combat human trafficking.
For Romania, the change will impact work at its 17 commercial airports, which in 2023 handled nearly 25 million passengers, RFE/RL’s Romanian Service reports. More than 70 percent of all flights are to other Schengen nations, airport representatives told RFE/RL.
The country's Otopeni airport near the capital, Bucharest, serves as the biggest hub for Schengen flights.
While the move has been welcomed in both countries, the remaining border checks on roadways has angered others, namely truck drivers, who face long waits at borders with their EU neighbors.
Earlier this month, one of Romania's main road transport unions, the National Union of Road Transporters from Romania (UNTRR), called for "urgent measures" to get full Schengen integration, deploring the huge financial losses caused by the long waits.
"Romanian haulers have lost billions of euros every year, just because of long waiting times at borders," UNTRR Secretary-General Radu Dinescu said.
According to the union, truckers usually wait eight to 16 hours at the border with Hungary and from 20 to 30 hours at the Bulgarian border, with peaks of three days.
Bulgarian businesses have also voiced anger over what they deem as slow progress.
"Only 3 percent of Bulgarian goods are transported by air and sea, the remaining 97 percent by land," said Vasil Velev, president of the Bulgarian Industrial Capital Association (BICA), in comments quoted by the AFP news agency.
With reporting by AP and AFP
Serbian President Taps Defense Minister To Form New Government
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has tapped Defense Minister Milos Vucevic to form a new government following contested parliamentary elections last December. Vucevic, the leader of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), has been simultaneously serving as defense minister and deputy prime minister since October 2022. The SNS and its coalition partners won 129 seats out of 250 in the December elections, narrowly securing a majority. The opposition accused the SNS of widespread voter fraud and organized large-scale protests. Serbian authorities rejected the allegations and calls to annul the results. The new parliament began functioning on February 6 and must approve a new government within 90 days. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Balkan Service, click here.
- By RFE/RL
Russia Accelerates Deportations As Many Tajik Migrants Leave On Own Accord
Russia is deporting hundreds of foreigners for immigration violations in the wake of the deadliest terrorist attack in nearly two decades.
Meanwhile, many Tajik migrant workers are leaving the country on their own accord, fearing an increase in xenophobia.
Russian law enforcement has carried out sweeping checks of immigrants in the country after gunmen on March 22 killed 144 people at a concert hall near Moscow. Four of the suspected gunmen are Tajik citizens.
Courts in St. Petersburg this week ruled to deport 418 foreign citizens while another 48 must leave on their own accord, spokeswoman Daria Lebedeva said in a post on Telegram.
The foreigners were rounded up in Russia’s second-largest city during broad searches of vehicles along major thoroughfares.
Other cities are carrying out checks of migrant workers as well.
Russia hosts millions of migrant workers from Central Asia who are employed in a variety of occupations, including construction, street cleaning, retail, and the restaurant industry.
The terrorist attack has sparked an increase in xenophobic remarks and attacks, prompting some to return home now.
Shakhnoza Nodiri, deputy head of Tajikistan's Ministry of Labour, Migration, and Employment, said on March 30 that the ministry has received “a lot of calls” from people who “want to leave.”
However, their departure could worsen Russia’s already tight labor market, experts say.
Russia’s unemployment rate is at a post-Soviet record low of 2.9 percent as the Kremlin recruits hundreds of thousands of men for its war in Ukraine.
The tight labor market is driving inflation higher, threatening economic stability, experts say.
Russia Adds Two Managers Of LGBT Nightclub To 'Terrorist' List
Russia has added the art director and administrator of an Orenburg nightclub to its list of terrorists and extremists amid accusations the venue promoted so-called "nontraditional sexual relationships." Diana Kamilianova and Aleksandr Klimov were arrested earlier this month for allegedly creating a branch of an “extremist” organization. Russia late last year outlawed what it called the “international LGBT movement,” claiming it was an “extremist” organization. Members of the gay community said the ruling would give the authorities the power to go after any organization or business that supports the LGBT community. Since the ruling, many gay clubs around the country have shut down or changed their format amid police pressure. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Russian Service, click here.
- By dpa
Iranian Judiciary Rejects Allegations Over Death Of Young Woman
Iranian justice authorities have rejected a report that a 20-year-old woman had been questioned by the intelligence services a day before she died at home. The circumstances surrounding the death of Sara Tabrizi were under investigation, the Mizan news agency -- which is run by the country's judiciary -- reported on March 30. It said that her father had found her lifeless body at home. Tabrizi's death is reported to have occurred roughly a week ago in Shahriar, west of Tehran. Political activists have accused the judicial authorities of applying pressure on Tabrizi over recent months.
2 Soldiers Killed In Attack In Pakistan's Balochistan Province
Two soldiers were killed and four injured in an attack in Pakistan’s tumultuous southwestern province of Balochistan on March 31, officials told RFERL’s Radio Mashaal.
Balochistan has seen an uptick in violence since the beginning of 2024 with more than a dozen attacks killing about 50 people. Scores more have been injured.
On March 20, one person was killed and 14 others injured in a bombing in Balochistan.
Javed Domki, the district administrator, said an improvised explosive device (IED) detonated alongside vehicles carrying oil and gas workers as well as members of the military.
The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), which has been designated a terrorist organization by the United States, claimed responsibility for the attack.
The BLA, which was formed in 2000, is seeking to create an independent Balochistan state and regularly carries out attacks against government forces in the region.
The March 30 attack targeted members of Pakistan’s Mari Petroleum Company. The BLA believes that Pakistan’s central government is exploiting the province’s mineral resources.
Balochistan, the largest province of Pakistan, is rich in natural resources like gold, copper, oil, and natural gas. However, it is also the country’s poorest, feeding resentment among the Baloch people who inhabit the region.
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