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Banker-Turned-Politician Wins Lithuanian Presidency

Lithuanian President-elect Gitanas Nauseda
Lithuanian President-elect Gitanas Nauseda

Banker-turned-politician Gitanas Nauseda won Lithuania's presidential runoff election after his opponent Ingrida Simonyte conceded.

Nauseda, 55, had around 74 percent of the vote, according to election authorities after a quarter of the ballots were counted.

Simonyte, 44, a lawmaker and former finance minister, had around 26 percent.

Lithuanians headed to the polls on May 26 after the May 12 first round failed to produce a clear winner.

Nauseda will succeed Dalia Grybauskaite, who has served the maximum of two 5-year terms as Lithuania's head of state in the Baltic country bordering Russia, which is a member of the European Union and NATO.

The election campaign was dominated by voters' anger over economic inequality and corruption.

Nauseda pledged to maintain a strict tone toward Russia, saying he would not travel to Moscow to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin unless the country withdraws from Ukraine’s Crimea region.

NATO increased its assets in Central and Eastern Europe, including in Lithuania, following Russia's seizure of the Crimean Peninsula in March 2014.

Vilnius faces tense relations with Moscow. The Baltic country has arrested and charged several people in recent months accused of spying for Russia.

The Lithuanian president has limited powers, but is in charge of foreign policy and is the country’s representative at EU summits.

The president also appoints ministers, judges, the military chief, and central bank head, usually with the approval of parliament or the prime minister.

Based on reporting by AP, dpa, and AFP

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State Department's Miller Among Scores Of Americans Banned By Russia

State Department spokesman Matthew Miller is one of more than 200 U.S. citizens recently added to Russia's list of Americans over purported "anti-Russia actions."
State Department spokesman Matthew Miller is one of more than 200 U.S. citizens recently added to Russia's list of Americans over purported "anti-Russia actions."

Russia has banned more than 200 U.S. citizens -- including State Department spokesman Matthew Miller -- from entering the country in retaliation for sanctions imposed by Washington on Russians for their support of the Kremlin's ongoing full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The Foreign Ministry in Moscow said in a statement on March 14 that a total of 227 Americans were banned because they "are involved in the outlining, implementation, and justification of the current U.S. administration's Russophobic course, as well as directly being involved in anti-Russia actions."

The list, which now totals 2,078, targets representatives of the executive branch of power in the United States, businesspeople, journalists, and academics.

Along with Miller, the list includes former U.S. Ambassador to Russia John Sullivan, former Treasury Secretary and Harvard University President Emeritus Lawrence Summers, State Department policy adviser Derek Chollet, Deputy Trade Representative Sarah Bianchi, and Alexander Vindman, the Kyiv-born former National Security Council's European affairs director whose testimony before the U.S. Congress provided evidence that resulted in the abuse of power charge in then-President Donald Trump's first impeachment trial.

"In addition to declaring undesirable in the Russian Federation a number of American humanitarian NGOs used by the U.S. Embassy in Moscow to recruit 'agents of influence,' the current expansion of the Russian 'stop list' aims, among other things, to consolidate Washington’s reflexive awareness of the simple truth that that any aggressive attempts will not go unpunished and will receive a decisive rebuff," the statement said.

Separately on March 14, the ministry issued a statement accusing Austria of "yet another unfriendly step" for its move to expel two diplomats from the Russian Embassy in the capital, Vienna.

A day earlier, the Austrian Foreign Ministry ordered two Russian diplomats to leave the country, stressing that they "engaged in acts incompatible with their diplomatic status" and were declared "personae non gratae."

The details about the Russian diplomats or their actions were not provided. An Austrian official with knowledge of the matter told the AP on March 13 on the condition of anonymity that the expulsions were related to spying activities.

Russia's Foreign Ministry called the decision "ungrounded," adding that Vienna is "fully responsible for the consequences of the situation" and that "measures in response will be carried out in a timely manner."

With reporting by AP

Top Czech Diplomat Uses UN Debate To Demand Moscow Free RFE/RL Journalist Kurmasheva

RFE/RL journalist Alsu Kurmasheva stands in a glass cage in a courtroom in Kazan, Russia, on February 1. She has been detained since October 2023.
RFE/RL journalist Alsu Kurmasheva stands in a glass cage in a courtroom in Kazan, Russia, on February 1. She has been detained since October 2023.

Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky called on Moscow during a United Nations debate to release RFE/RL journalist Alsu Kurmasheva, who has been held in Russian custody for almost five months on charges that she, her employer, and her supporters reject.

Speaking during an open debate at the UN Security Council in New York on March 13, Lipavsky began by talking about the need to promote a safe and supportive atmosphere for women, for advocates of human rights, activists, journalists, and advocates of gender equality.

Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky
Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky

He then criticized Russia, a permanent member of the Security Council, saying it contradicted the UN's core principles by invading Ukraine and disrupting the entire security structure outlined in the UN charter.

"I would like to add that Czechia calls on Russia to immediately release Alsu Kurmasheva from detention," Lipavsky said, noting reforming the Security Council to add more countries could be could be a way to strengthen it.

Kurmasheva, a Prague-based journalist with RFE/RL who holds both U.S. and Russian citizenship, has been held in Russian custody since October 18, 2023, on a charge of violating the so-called foreign agent law.

Despite spending almost five months in custody, she has yet to be designated by the U.S. State Department as "wrongfully detained" as it has other U.S. citizens held in Russia.

The designation would raise the profile of the case against Kurmasheva, effectively labeling it as politically motivated. Two other U.S. citizens held by Russia, Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, have been designated as wrongfully detained.

Kurmasheva, who has worked for RFE/RL's Tatar-Bashkir Service for some 25 years, left the Czech capital in mid-May last year because of a family emergency in her native Tatarstan.

She was briefly detained while waiting for her return flight on June 2 at the Kazan airport, where both of her passports and phone were confiscated. After five months waiting for a decision in her case, Kurmasheva was fined 10,000 rubles ($109) for failing to register her U.S. passport with Russian authorities.

Unable to leave Russia without her travel documents, Kurmasheva was detained again in October and this time charged with failing to register as a foreign agent. Two months later, she was charged with spreading falsehoods about the Russian military.

If tried and convicted, Kurmasheva may face up to 10 years in prison.

Many critics and rights group say 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.

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

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

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

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

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

Kyrgyz Lawmakers Approve Final Reading Of Controversial 'Foreign Agents' Bill

The Kyrgyz parliament in session (file photo)
The Kyrgyz parliament in session (file photo)

The Kyrgyz parliament has approved without debate the third and final reading of a controversial bill that would allow authorities to register organizations as "foreign representatives" in a way that critics say mirrors repressive Russian legislation on "foreign agents." Five lawmakers voted against the bill on March 14. President Sadyr Japarov is expected to sign the bill into law. Nongovernmental organizations in Kyrgyzstan had called on lawmakers to reject the bill, insisting it merely substitutes the term "foreign representative" for "foreign agent." Russian authorities have used the law on "foreign agents" to discredit those labeled as such and to stifle dissent. To see the original story by RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service, click here.

Navalny Associates Sentenced To Prison On Extremism Charges In Moscow

People lay flowers at the grave of Russian opposition politician Aleksei Navalny following his funeral in Moscow on March 1.
People lay flowers at the grave of Russian opposition politician Aleksei Navalny following his funeral in Moscow on March 1.

The Khoroshevsky district court in Moscow has sentenced two members of late opposition politician Aleksei Navalny's team on extremism charges. Alina Olekhnovich, 21, and Ivan Trofimov, 22, each were sentenced on March 14 to 3 1/2 years in prison. The activists were arrested in July 2023. Investigators say they were linked to an underground network of Navalny's teams "involved in disruptive activities." Russia labeled Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation and other organizations linked to him as extremist and banned them in June 2021, after which the network of Navalny's teams was dissolved and many of the Kremlin critic's associates fled Russia. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Russian Service, click here.

Lithuanian Official Dubs Attack On Navalny Aide 'Political Terrorism'

Leonid Volkov, a close aid late Russian opposition leader Aleksei Navalny, left Russia in 2019 fearing for his personal safety.
Leonid Volkov, a close aid late Russian opposition leader Aleksei Navalny, left Russia in 2019 fearing for his personal safety.

The attack on Leonid Volkov, a close aide of late Russian opposition figure Aleksei Navalny, was a well-planned case of political terrorism, a senior Lithuanian official told the media on March 14.

Volkov, who left Russia in 2019 fearing for his personal security, was attacked late on March 12 with a meat hammer by an unidentified assailant in the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, leaving him bloodied, with a broken arm and other injuries.

The attack occurred less than a month after the death of Navalny under suspicious circumstances at a prison in the Russian Arctic.

"This is the first time that such an incident has happened in our country, such a case of political aggression, political terrorism on our soil," Vilmantas Vitkauskas, the head of Lithuania's National Crisis Management Center, told national radio on March 14.

Lithuanian Police Hunt Suspect After Hammer Attack On Navalny Aide
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Lithuanian intelligence services have said the assault appeared likely to be an operation "organized and implemented by Russia," the purpose of which was to hamper the actions of Russian opposition members who fled the country.

Vitkauskas said on March 14 that while at the current stage of the investigation it was too early to establish with precision who was behind the attack on Volkov, it appeared to be a carefully planned operation.

"One thing is clear:Tthe longer the investigation goes on, the clearer it becomes that the operation itself was professional, well-planned, and whoever carried it out was either well-prepared or received very good instructions," Vitkauskais said.

The Department of State Security of the EU and the NATO member said on March 13 the attack appeared to have been orchestrated by Russia "in connection with the forthcoming undemocratic Russian presidential elections."

President Vladimir Putin, 71, is expected to easily win the tightly controlled March 15-17 presidential elections as he faces no competition.

President Gitanas Nauseda called the attack on Volkov a failed provocation against Lithuania.

"I can only say one thing to Putin: Nobody is afraid of you here," Nauseda said on March 13.

Russian dissidents who have fled their homeland amid a brutal crackdown on dissent by Putin have often warned they are being targeted with threats and attacks.

The death of Navalny -- Putin's most vocal critic -- last month while being held at an Arctic prison on convictions widely seen as politically motivated has only served to heighten those fears.

With reporting by lrt.lt

At Least One Dead In Far East Helicopter Crash

A Russian Mil Mi-8 helicopter (file photo)
A Russian Mil Mi-8 helicopter (file photo)

A helicopter carrying 20 people, including three crew members, crash-landed in Russia's Far Eastern Magadan region, killing one person and seriously injuring another two, rescue services reported on March 14. The Mi-8 helicopter was transporting mine workers from the Kvartsevy gold mine when it crashed, emergency service said. Rescuers were trying to reach the area using all-terrain vehicles since bad weather prevented the use of helicopters. Authorities have opened an investigation, but according to preliminary data, the cause of the crash was engine failure. To read the original story by Current Time, click here.

Russian Drones Attack Ukraine's Kharkiv, Sumy Regions

Rescuers work at the site of an apartment building heavily damaged by a Russian drone strike in Sumy, Ukraine, on March 13.
Rescuers work at the site of an apartment building heavily damaged by a Russian drone strike in Sumy, Ukraine, on March 13.

Russian forces early on March 14 attacked Ukraine's northeastern regions of Sumy and Kharkiv with drones and a missile, causing damage to civilian infrastructure, regional officials reported. The attacks targeted the cities of Sumy, Shostka, Trostyanets, and Bilopil in Sumy, the regional military administration reported this morning, adding that the damage was still being assessed. In Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, the attackers used drones and an S-300 missile, causing minor damage to several apartment buildings but no casualties, Mayor Ihor Terekhov and regional Governor Oleh Synyehubov reported. To read the original stories by RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, click here and here.

Updated

Two Reported Killed In Ukrainian Strikes On Russian Regions

Police officers stand guard in front of a damaged store at the scene of fresh aerial attacks on Belgorod, Russia, on March 14.
Police officers stand guard in front of a damaged store at the scene of fresh aerial attacks on Belgorod, Russia, on March 14.

Russia's border regions of Belgorod and Kursk have been targeted again in a series of Ukrainian drone and missile strikes that killed at least two people, wounded several others, and caused material damage.

The Defense Ministry in Moscow said on March 14 that it had thwarted another attempt by troops from Ukraine to cross into Russia's Belgorod region following a similar claim on March 12.

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 ministry said its air-defense systems shot down 14 Ukrainian drones overnight -- 11 drones over Belgorod and three over the Kursk region.

Several border settlements in the Belgorod region, along with its capital, were shelled on the morning of March 14, media and Russian pro-war bloggers reported.

The Baza Telegram channel, citing local residents, reported a loud midmorning blast near the train station in the city of Belgorod and later added that at least three people were wounded as a result of Ukrainian shelling.

Belgorod regional Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said on Telegram that one person was killed and two others were wounded in the attack in Belgorod.

Later, reports said a second person died on March 14 in the city.

Both deaths apparently occurred in vehicles struck by blasts in Belgorod.

Meanwhile, the Russian Volunteer Corps (RDK), one of the groups of Russians fighting alongside of Ukrainian armed forces against Moscow, called on the residents of Kursk, Belgorod, and Bryansk regions to either evacuate or "immediately take shelter."

RDK, together with the Freedom of Russia Legion and the Siberian Battalion, which are also comprised of Russian citizens who have been fighting alongside Ukrainian armed forces in the war, on March 12 claimed to have launched cross-border attacks into Russia territory.

The Kremlin said Russian forces repelled the incursions and inflicted heavy losses on the armed groups. Neither claim could be independently verified.

Dozens of Ukrainian drones have struck energy infrastructure in several Russian regions in recent days, including oil refineries in the Ryazan, Nizhny Novgorod, and the Leningrad regions.

Ukraine has not officially claimed responsibility for the attacks, but Ukrainian intelligence sources told media outlets, including RFE/RL, that the attacks were part of systematic strategy to damage Russia's economy.

"Our task is to deprive the enemy of resources and reduce the flow of oil money and fuel, which the Russia directs toward the war and the murdering of our citizens," a source told RFE/RL on March 13.

In Ukraine, the northeastern regions of Sumy and Kharkiv were attacked with drones and a missile, causing damage to civilian infrastructure, regional officials reported.

As Ukraine Fortifies Front Lines, An Underground City Takes Shape
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The attacks targeted the cities of Sumy, Shostka, Trostyanets, and Bilopil in Sumy, the regional military administration reported this morning, adding that the damage was still being assessed.

In Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, the attackers used drones and an S-300 missile, causing minor damage to several apartment buildings but no casualties, Mayor Ihor Terekhov and regional Governor Oleh Synyehubov reported.

The Ukrainian military said its air-defense systems shot down 22 of the 36 drones launched overnight by Russia.

In late afternoon on March 14, an air-raid alert was declared for the entire territory of Ukraine.

U.S. Sees No Sign Russia Planning To Use Nuclear Weapons Despite Putin 'Rhetoric'

Russia test-fires a Yars intercontinental ballistic missile as part of nuclear drills from a launch site in Plesetsk, northwestern Russia, in 2022.
Russia test-fires a Yars intercontinental ballistic missile as part of nuclear drills from a launch site in Plesetsk, northwestern Russia, in 2022.

The White House said on March 13 it had seen no indications that Moscow is ready to use a nuclear weapon in Ukraine after President Vladimir Putin said he was ready to deploy them if Russia's sovereignty was threatened. "We have not seen any reasons to adjust our own nuclear posture, nor any indication that Russia is preparing to use a nuclear weapon in Ukraine," spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said. Putin appeared to be "restating Russia's nuclear doctrine" after he was asked about using the weapons. Jean-Pierre added that “Russia's nuclear rhetoric” has been "reckless" throughout its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Updated

Moscow Vows 'Timely' Response To Austrian Decision To Expel Two Russian Diplomats

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

Russia's Foreign Ministry has accused Austria of "yet another unfriendly step" for its move to expel two diplomats from the Russian Embassy in the capital, Vienna. The Austrian Foreign Ministry said on March 13 the two diplomats "engaged in acts incompatible with their diplomatic status" and were declared "personae non gratae." Russia's Foreign Ministry on March 14 called the decision "ungrounded," adding that Vienna is "fully responsible for the consequences of the situation" and that "measures in response will be carried out in a timely manner." To read the Russian Foreign Ministry's statement, click here.

Navalny's Widow Calls Putin A 'Gangster' Unworthy To Be Recognized As President

Yulia Navalnaya (file photo)
Yulia Navalnaya (file photo)

Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of Russian opposition politician Aleksei Navalny, said President Vladimir Putin is a "gangster" and Western governments should not recognize him as the legitimate leader of Russia after his inevitable reelection in the presidential vote that begins on March 15.

In an op-ed published on March 13 in The Washington Post, Navalnaya called Putin a corrupt leader who has falsified elections and killed, imprisoned, or forced out all his critics.

“Putin is not a politician, he’s a gangster,” Navalnaya wrote.

She said Putin hated her husband precisely because he openly described him and his allies as gangsters who seized power "only for their own enrichment and to fulfill their personal ambitions.”

Navalnaya, whose husband died last month from unexplained circumstances at the age of 47 in an Arctic prison where he was serving a 19-year sentence, again said that he was murdered on Putin’s direct order. World leaders and Russian opposition activists have also blamed Putin. The Kremlin has denied involvement in his death.

Navalny’s widow said she wrote the op-ed to convey a “few important things that Aleksei had been trying to say all these years” before Russians begin voting.

Navalnaya said governments must fundamentally change their view of Putin, who is facing no serious opponent in the election and is certain to sweep to another six-year term.

Those who look at Putin as a mafia boss “will grasp his brutality, cynicism, penchant for violence, fondness for ostentatious luxury -- and his willingness to lie and kill” and therefore should dismiss the idea that he is a legitimate political leader.

She urged countries not to recognize the results of the March 15-17 elections to give a signal to civil society in Russia and the elites that Russia is “ruled not by a president recognized by all, but by someone who is despised and publicly condemned.”

Those who remain loyal to Putin will then start to see that the one way to return to normal economic and political life is to get rid of him, she said.

She also argued for the maximum expansion of sanctions against the most prominent Putin-allied politicians, businessmen, civil servants, and law enforcement officials.

“By depriving thousands of influential figures of their capital and assets, you lay the groundwork for internal divisions -- and ultimately the collapse of the regime,” she said.

The United States and the European Union have imposed sanctions on hundreds of entities and individuals since Russian launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022 in an effort to punish Russia and force an end to the war, but Moscow thus far has managed to overcome the sanctions in part with the support of friendly trading partners such as China.

Navalnaya said political leaders in the West should help all Russians who stand up against Putin by not recognizing the results of the elections and by no longer recognizing Putin as the legitimate president of Russia.

“The world must finally realize that Putin is not who he wants to appear to be,” she said.

With reporting by The Washington Post

Oscar-Winning Director Asghar Farhadi Cleared Of Plagiarism By Iranian Court

Oscar-winning Iranian director Asghar Farhadi
Oscar-winning Iranian director Asghar Farhadi

An Iranian court has cleared two-time Oscar-winning director Asghar Farhadi of plagiarism charges over his film A Hero, which won the Grand Prize at the Cannes Film Festival in 2021. A former student, Azadeh Masihzadeh, had accused Farhadi of stealing the idea for the movie from a documentary she made during a workshop run by the director in 2014 in Tehran. Farhadi's public relations firm on March 13 said in a statement the court verdict was based on the "expert" opinions of three prominent professors at Tehran University, as well as experts and lecturers in the field of intellectual property rights and arts. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Radio Farda, click here.

U.S. Imposes Sanctions On 3 Individuals For Organizing Republika Srpska Day

Members of the special police march during parade celebrations marking Republika Srpska Day in Banja Luka on January 9.
Members of the special police march during parade celebrations marking Republika Srpska Day in Banja Luka on January 9.

The U.S. Treasury Department on March 13 unveiled sanctions against three individuals in Republika Srpska for undermining the peace and stability of Bosnia-Herzegovina by helping to organize an "unconstitutional" celebration of Bosnian Serb identity.

The three individuals -- Branislav Okuka, Jelena Pajic-Bastinac, and Srebrenka Golic -- were involved in "organizing and executing the commemoration of Republika Srpska Day on January 9, 2024, an activity determined to be unconstitutional" in Bosnia, the Treasury Department said in a statement.

Okuka, Pajic-Bastinac, and Golic were added to the Treasury Department’s sanctions list for contributing to the efforts of Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik “to undermine the peace and stability” of Bosnia by organizing the event.

The three were members of the organizing committee and participated in a meeting on November 27 when the event plan was approved, the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) said.

The president of Republic Srpska, Milorad Dodik
The president of Republic Srpska, Milorad Dodik

Dodik appointed the committee and demanded it plan the celebration, which included events taking place over three days beginning on January 8.

The main event was a parade in Banja Luka on January 9 in which some 3,000 people marched with Dodik, other Republika Srpska officials, and Russia's ambassador to Bosnia looking on.

On January 9, 1992, the so-called Assembly of the Serbian People in Bosnia-Herzegovina declared an “independent entity” within the country, and authorities in Republika Srpska have marked the date as the founding day of the Serbian entity.

Representatives of the Bosniaks and the Croats did not participate in the declaration. They consider January 9 the beginning of the Bosnian War and the ethnic cleansing and war crimes against Bosnia’s non-Serb population that took place during the conflict.

The January 9 celebrations occurred "in defiance" of a ruling by the country's constitutional court, OFAC said. The court found the marking of January 9 to be "unconstitutional" because it prioritized only Serbs in violation of the “constitutional obligation of nondiscrimination."

The Treasury Department also said the latest sanctions are part of the U.S. government’s “wider efforts to promote peace, stability, and functional democratic governance in the Western Balkans region."

Under the Dayton agreement that ended the 1992-95 Bosnian War, Bosnia has been governed by an administrative system made up of the Bosniak-Croat federation and Republika Srpska. The two entities are guaranteed a large degree of autonomy under a weak central government.

The United States, which brokered the Dayton agreement, said again on March 13 that it would continue to hold to account “those who seek to sow division to achieve their own political aims at the expense of the people of Bosnia-Herzegovina.”

Dodik has been designated for sanctions twice by the United States -- once in January 2022 for violating the Dayton agreement and for corrupt practices, and once in July 2017 for "actively obstructing or presenting a significant risk of active obstruction” of the agreement.

The sanctions against Dodik and those announced on March 13 against the three individuals freeze any property they hold in U.S. jurisdiction and block people and entities in the United States from dealing with them.

The U.S. announcement follows a similar decision by British authorities to sanction a marketing agency involved in organizing events around Republika Srpska Day.

With reporting by AFP

Iran's Inflation Taking Bite Out Of Traditional Persian New Year Meals

Iranians buying items to celebrate the Persian New Year in Tehran. (file photo)
Iranians buying items to celebrate the Persian New Year in Tehran. (file photo)

Iranians, already hit hard by declining living standards, are seeing steep price increases for essential goods as the Persian New Year, Norouz, approaches.

The New Year, which this year follows the start of the holy month of Ramadan and heralds the start of spring on March 20, is traditionally a time of celebration. But the surge in prices, according to local media, has forced many to prioritize essential food items over other purchases of new clothes for the New Year celebrations at a time already marred by economic hardship.

The Tehran-based Etemad newspaper highlighted the impact of these price hikes on Ramadan, noting that the cost of consumer goods for iftar meals has multiplied compared to the previous year as Iranians continue to endure an annual inflation rate that for the past five years has been above 40 percent while purchasing power has been decimated.

The cost of preparing the traditional haft-sin table, a central part of Norouz celebrations, has also skyrocketed, retailers said.

Unrest has rattled Iran for more than a year in response to declining living standards, wage arrears, and a lack of welfare support.

The country's economy has been ravaged by U.S. sanctions, hitting budget revenues hard while also leading to a surge of protests. Labor Ministry data show that Iran's poverty rate doubled in 2021, with one-third of the population living in "extreme poverty." Since then, conditions have failed to improve.

In September 2023, Iran's Misery Index, calculated by the Iranian Statistics Center, rose to 60.4 -- its highest point ever and more than double what it was six years ago. The higher the rating, the worse off people feel.

Rasoul Shajari, the head of Tehran's Shoemakers Union, reported a 25 percent drop in demand amid a 30 percent increase in prices in Tehran's pre-Norouz shoe market. Meanwhile, the Ettela'at newspaper said its survey of retailers showed a significant decline in the demand for sweets, a staple of Norouz celebrations, due to high prices.

Compounding the economic pressures, Tehran's City Council announced fare increases for public transport, including a 16 percent rise for the subway, 21 percent for rapid transit buses, and 30 percent for regular buses, further squeezing the already strained budgets of Tehran's residents.

The situation outside the capital is just as bad.

The Mehr news agency reported from the central Iranian province of Semnan that some prices have jumped "significantly" in the weeks leading up to the holiday season.

The Etemad newspaper, in a rare move, urged officials to refrain from exacerbating the situation with "additional social pressures" such as clamping down on wearing the hijab.

The Misery Index is also seen as a barometer for societal issues, with a direct link to crime rates and even instances of suicide. The most recent index also showed that in the past year, 22 of Iran's 31 provinces reported a reading surpassing the national average, highlighting countrywide discontent.

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

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

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

After Outrage Over 'White Flag' Comment, Pope Condemns 'Madness Of War'

Pope Francis delivers his speech during his weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican on March 13.
Pope Francis delivers his speech during his weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican on March 13.

Pope Francis has issued a fresh condemnation of all wars after angering Kyiv and Western governments earlier this week by suggesting that Ukraine should surrender and negotiate peace with Russia.

Speaking in general terms at his weekly audience at the Vatican on March 13, Francis said many young people die in war and added a prayer for “the grace to overcome this madness of war, which is always a defeat."

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.

Francis, 87, caused an uproar by saying in an interview with Swiss broadcaster RSI released over the weekend that Ukraine should "show the courage of the white flag" and open talks to end the war with Russia.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican's secretary of state and the pontiff's closest collaborator, tried to clarify the comments on March 12, saying in an interview that "the first condition" for peace is that Russia "put an end to its aggression."

Francis did not mention Ukraine in his audience on March 13 but said he had been given a rosary and a copy of the Gospels that had belonged to a man killed on the front line of a war.

Sister Lucia Caram, an Argentinian nun who met the pope before his audience, said on social media that the man was a 23-year-old Ukrainian soldier who died in Avdiyivka, which was captured by Russian forces last month.

The rosary had originally been blessed by the pope, and Sister Caram returned it to the pontiff, she said, according to Reuters. She added that Francis kissed it and appeared moved as "he loves Ukraine and suffers for the martyrdom of this people invaded and cruelly attacked."

Also on March 13, Francis marked the 11th anniversary of his election, a milestone recognized by Russia.

The Russian Embassy at the Vatican congratulated him on the anniversary, hailing the pope as a "true and sincere [advocate] of humanism, peace, and traditional values" in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

Francis is "one of the few political leaders with a truly strategic viewpoint on world problems," the embassy said.

With reporting by Reuters, Vatican News, and AFP

Russian Court OKs Early Release For Notorious Criminal Kingpin

Zakhary Kalashov*
Zakhary Kalashov*

A Russian court on March 13 approved early release for notorious criminal kingpin Zakhary Kalashov, who is widely known by the nickname Shakro Molodoi. The 70-year-old Georgian-born ethnic Yazidi Kurd was arrested in Moscow in 2016 on extortion charges following a shoot-out in which two people died. He was convicted two years later and sentenced to nearly 10 years in jail. Russian officials have called him "the boss of all bosses" among the leaders of criminal groups in the country and he once held the highest position in the criminal hierarchy in the former Soviet Union: thief-in-law. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Russian Service, click here.

CORRECTION: A previous version of this article contained a photo that was wrongly identified as Zakhary Kalashov.

'Prudence Is Not Weakness': Scholz Reiterates Refusal To Send Taurus Missiles To Ukraine

A long-range Taurus cruise missile
A long-range Taurus cruise missile

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has again voiced his opposition to delivering long-range Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine. Scholz reiterated his stance on March 13 during a debate in the Bundestag, citing his fears that providing the advanced weapons might draw Germany more directly into the conflict with Russia. "Prudence is not something that can be classified as weakness, as some do, but instead prudence is what the citizens of this country are entitled to," Scholz said. Scholz has faced sharp criticism from the conservative opposition and others for his refusal to give Ukraine the missiles, despite repeated pleas from Kyiv.

Jailed Kyrgyz Border-Deal Protesters Criticize Judge For Trial Delays

Protesters rally against the deal in Bishkek in March 2023
Protesters rally against the deal in Bishkek in March 2023

Eleven jailed Kyrgyz activists who are on trial along with 16 others who are under house arrest for their 2022 protest against a Kyrgyz-Uzbek border delimitation deal accused Judge Marat Sydykov on March 13 of violating their rights by repeatedly postponing hearings. The Birinchi Mai district court in Bishkek said illness among three of the defendants' lawyers was to blame for the delays. Earlier this week, hundreds rallied in Kyrgyzstan's three regions demanding the defendants' release. The activists were arrested in October 2022 after they protested the deal, which saw Kyrgyzstan hand over the territory of the Kempir-Abad water reservoir to Uzbekistan. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service, click here.

Finnish Leader Says Russia Is Preparing For 'Long Conflict With The West'

Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo
Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo

Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said Russia was preparing for a "long conflict with the West" and he asked for more spending and coordination on European defense. Russian President Vladimir Putin said in remarks published on March 13 that Finland and Sweden's entry into NATO was "a meaningless step" and that Russia will deploy troops and "systems of destruction" to the Finnish border. Orpo told the European Parliament on March 13: "Russia...represents a permanent and essential military threat to Europe," he said. "If we, as a united Europe, fail to respond sufficiently to this challenge, the coming years will be filled with danger and the looming threat of attack."

Crimean Tatar Activist Detained After Home Searched

Edem Dudakov (file photo)
Edem Dudakov (file photo)

Police in Ukraine's Russian-occupied Crimea region detained Crimean Tatar activist Edem Dudakov on unspecified charges after searching his house on March 13, the Crimean Solidarity human rights groups said. Dudakov's relatives say he has diabetes and needs medication. Last week, 10 Crimean Tatar activists were detained on terrorism charges after police searched their homes. Since illegally annexing Crimea in 2014, Russia has imposed pressure on Crimean Tatars, the peninsula's indigenous ethnic group, many of whom openly protested the occupation. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Crimea.Realities, click here.

Jailed Ukrainian Rights Defender Loses Appeal At Russia's Supreme Court

Maksym Butkevych (file photo)
Maksym Butkevych (file photo)

Russia's Supreme Court on March 13 rejected an appeal filed by well-known Ukrainian human rights defender Maksym Butkevych against a 13-year prison term he was handed by a Russian-installed court in Ukraine's eastern Luhansk region after making a confession he says was preceded by torture.

Butkevych was sentenced for allegedly attempting two murders, along with premeditated damage of others' property, cruelty against civilians, and using banned methods in an armed conflict.

The 46-year-old, who participated in the hearing via video link from a detention center in Russian-occupied Luhansk, said he initially agreed to confess to the charges after being tortured and promised that an admission of guilt would allow for him to be exchanged for Russian soldiers captured by Ukraine.

That didn't happen and during the trial he pleaded not guilty and continues to maintain his innocence.

In addition to his human rights activities, Butkevych is known for his journalistic activities and is a well-known public figure in Ukraine as a co-founder of Hromadske radio, which has broadcast a series of special programs for residents of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

Just days after Russia launched its ongoing full-scale invasion of Ukraine in late February 2022, Butkevych enlisted in Ukraine's armed forces.

In July 2022, his mother recognized him in a video showing Ukrainian soldiers captured by Russian forces near the towns of Zolote and Hirne in the Luhansk region.

She says she has had no contact with her son since his capture. She has been trying to free him from Russian captivity in prisoner swaps that have taken place sporadically since Russia invaded Ukraine.

Butkevych was known for raising awareness of the problems faced by refugees even before the Russian invasion.

He came to prominence for his calls to amend Ukraine's migration regulations for Belarusian nationals who fled en masse to Ukraine following a crackdown on dissent that started after a disputed presidential election in August 2020 that handed authoritarian ruler Alyaksandr Lukashenka a sixth consecutive term.

With reporting by Mediazona

Russia Reportedly Investigating Self-Exiled Journalist Zygar

Mikhail Zygar now lives in the United States. (file photo)
Mikhail Zygar now lives in the United States. (file photo)

Russian state news agency RIA Novosti cited sources on March 13 as saying a probe was launched against the self-exiled writer and former chief editor of Dozhd television, Mikhail Zygar, for spreading false information about Russia's military. Dozhd's current editor in chief, Tikhon Dzyadko, and the Shot Telegram channel also confirmed the probe, which has not officially been confirmed. Zygar, who currently lives in the United States, has condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine in his video blogs. Zygar's books -- All The Kremlin's Men and The Empire Must Die -- became bestsellers in Russia and were translated into English. To read original story by RFE/RL's Russian Service, click here.

EU Removes Yandex Co-Founder Volozh From Sanctions List

Arkady Volozh openly condemned Russia's "barbaric" aggression against Ukraine, stressing that he had been living in Israel since 2014.
Arkady Volozh openly condemned Russia's "barbaric" aggression against Ukraine, stressing that he had been living in Israel since 2014.

The European Union on March 12 lifted sanctions imposed in 2022 against the co-founder of Russian Internet giant Yandex, Arkady Volozh, over Russia's invasion of Ukraine. In August 2023, in an apparent effort to distance himself from Kremlin, Volozh openly condemned Russia's "barbaric" aggression against Ukraine, stressing that he had been living in Israel since 2014. Volozh also described himself as a "Kazakhstan-born, Israeli tech entrepreneur" on a personal website. The 60-year-old Volozh stepped down as CEO after the EU included him on its sanctions list in June 2022. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Russian Service, click here.

Russia Ready With Nuclear Response If Sovereignty Threatened, Putin Warns

Russian President Vladimir Putin gives an interview to state media at the Kremlin in Moscow on March 12.
Russian President Vladimir Putin gives an interview to state media at the Kremlin in Moscow on March 12.

President Vladimir Putin, speaking two days before the start of an election he is expected to easily win, has issued his latest of many warnings that Russia is ready to use nuclear weapons if its sovereignty is threatened, saying he hopes Washington will not do anything to trigger such a conflict.

In an interview broadcast on Russian state television on March 13, Putin, who faces no real challengers in his bid to win another six-year term in office, said he doesn't think the world is headed toward a nuclear conflict, but that his country is in full readiness and "from the military-technical viewpoint, we're prepared."

Since launching the full-scale invasion of Ukraine just over two years ago, Putin has often warned of a nuclear option in the war, including during his state-of-the-nation address last month.

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.

"Weapons exist in order to use them. We have our own principles," Putin said in the interview, adding that he is ready to use nuclear weapons if there is a threat to "the existence of the Russian state, our sovereignty and independence."

Putin added that there was no need at present to use nuclear weapons in the war against Ukraine, though in a thinly veiled reference to NATO and its allies, he said, "the nations that say they have no red lines regarding Russia should realize that Russia won't have any red lines regarding them either."

With his tight grip on politics, media, law enforcement, and other levers, the 71-year-old Russian leader, who has ruled Russia as president or prime minister since 1999, is certain to win the March 15-17 election barring a very big, unexpected development.

Russian elections are tightly controlled by the Kremlin and are neither free nor fair but are viewed by the government as necessary to convey a sense of legitimacy.

During the election campaign Putin has repeatedly argued that the war in Ukraine, which the Kremlin mandates be called a "special military operation," was necessary to prevent Kyiv from posing a major security threat to Moscow by joining NATO.

With the war still grinding along almost 25 months later -- costing both sides tens of thousands of lives -- Putin said Russia would be willing to negotiate on Ukraine, but only if it is done on the basis of "reality."

Ukraine recovered much of the territory Russia initially seized in 2022. However, Kyiv's much-anticipated 2023 counteroffensive failed to make much progress, raising concerns the war had reached a stalemate.

Experts say that a negotiated settlement now would only benefit Russia, cementing its gains to date in Ukraine and allowing it to reconstitute its forces for a future attack. Such experts say Putin has not given up hope of conquering all of Ukraine.

"Are we ready for negotiations? Yes, we are ready, but only ready for negotiations, not based on some desires after the use of psychotropic drugs, but based on the realities that have developed, as they say in such cases, on the ground," Putin said.

Head Of Would-Be Russian Presidential Candidate's Team In Vladivostok Jailed

Boris Nadezhdin's attempt to register as a candidate for Russia's upcoming presidential vote was rejected by election officials.
Boris Nadezhdin's attempt to register as a candidate for Russia's upcoming presidential vote was rejected by election officials.

Igor Krasnov, the head of the team of would-be anti-war presidential candidate Boris Nadezhdin in the Russian Far East city of Vladivostok, said on March 13 he was sentenced to six days in jail for "propagating extremist LGBT." Krasnov's associate told RFE/RL that a member of Nadezhdin's team in Vladivostok, Daniil Laptev, was also detained. Nadezhdin is the only politician who openly criticized Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine as he attempted to register his candidacy for March 15-17. His application was rejected by election officials over "violations of the signature collection procedure." Nadezhdin's appeal to the Supreme Court was rejected. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Siberia.Realities, click here.

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