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- By RFE/RL
NATO Commander: Russia Poses 'Existential Threat' To West
WASHINGTON – NATO Supreme Commander Philip Breedlove said Russia has decided to become an adversary of the West and presents an "existential threat" to the United States and its allies.
U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter, meanwhile, accused Russia of intimidating its immediate neighbors, and said he doubted whether Moscow was still committed to strategic stability on nuclear weapons.
The comments by Carter and Breedlove, in testimony before two congressional committees on February 25, reflected the deepening concern and ongoing shift in thinking in Washington about how to respond to Russian moves in Europe and the Middle East.
Breedlove has been one the most vocal critics of Russia among top U.S. military brass since Moscow annexed Ukraine's Crimea Peninsula in March 2014 and subsequently backed separatists fighting Kyiv's forces in eastern Ukraine.
Russia has repeatedly dismissed assertions by U.S. and European officials that it presents a threat to the West, portraying the accusations as dangerous saber-rattling.
Breedlove told the U.S. House Armed Services Committee that Russia was seeking to "rewrite the agreed rules of the international order," and undermine unity in Europe.
"Russia has chosen to be an adversary and poses a long-term existential threat to the United States and to our European allies and partners," he told the committee.
Carter, speaking before the House Appropriations Committee, asserted that Russia seemed intent "to erode the principled international order that has served us, our friends and allies, the international community, and also Russia itself so well for so long."
"Moscow’s nuclear saber-rattling," Carter said, raised questions about Russian leaders’ "commitment to strategic stability" and "whether they respect the profound caution that nuclear-age leaders showed with regard to brandishing nuclear weapons."
Russia's military doctrine updated in recent years laid out new guidelines for the use of nuclear weapons, and Russia's ongoing deployment to Syria has been widely seen as a showcase for new weaponry and a training ground for new military tactics.
"To be clear, the United States does not seek a cold, let alone hot war with Russia. We do not seek to make Russia an enemy, even as it may view us that way," he said. "But make no mistake -- we will defend our interests, our allies, the principled international order, and the positive future it affords us all."
The United States and NATO has moved slowly to adjust to Russian actions, which have included increased bomber and fighter-jet flights near NATO members' borders, as well as the military deployment to Syria, Russia's largest in decades.
The Pentagon's budget request for the coming fiscal year includes a $3.4 billion quadrupling of spending to bolster European defense. And NATO recently announced plans to begin rotating up to a brigade-sized, multinational force into some Eastern European and Baltic States, in an effort to reassure alliance members.
In a markedly acerbic statement posted on Facebook late on February 25, Russia’s Defense Ministry mocked the statements by Carter and what it said were similar comments by CIA officials.
“Such tide rises every year at the same time. The reason is simple: discussion of the military budget for the next year. It is not the thing to be impressed by,” the ministry said.
“It is important to keep in mind the fact that since the middle of the previous century the ‘Russian threat’ has been the Pentagon’s most ‘sellable’ threat to both the U.S. Congress and to its NATO partners,” the ministry said. “What would they have done without us?”
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Pieces Of Likely Russian Missile Found In Moldova, Border Police Say
Moldova authorities said the country’s border service has found the remains of a rocket, likely coming from a Russian strike against Ukraine. "I express my indignation for the lack of respect for the sovereignty of the Republic of Moldova, its airspace being today again overflown and the remains of a rocket falling [near] Larga in the Briceni district," Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilița said on January 14. It is the third time remains of missiles from strikes against Ukraine have reached Moldova, the border police said. To read the original story from RFE/RL’s Moldovan Service, click here.
- By AP
Ukraine Official Says Zelenskiy Hopes To Visit UN Next Month
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy wants to visit the UN to address a high-level meeting of the 193-member General Assembly on the eve of the first anniversary of Russia’s February 24 invasion of his country if the security situation permits, an official said. First Deputy Foreign Minister Emine Dzhaparova cautioned in an AP interview published on January 13 that many factors need to be in place for him to attend, citing first the military situation on the ground and a warning from Ukraine’s intelligence service that Russia is planning "a very serious offensive in February." To read the original story from AP, click here.
- By AP
Romania Tows Luxury Cars, Other Assets In Andrew Tate Case
Romanian authorities descended on a compound near Bucharest on January 14 to tow away a fleet of luxury cars and other assets worth an estimated $3.9 million in the case investigating Andrew Tate, the divisive social-media personality who is detained in the country on charges of human trafficking. Romania's National Agency for the Administration of Unavailable Assets said it removed a total of 15 luxury cars, 14 designer watches and cash in several currencies. To read the original story from AP, click here.
Police Commander, Prison Officers Held In North Macedonia On Suspicion Of Aiding Prisoner's Escape
A court in North Macedonia has ordered the arrest of a police commander and two prison officers on suspicion they helped a convicted murderer escape from prison on January 12. Another prison officer was barred from leaving the country. The prosecutor's office said convicted killer Bekim Memeti was allowed to escape while he was being transferred to a hospital in Idrizovo after harming himself. A hunt is under way for the escapee, officials said. Memeti was sentenced to 21 years in prison for murder and drug trafficking in 2016. To read the original story from RFE/RL’s Balkan Service, click here.
Militants Kill Three Security Personnel In Attack On Police Station In Northwestern Pakistan
Militants attacked a police station with hand grenades and shot dead three police officers in an ensuing gunbattle near the Pakistani city of Peshawar, officials said on January 14.
Kashef Aftab, head of the Peshawar police force, told Radio Mashaal that seven to eight militants attacked the police station in the Sarband area of Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, which borders Afghanistan.
He did not cite causalities among the militants but said efforts were under way to seize or eliminate them.
A senior officer and two other security personnel were killed in the fighting, officials said.
The outlawed Tehrik-e Taliban (TTP) -- also known as the Pakistani Taliban -- claimed responsibility for the attack.
The TTP militants are staging a gradual comeback in the tribal districts following a deadlock with the Pakistani authorities in peace talks launched last year.
The Afghanistan-based TTP had earlier announced a cease-fire with Pakistan, but the group later claimed Islamabad had failed to live up to its promises, leading the militants to launch attacks on police and civilians over the past few months.
Muhammad Ali Saif, adviser to the chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, of which the tribal areas are a part, told Radio Mashaal on September 20 that the peace talks were stalled but not ended.
The TTP militants claimed the killing of a peace committee leader in Swat district in September after which locals staged several demonstrations demanding the expulsion of militants from their areas.
Security officials say army units and police contingents were been moved into areas where locals say militants are present.
Southwest of Peshawar on January 5, Pakistani security forces said they killed 11 Islamic militants in an operation in the restive South Waziristan tribal district that also borders Afghanistan.
The Inter-Services Public Relations, the military's media wing, said in a statement that an intelligence-based operation was carried out in the Wana region of South Waziristan.
Those killed in the operation included a commander and two would-be suicide bombers, the statement said. The region has been frequent target of militant attacks.
Pakistan has accused the Afghan Taliban rulers have giving safe harbor to TTP militants inside of Afghanistan, a charge the Taliban deny.
Pakistan blamed the TTP for at least 250 attacks that killed more than 400 people in Pakistan between August 2021 and August 2022.
- By AFP
Turkey Ready To Push For 'Local Cease-Fires' In Ukraine
Turkey on January 14 said it was ready to push for local cease-fires in Ukraine and warned that neither Moscow nor Kyiv had the military means to "win the war." President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's foreign policy adviser Ibrahim Kalin conceded it seemed unlikely the warring sides were ready to strike an "overarching peace deal" in the coming months. But he said that the brutal cost of fighting might soon see them reconsider and accept localized truces in specific parts of the war zone. NATO member Turkey hosted two early rounds of peace talks between Ukraine and Russia.
- By RFE/RL
Britain Announces It Will Send Tanks To Ukraine
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has informed Kyiv that Britain intends to send main battle tanks and artillery support to aid Ukraine's war effort against invading Russian forces.
Sunak discussed Britain's plans during a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on January 14, according to a spokesperson for the prime minister's office.
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"The prime minister outlined the U.K.'s ambition to intensify our support to Ukraine, including through the provision of Challenger 2 tanks and additional artillery systems," the spokesperson said.
The Russian Embassy in London condemned the government's decision, saying that sending British tanks to Ukraine would only "intensify combat operations" and that "one really cannot put out a fire with petrol."
Sunak told reporters earlier this week that he had asked Defense Secretary Ben Wallace to go "further and faster with our support for Ukraine, including the provision of tanks." It would mark the first time Britain has supplied heavy armor to Kyiv following Russia's all-out invasion in February.
British Defense Ministry officials have said an official announcement to send up to 12 main battle tanks to Ukraine will be announced at a meeting of Ukrainian donor countries in Germany on January 20.
Reports citing British government sources said four Challenger 2 tanks will be sent immediately, with another eight to follow shortly.
The provision of tanks by countries supporting Ukraine is a contentious topic. Officials in Kyiv have consistently lobbied for modern tanks, but many Western governments were reluctant until recently to fulfill the request out of concerns that doing so could escalate tensions with Moscow.
That thinking appears to have changed with news that multiple NATO countries are now willing to provide modern tanks.
On January 11, NATO member Poland said it was willing to send German-made Leopard tanks to Kyiv "within the framework of an international coalition."
The move by Warsaw, which said it fears it is the "next target" on Russia's invasion list, was intended to put pressure on other NATO members to follow suit.
Finland, which is seeking NATO membership, responded promptly by giving its cautious approval on January 12 to sending Leopard 2 tanks to Kyiv.
Germany, which can veto transfers of exported weapons to third countries, has come under criticism for not sending tanks to Ukraine.
Commitments by other NATO states to provide tanks would make it more difficult for Berlin to stand by its argument that it does not want to be alone in providing Kyiv with tanks.
On January 6, German Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck said Berlin plans to send about 40 Marder infantry fighting vehicles to Ukraine before March as part of a new weapons package.
WATCH: Ukrainian tank crews in the eastern Donetsk region are using retrofitted T-64s, designed in the 1960s, to shell Russian troops.
But just days after the announcement, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba pressed his visiting German counterpart Annalena Baerbock to send tanks, telling Baerbock that the "longer it takes to make the decision, the more people will die."
Vice Chancellor Habeck said after the Polish announcement that Berlin would not prevent Warsaw from exporting Leopard tanks to Ukraine.
Germany said that as of January 13 it had not yet received an official request from Finland or Poland to re-export Leopard tanks.
French officials said last week that they plan to deliver about 40 AMX-10 RC wheeled combat tanks to Ukraine in two months' time.
The French decision, first announced on January 5, was followed by Germany's commitment to send Marder infantry fighting vehicles and a pledge by the United States to send armored Bradley Fighting Vehicles, which can serve as a troop carrier.
Ukraine has received hundreds of modernized versions of the Soviet-era T-72 tank from European and NATO allies like the Czech Republic and Poland since Russia's unprovoked invasion 11 months ago.
But Kyiv has received nothing comparable to the advanced Leopard 2 or Challenger 2, each of which fire highly specific munitions, including 120-millimeter shells.
Britain's Challenger 2 is a battle tank designed to take out opposing tanks, while Germany's Leopard 2 is a main battle tank used extensively by NATO countries.
With reporting by Reuters, dpa, and AP
Russian Missile Strikes Hit Infrastructure, Residential Sites Across Ukraine
Ukrainian officials said waves of Russian missile attacks on Kyiv and other major cities had damaged key infrastructure sites as local authorities warned of potential cuts in electricity and water supplies in the first major attacks since the start of the year.
Air-raid sirens blared in much of the country on January 14 as strikes were reported in the capital, along with in the western city of Lviv, Kharkiv in the east, Odesa in the south, and Dnipro in the south-central region, where officials said an apartment block had been struck by Russian missiles, killing at least nine people.
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Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has informed Kyiv that Britain intends to send main battle tanks and artillery support to aid Ukraine's war effort against invading Russian forces, a move Moscow condemned.
"The prime minister outlined the U.K.'s ambition to intensify our support to Ukraine, including through the provision of Challenger 2 tanks and additional artillery systems," a British spokesperson said.
The attack on the Ukrainian capital was announced on Telegram by the city's military administration on January 14.
The office of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy advised residents of Kyiv to seek shelter, while explosions that sounded similar to missiles being shot down by air-defense forces were reportedly heard in the city.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said in a series of posts on Telegram that explosions were reported in the city's eastern residential Dniprovskiy district and parts of a missile had crashed in an uninhabited part of the Holosiyivskiy district. Klitschko said no casualties had been reported and a fire at a nonresidential building in the Holosiyivskiy district had been extinguished.
According to presidential office deputy head Kyrylo Tymoshenko, the attack targeted "critical infrastructure." Tymoshenko also wrote on Telegram that a residential building in the village of Kopyliv in the Kyiv region was struck, breaking windows of residential buildings. He said that as of late morning there was no information regarding any possible victims related to that incident.
Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Yuriy Ihnat said the missiles had been fired from a high trajectory from the north, suggesting they were ballistic missiles that Ukraine is unable to shoot down and was not able to detect in time to immediately alert civilians of an air raid.
The fresh attacks came a day after Ukraine and Russia gave conflicting accounts of the situation in the eastern Ukrainian town of Soledar, the site of intense fighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces in recent weeks.
WATCH: . The strategic town sits on a vast network of salt-mine tunnels that cover an estimated 200 kilometers.
In his nightly video address on January 13, Zelenskiy rejected claims by Russia's Defense Ministry that it captured the strategically important salt-mining town in the eastern Donetsk region.
"The tough battle for the Donetsk region continues. The battle for Bakhmut and Soledar, for Kreminna, for other towns and villages in the east of our country continues," Zelenskiy said. "Although the enemy has concentrated its greatest forces in this direction, our soldiers -- the Armed Forces of Ukraine, all defense and security forces --- are protecting the state."
Ukrainian military officials said on January 14 that Soledar "is controlled by Ukrainian authorities" and that battles continue "in and outside of the city."
Claims on either side could not immediately be independently verified.
The capture of Soledar, which could give Russian forces a hub to cut off Ukrainian supply lines while also providing a staging ground for attacks on the nearby city of Bakhmut, would be Moscow's most substantial military gain in its war against Ukraine in months.
Kyiv and Washington, however, have suggested the heavy loss of Russian troops and the destruction of the city have lessened Soledar's strategic value.
The Russian Defense Ministry has claimed hundreds of Ukrainian soldiers have been killed in heavy fighting in Soledar this week. Ukrainian officials have said more than 500 civilians are trapped inside the town, including 15 children.
The private and controversial Russian mercenary group Vagner is reportedly heavily involved in the Russian effort to capture Soledar.
WATCH: In a new massive missile attack against Ukraine on January 14, Russia destroyed a nine-story apartment block in the central city of Dnipro, killing at least nine people and injuring dozens.
After initial success in taking Ukrainian territory after Russia's all-out invasion in February, the Russian military suffered setbacks in the south and the eastern Donbas region. The Russian military has focused on Soledar as key to the success of its new offensive.
The head of the eastern Kharkiv region, Oleh Synehubov, said the regional capital, Kharkiv, was hit by two Russian S-300 missiles early on January 14.
The strikes hit energy infrastructure and industrial in the city, Ukraine's second-largest, according to Synehubov.
In western Ukraine, Maksym Kozytskiy, head of the Lviv regional military administration, said "a critical infrastructure facility" had been hit in the region and warned of electricity and water supply disruptions. Lviv, far away from the front lines, had in the past been spared much of the damage seen in other parts of the country.
Strikes were also reported in the southern Zaporizhzhya region, home to Europe's largest nuclear power plant.
In Dnipro -- with a pre-war population of nearly 1 million -- a strike on a residential building killed at least five people and injured dozens, according to regional officials.
Regional governor Valentyn Reznichenko said on Telegram that around 60 people were hurt, including 12 children.
Zelenskiy, in a Telegram posting, said, "Eternal memory to all whose lives were taken by Russian terror! The world must stop this evil."
“We will find everyone involved in this terror. Everyone will bear responsibility. Utmost responsibility,” he added.
Later, Zelenskiy said that "it's not yet known how many people are under the rubble. Unfortunately, the death toll is growing every hour."
With reporting by AFP
- By RFE/RL
Britain Condemns Iran's Execution Of British-Iranian National As Barbaric
Britain has described Iran's execution of British-Iranian national Alireza Akbari on espionage charges as a "barbaric" act that will not go unchallenged.
The hanging of Akbari, a former Iranian deputy defense minister sentenced to death for spying for Britain in what critics have called a "political" decision, was announced by the Iranian judiciary's Mizan news agency on January 14. The report did not say when Akbari's execution took place, although some reports have indicated it may have been days ago.
Akbari reportedly moved to Britain after he was briefly detained in Iran in 2008 and is believed to have been arrested in 2019 after returning to Iran. Few details have been released about his case, as accusations of espionage and other crimes related to national security in Iran are usually tried behind closed doors.
Mizan reported on January 14 that Akbari was executed after being "sentenced to death on charges of corruption on Earth and extensive action against the country’s internal and external security through espionage for the British government's intelligence service."
The report also alleged that Akbari had received payments amounting to more than $2 million for spying.
Iranian state media this week aired video it said showed that Akbari played a role in the 2020 assassination of one of Iran's top nuclear scientists, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh. The video does not show Akbari confessing to involvement in the killing, only saying that a British agent had asked him for information about Fakhrizadeh. Tehran has blamed the assassination on Israel.
Akbari was sentenced to death last week and Britain and the United States had called on Iran to not carry out the sentence.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, responding on Twitter to reports that Akbari was hanged, on January 14 called the execution "a callous and cowardly act carried out by a barbaric regime with no respect for the human rights of their own people."
Iran does not recognize dual nationality for its citizens.
British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, in a January 14 tweet, wrote that "this barbaric act deserves condemnation in the strongest possible terms. This will not stand unchallenged."
Iran's Foreign Ministry announced on the same day that it had summoned Britain's ambassador to Tehran to protest alleged acts against Iran's national security.
"In response to Britain's unconventional interventions, including in the national security field of the Islamic Republic of Iran, today, Simon Shercliff, the ambassador of this country in Tehran, was summoned," the ministry said in a statement. "The British government should be held accountable for establishing unconventional communications leading to an attack on [Iran's] national security."
The statement added that the "British government must accept the consequences of the responsibility of continuing its unorthodox and interventionist approach."
Akbari served as deputy to Iranian Defense Minister Ali Shamkhani from 1997 to 2005 as part of the administration of reformist former President Mohammad Khatami. Akbari had previously been an adviser to the Iranian Navy and implemented the UN resolution that ended the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq War.
In an audio recording broadcast last week by BBC Persian, Akbari said he confessed to crimes he did not commit while being tortured for months in detention.
"I was interrogated and tortured for over 3,500 hours in 10 months," he said. "All of that was recorded on camera.... By using the force of gun and making death threats they made me confess to false and baseless claims."
In the video broadcast by Iran's state news agency IRNA on January 12, Akbari discussed being asked about the nuclear scientist Fakhrizadeh by a British agent.
"They wanted to know about high-ranking officials depending on the major developments," Akbari said. "For example, he [the agent] asked me whether Fakhrizadeh could be involved in such and such projects and I said why not."
The execution comes as relations between Iran and Britain have deteriorated in recent months, with London criticizing Tehran's crackdown on mass protests in Iran.
Prominent Iranian lawyer Saeed Daehgan criticized Akbari's death sentence as "political" in a January 14 tweet. The lawyer, who is believed to be living abroad but has represented many cases involving dual nationals in Iran, suggested that it was related to reports that Britain is planning to formally declare Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps a terrorist organization.
With reporting by RFE/RL's Radio Farda, Reuters, dpa, and AP
IAEA To Step Up Presence Of Experts At All Nuclear Power Plants In Ukraine
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) says it will boost its presence in Ukraine to help prevent a nuclear accident during Russia’s ongoing invasion of the country.
The UN’s nuclear watchdog said on January 13 that Director-General Rafael Grossi will visit Ukraine next week to implement a new policy that will ensure a permanent presence of IAEA experts at all five of Ukraine's nuclear facilities.
The new policy is "significantly stepping up the efforts of the [IAEA] to help prevent a nuclear accident during the current military conflict," the IAEA said in a news release.
Currently only the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhya plant, which is near the front line, has a permanent IAEA presence of up to four experts. Under the new plan, 11 or 12 IAEA experts will be present in Ukraine at all times to monitor its plants, including the shuttered Chernobyl site, and provide technical assistance.
“As this tragic war enters its second year, we must continue to do everything we can to avert the danger of a serious nuclear accident that would cause even more suffering and destruction for the people of Ukraine and beyond,” Grossi said.
During his visit to Ukraine, Grossi will travel to the Rivne nuclear power plant and the Chernobyl site to launch missions consisting of two IAEA experts at each of the facilities, the IAEA said.
Grossi will also meet senior Ukrainian officials as part of his efforts to set up a security protection zone around the Zaporizhzhya plant.
“I remain determined to make the much-needed protection zone a reality as soon as possible," Grossi said. "My consultations with Ukraine and Russia are making progress, albeit not as fast as they should."
Grossi also reiterated his concerns about pressure that employees of the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant (ZNPP) are facing, saying the situation is creating potential consequences for nuclear safety and security.
“The reduced ZNPP staffing levels combined with psychological stress due to the ongoing military conflict and the absence of family members who fled the area have created an unprecedented situation that no [nuclear power plant] staff should have to endure,” he said.
Employees at the Zaporizhzhya plant also continue to be urged to accept new labor contracts with the Russian state company Rosatom, the IAEA said, adding that the national Ukrainian operator Enerhoatom is urging them not to do so.
The IAEA’s monitoring team has been informed that despite all the challenges, the Zaporizhzhya plant still has adequate operational staff to maintain the safe operation of all units at the plant’s current level of functioning, the IAEA said.
With reporting by AFP
- By Reuters
U.K. Foreign Secretary Says Iran Must Not Follow Through With Akbari Execution Threat
British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly says Iran must not follow through with its threat of executing British-Iranian national Alireza Akbari. "The Iranian regime should be in no doubt. We are watching the case of Alireza Akbari closely," he said on Twitter on January 13. Cleverly earlier this week called for the immediate release of Akbari, who has been sentenced to death on charges of spying for Britain. Iran's official IRNA news agency published a video on January 12 which it said showed that Akbari played a role in the assassination in 2020 of the country's top nuclear scientist. To read the original story by Reuters, click here.
- By Reuters
Lithuania-Latvia Gas Pipeline Hit By Explosion, Operator Says
A gas pipeline connecting Lithuania and Latvia was hit by an explosion on January 13, but there was no immediate evidence of an attack, Lithuania's gas transmission operator Amber Grid said. Video from Lithuanian public broadcaster LRT showed a fire raging at the blast site in the north of the country. Amber Grid Chief Executive Nemunas Biknius said the company did not see any “malign cause” based on the initial assessment, but the investigation will cover all possible options. The supply of gas was cut off and the flames were expected to soon subside, he added. To read the original story by Reuters, click here.
- By RFE/RL
Lithuania Awards Ukrainian President Zelenskiy With 2022 Freedom Prize
Lithuania has presented Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy with the 2022 Freedom Prize at a ceremony hosted by the Lithuanian parliament.
Ukrainian Ambassador to Lithuania Petro Beshta accepted the award on Zelenskiy's behalf on January 13, which is Lithuania’s Freedom Defenders’ Day commemorating the deaths of 14 civilians killed in 1991 by Soviet troops following Lithuania's declaration of independence from the Soviet Union.
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Zelenskiy, who participated in the ceremony virtually, expressed his gratitude to the people of Lithuania for their support for Ukraine in its fight against Russia's ongoing unprovoked invasion launched in February last year.
“I want to thank you for not betraying freedom for a minute -- and not only in these 323 brutal days of Russia’s inhuman war, when we have felt your support all the time,” said Zelenskiy, who was selected last month by Lithuania’s parliament, the Seimas, to receive the award.
He said the “free hearts of Lithuanians” and Lithuania’s path toward Europe had inspired countless people in various countries once enslaved by Russia.
“Lithuania has been, and I am sure still is, one of the sincerest defenders of freedom, and this is the best tribute to the heroes who defeated the empire in those winter days 32 years ago,” Zelenskiy emphasized.
The Freedom Prize was established by the Lithuanian parliament in 2011 to honor “individuals and organizations for their achievements in and contribution to the defense of human rights, development of democracy, and promotion of international cooperation for the cause of self-determination and sovereignty of the nations in Eastern and Central Europe.”
The prize, which includes 5,000 euros ($5,400), is presented annually on January 13, when Lithuania honors the victims of the country’s Bloody Sunday. In addition to the 14 civilians who were killed, hundreds of others were injured in Vilnius.
The deadly clashes in Lithuania 32 years ago are considered a turning point in the efforts of Lithuania and two other Baltic states, Estonia and Latvia, to gain independence from the Soviet Union.
With reporting by dpa and Lrt.lt
- By AP
WADA Says It's 'Concerned' That Russia Found 'No Fault' In Valieva Doping Case
A Russian tribunal found figure skater Kamila Valieva bore “no fault or negligence” in a doping case that rocked last year's Winter Olympics, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) said on January 13. WADA said it was "concerned" by the conclusion and said it would review the case before deciding on further steps. The Russian skater won gold in the team competition before it was announced that two months earlier she had tested positive for a banned substance. The Russian tribunal ruled that Valieva should only be disqualified from one day of the Russian national championships, the competition at which the positive sample was taken. To read the original story by AP, click here.
Iranian Soccer Star Karimi Says Khamenei Doesn't Represent Iran
Former Iranian international footballer Ali Karimi, who has emerged as one of the biggest critics of Iran's brutal crackdown on protesters, has rebuked Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, saying he doesn't represent the country.
Karimi slammed Khamenei in a post on Instagram on January 12 just hours after the Iranian leader indirectly referred to celebrities who have supported Iranians protesting the death of a young woman while she was in police custody as "mercenaries who have fled to other countries and spread mud against Iran" and that the country's youth "will be disappointed" in them.
Since the death of Mahsa Amini in mid-September, several celebrities have been interrogated and have had their passports confiscated after showing support for the protests.
Actor Hossein Mohammadi, 26, faces the death sentence after he was reportedly tortured into making a confession to security forces who were looking to pin the blame on him and 15 others for the death of a member of the Basij paramilitary force during a demonstration.
Many Iranian celebrities outside the country, meanwhile, have taken a stand against the government and criticized the repression of protesters. Among them, Karimi -- who is living in an undisclosed country -- and prominent Iranian actor Hamid Farrokhnejad have expressed even stronger positions after leaving Iran.
"You have gathered a number of sycophants and corrupt people around you and think that makes you the leader of the whole of Iran?" Karimi wrote on his Instagram account -- which has 14.6 million followers -- in response to Khamenei's comments.
"If I were the target of all these opposition slogans, I would have left and not even looked behind," Karimi added using #deathtothedictator in the post.
Karimi, a former soccer player with Bayern Munich and once the captain of Iran’s national soccer team, has been a target of the government over his posts on social media, including on Instagram, where he has nearly 12 million followers.
In October, he was charged in absentia by authorities in Tehran over his support for antigovernment protesters who have taken to the streets across the country after Amini's died while being held in custody for failing to "properly wear" an Islamic head scarf, or hijab.
Karimi, widely regarded as one of the greatest Iranian players of all time, has condemned Amini’s death while lending his support to the protesters, particularly women. He has also urged security forces not to allow “innocent blood to be shed.”
The has posed one of the deepest challenges to the Islamic regime since the revolution in 1979.
Since Amini's death, more than 500 people have been killed in the police crackdown, according to rights groups. Several thousand more have been arrested, including many protesters, as well as journalists, lawyers, activists, digital rights defenders, and others.
Written by Ardeshir Tayebi based on an original story in Persian by RFE/RL's Radio Farda
- By AFP
Pakistani Police Bust Organ-Trafficking Ring
Police in Pakistan said on January 13 that they busted an organ-trafficking ring when a missing 14-year-old boy was found in an underground lab after having one of his kidneys removed. The ring was responsible for luring young, vulnerable victims with promises of lucrative jobs and large payouts before removing their organs -- mainly kidneys -- to sell for up to 900,000 rupees ($4,000). "It was only after we followed the evidence and leads that we discovered that there was an organ-trafficking operation behind the boy's disappearance," Rehan Anjum, a spokesman for Punjab police, told the AFP news agency on January 13. Six people were arrested.
Ukrainian Parliament Revokes Mandates Of Five Lawmakers
KYIV -- Ukraine's parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, has revoked the mandates of five lawmakers, four of whom are suspected of high treason.
Ukrainian lawmaker Yaroslav Zheleznyak said in a post on Telegram on January 13 that lawmakers voted to cancel the mandates of Andriy Derkach, Taras Kozak, Rinat Kuzmin, and Viktor Medvedchuk due to President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's move to deprive them of citizenship two days earlier.
The mandate of the fifth lawmaker, Andriy Aksonov, was rendered invalid at his own request, Zheleznyak's Telegram post said.
On January 10, Zelenskiy said he deprived Derkach, Kozak, Kuzmin, and Medvedchuk of Ukrainian citizenship due to facts collected by the State Security Service and the State Migration Service, suggesting that the four committed high treason.
The constitution states that the loss of citizenship can be presented as the basis for having a parliamentary mandate revoked.
At least three of the men are outside Ukraine at the moment.
The four were elected as members of the Russia-friendly Opposition Platform--For Life party, which is currently banned in Ukraine.
Derkach has been a Ukrainian legislator for more than two decades, but investigators believe he received more than half a million dollars from Russian law enforcement and intelligence agencies "for subversive activities against Ukraine during 2019-2022." He has not attended a parliamentary sessions since the beginning of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February last year.
Medvedchuk, a longtime Ukrainian political fixture and reportedly a godfather to Russian President Vladimir Putin's daughter, was detained in April and handed over to Russia in a prisoner exchange in September.
Kozak left Ukraine in 2021.
Pretrial investigators say Kuzmin "placed propaganda materials to the detriment of Ukraine" in the media.
Aksonov was elected to the Verkhovna Rada in April 2021 for the Poryadok (Order) party. But his election caused controversy as investigative reports in 2017 revealed he may have Russian citizenship.
None of the five men has publicly responded to the move stripping them of their mandates.
Iranian Journalist Arrested At Airport, Placed In Evin Prison Without Details Of Charges
Iranian journalist Nasim Soltanbeigi has been arrested at Tehran’s International Airport and transferred to Evin prison without being given details of the charges she faces.
Iran Jalali, Soltanbeigi's mother, said in a tweet on January 12 that her daughter told her in a brief phone call that the security forces had transferred her to solitary confinement. She has no news about the charges or the reason for the arrest.
Soltanbeigi was a student activist in the 2000s and has been working as a journalist for various Iranian publications in recent years.
She has been arrested before for her activism. She was held for eight days in 2006 for attending a "Women for Change" rally before a court sentenced her to a suspended sentence of five years. She was placed on probation for two years and told that her sentence would be canceled if she did not violate the terms of her probation.
A year later, she was arrested again along with some leftist student activists and was sentenced to a total of six years in prison for "acting against national security" and "propaganda against the Islamic Republic." She was finally released from prison in 2014.
The new arrest comes amid monthslong nationwide protests over the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini -- unrest marked by unprecedented shows of defiance by women and schoolgirls in what appears to be the biggest threat to the Islamic government since the 1979 revolution.
Amini, 22, died on September 16, just days after being detained by Tehran's notorious morality police for allegedly violating the country's strict female dress code. Authorities have blamed "underlying diseases" for the cause of death, but supporters and family members say Amini was beaten while in custody.
According to the Tehran Journalists Association, at least 70 Iranian journalists have been arrested since the beginning of the protests.
In a statement published on January 11, the association said that a number of arrested journalists have been released on bail, while 30 journalists are still in prison.
The protests have seen more than 500 people killed and thousands detained, according to human rights groups. Despite government warnings that the crackdown will intensify, Iranians continue to take to the streets.
Several thousand others have been arrested since Amini's death, including many protesters, lawyers, activists, and digital-rights defenders.
Written by Ardeshir Tayebi based on an original story in Persian by RFE/RL's Radio Farda
Turkmenistan's Former President Making Moves Seen As Attempt To Become Paramount Leader
ASHGABAT -- Turkmenistan's former president, Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov, who handed his post to his son Serdar Berdymukhammedov last year and currently leads the upper chamber of the parliament, plans to reform the parliament structure, apparently aiming to become the paramount leader of the tightly controlled former Soviet republic.
State media in the energy-rich country reported Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov, who heads the People's Council (Halk Maslahaty), announced at parliament's session on January 11 that the legislature will be turned back into a single-chamber organ. The People's Council will turn into a separate body and become "the highest power," supervising all branches of rule with the right to change the constitution, adopt constitutional laws, and determine domestic and foreign policies.
In September 2020, Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov turned the single-chamber parliament into a bicameral legislature by announcing the creation of a new upper house and proclaiming himself as its chairman even though the constitution did not allow presidents to lead such a body.
Critics have said Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov's moves were made to secure his lifetime leadership and the eventual succession of the presidency to his son, Serdar, and his grandchildren.
"There is absolutely no doubt that all of this is being carried out because of the distorted ego of Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov, for whom being the chairman of the parliament’s upper chamber is not enough and now he wants to turn himself into the leader of the nation who strictly controls all other branches of power, making them report to the People's Council,” Turkmen political observer and analyst Kumush Bairieva told RFE/RL.
Government critics and human rights groups say Berdymukhammedov suppressed dissent during his presidency in 2006-2022 and no changes were made after Serdar Berdymukhammedov was sworn into office in March last year.
Kremlin Reportedly Readying Putin's Nomination For 2024 Presidential Vote
A Russian newspaper says Kremlin political advisers are laying the groundwork for Russian President Vladimir Putin to run for reelection next year amid speculation about his political intentions. Kommersant quoted its sources on January 13 as saying that the election is likely to be held in March 2024, with Putin being a candidate regardless of the state of the conflict currently ongoing in Ukraine. The report came a day after the Vyorstka online newspaper quoted its sources similarly as saying preparations are under way. Putin, 70, has been president or prime minister of Russia since 1999 and, after constitutional amendments approved in 2020, may stand for reelection. To read the original story from RFE/RL's Russian Service, click here.
Popular Kyrgyz Blogger Arrested After Court Cancels His Parole-Like Probation
BISHKEK -- A Kyrgyz blogger known for his critical reports of authorities has been detained after the Bishkek City Court canceled his three-year parole-like probation.
Adilet Ali Myktybek, known on social media as Alibek Baltabai, was sentenced to five years in prison in November on a charge of calling for social unrest via the Internet, allegations he has called politically motivated.
The court ruled at the time that Myktybek would not have to serve his prison sentence immediately, but instead would be under a three-year parole-like probation period. If he served that period without any violations, the court said his five-year prison term would be cancelled.
The blogger's lawyer, Taken Moldokulov, told RFE/RL that the Bishkek City Court's decision on January 12 to send his client to a penal colony was made at the request of prosecutors who considered Myktybek's sentence too lenient.
Moldokulov also said that the court annulled the probation part of the sentence leaving the five-year prison term without changes.
"The Penitentiary Service is expected to inform us where exactly Adilet Baltabai will be serving his term," Moldokulov said, adding that the court decision will be appealed.
Myktybek was detained in late June last year after he was questioned by Bishkek police for a third time since May about his coverage of rallies by civil rights activists.
Following his release in November, Myktybek continued his blogging activities and took part in a rally on January 10 to express support to 26 jailed Kyrgyz politicians and activists arrested in October for protesting against a border deal with Uzbekistan.
Myktybek has been known for actively covering anti-government rallies and pickets in the Central Asian nation.
He is also a freelance correspondent for the Next television channel, whose director, Taalaibek Duishembiev, was handed a suspended three-year prison sentence in September after a court found him guilty of inciting interethnic hatred by airing a controversial report related to Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Twelve People Taken To Hospital After Serbia's Second Ammonia Leak In Less Than A Month
A dozen people were taken to the hospital and several homes were evacuated due to an ammonia leak in the Serbian industrial town of Pancevo, authorities said. All 12 were released after medical checks. The leak, the second such incident in less than a month, happened on January 12 from a tanker truck parked in a lot near Pancevo, 20 kilometers northeast of Belgrade, Radio Television of Serbia (RTS) reported. Authorities said a probe was under way to determine responsibility for the incident. Last month, Transport Minister Goran Vesic blamed poor infrastructure for an ammonia leak in a village in southeast Serbia that left two dead and a dozen injured. To read the original story from RFE/RL’s Balkan Service, click here.
- By AP
Iran's Foreign Minister Says Talks With Saudis Could Restore Relations
Talks between regional rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia are continuing and could eventually restore diplomatic relations that were severed years ago, Iran’s foreign minister said on January 13. Hossein Amir-Abdollahian told reporters in Beirut that he met Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud during a conference in Jordan last month that was attended by Middle Eastern and European officials. The meeting between Amir-Abdollahian and Prince Faisal was the highest-level encounter between the two countries since they cut relations seven years ago. Sunni powerhouse Saudi Arabia and Iran, which is majority Shi'ite, have been at odds since Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution, but relations worsened after the 2016 execution of Shi'ite cleric Nimr al-Nimr by Riyadh. To read the original story from AP, click here.
- By dpa
German Foreign Minister Calls For African Solidarity Against Putin
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock on January 13 called for closer cooperation between the European Union and the African Union to respond to crises in the world, including Russia's invasion of Ukraine, climate change, and food shortages. In a speech to African Union (AU) leaders at the group's headquarters in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, Baerbock said Germany, France, and other European countries are counting on support from Africa. "We as Europeans need the support of our friends and partners worldwide in times when peace in Europe has been attacked by the Russian war of aggression," she remarked. Baerbock also called for AU support for reforms to the UN Security Council that would add additional permanent seats to the body, including two for Africa.
- By AFP
Russia Must Provide 'Immediate' Medical Care To Navalny, Germany Urges
Germany on January 13 demanded swift medical care for jailed Kremlin critic Aleksei Navalny, who has complained of being denied access to hospital treatment by prison officials in Russia. Navalny "is in urgent need of medical assistance as numerous Russian doctors have pointed out. We call on the Russian authorities to provide this immediately and completely," said government spokeswoman Christiane Hoffmann. Berlin also reiterated a call for Navalny's release, saying his imprisonment is based on a "politically motivated verdict.” For the past two years, the 46-year-old has been held outside Vladimir, a town east of Moscow, after an embezzlement conviction, one of several rulings Navalny has denounced as attempts to silence him. To read the original story from AFP, click here.
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