News
- By RFE/RL
COVID-19: Romania To Extend State Of Emergency; Russian Cases Jump
The global death toll is nearing 70,000 with almost 1.3 million infections confirmed, causing mass disruptions as governments continue to try to slow the spread of the new respiratory illness.
Here's a roundup of developments in RFE/RL's broadcast countries.
Romania
Romanian President Klaus Iohannis says he intends to extend the country's state of emergency by another 30 days as the number of confirmed coronavirus infections in the country exceeded 4,000.
"We need to do this again. It's an absolute necessity. People should understand that without this measure, the virus cannot be stopped," Iohannis announced in a live video address on April 6.
Romania has been under a state of emergency since March 16, and Iohannis said he will issue a decree next week prolonging the measure until May 16.
The day-to-day number of confirmed COVID-19 cases went up by 196 on April 6 to 4,057, the government crisis group announced, while 11 more fatalities brought the total death toll to 162.
Some 627 Romanians have been infected abroad and at least 26 died -- most of them in Italy, as well as in France, Spain, and Germany.
More than 4 million Romanians work in Western Europe, and hundreds of thousands have returned since the start of the outbreak there despite the government's repeated appeals that they delay coming home for the Orthodox Easter holiday.
Six Romanian counties, including Suceava, the current epicenter of the outbreak in Romania, have imposed the mandatory wearing of face coverings with fines of more than $100 for those who violate the measure.
More than 100,000 people have been placed in self-isolation, while almost 24,000 are under quarantine -- most of them having returned from abroad.
Tensions have risen in the southern Romanian town of Tandarei, which has been placed under army lockdown after those who had returned from abroad ignored self-quarantine orders and came into conflict with riot police.
Many of the town's 13,000 inhabitants are ethnic Roma who had migrated to the West but returned after the start of the pandemic.
Russia
Russia's tally of confirmed coronavirus cases jumped sharply, as regional authorities struggled to enforce restrictive lockdown measures across the sprawling country.
Nearly 1,000 new confirmed cases were announced April 6 by the government's main coronavirus task force, along with 47 confirmed deaths from the disease.
The rise amounted to an 11 percent jump, which was a lower increase than in past days, bringing the official number of infections to 6,343.
The official tally has been doubted by critics in Russia and abroad, who suspect the number is being undercounted by health authorities.
President Vladimir Putin has advised Russians to stay home for the rest of the month and only go outside when necessary. Among the restrictions was limiting people walking their dogs to just 100 meters from their homes.
Most of the country's nearly 90 regions have imposed lockdown measures, though it's unclear how rigorously they were being enforced, particularly in regions distant from Moscow.
Some regions, however, have gone further than others. Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov last week announced that the southern region would close its borders entirely.
That drew a veiled rebuke from Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin on April 6.
"The government's signals about the unacceptability of this were heard," Mishustin said. “I would like once again to address the leaders of the regions: do not confuse regional powers with federal [powers]."
Several hours later, Kadyrov responded, writing on social media that the region had not restricted the entry of transport or cargo.
Still, he said, Chechnya would not allow entry to anyone not registered as living there.
Putin himself has been working remotely since a doctor at one of Russia's leading infectious-disease hospitals, whom Putin met personally during a visit, tested positive for the coronavirus.
The government has also been working to repatriate Russian citizens who were stranded in recent weeks as governments shut down borders and enacted new travel restrictions.
On April 6, Russian officials said some international flights to repatriate citizens had resumed after having suspended all flights last week.
The government task force monitoring the outbreak said two flights carrying Russian nationals -- one from Kyrgyzstan and one from Bangladesh -- would take place on April 6.
The Foreign Ministry has said that 25,000 Russians abroad had appealed for help getting home.
Russia is temporarily halting passenger train service between its two largest cities and the Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad as it tries to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
State-owned Russian Railroads will halt service from Moscow and St. Petersburg to Kaliningrad effective April 6, state media reported. The rail trips take 20 and 26 hours, respectively, and pass through Belarus and Lithuania.
Passenger train service will also be halted from the exclave to mainland Russia.
Russian Railroads did not say when service would be resumed.
Kaliningrad is sandwiched between Poland and Lithuania with an opening to the Baltic Sea.
Iran
Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called on the United States to ease sanctions on Iran’s economy and expand the licensing of sanctions-exempt items to ensure the country has access to essential humanitarian resources during the coronavirus pandemic.
HRW made the call on April 6 as Tehran, as well as several other countries, the United Nations, and some U.S. lawmakers voiced similar pleas to ease sanctions, which have cut off oil revenue and devastated the Iranian economy.
U.S. President Donald Trump has offered Iran humanitarian assistance, but Iranian officials have rejected the offer, saying Washington should instead lift the “unjust” and “illegal” sanctions imposed after Washington unilaterally withdrew from a landmark nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers in 2018.
The situation has added to the difficulty of dealing with the pandemic in one of the world's hardest-hit countries by the coronavirus. The outbreak has officially infected almost 60,000 people and killed over 3,600 in Iran, though many experts and critics of Tehran have said the actual figures may be much higher due to underreporting by officials.
“As the burden on the country’s debilitated health-care system has dramatically increased, the broad U.S. economic sanctions resulting in severe international banking restrictions have drastically constrained the ability of the country to finance humanitarian imports, including medicines and medical equipment,” HRW said in its statement.
Kenneth Roth, executive director at HRW, also criticized Iran’s “brutal, self-serving” government for refusing to release wrongfully detained people in crowded prisons despite the risk of the coronavirus,” but added that "it is wrong and callous for the [U.S.] administration to compound Iranians’ misery by depriving them of access to the critical medical resources they urgently need,” he added.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Musavi reiterated Tehran’s message refusing U.S. aid on April 6, saying that "Iran has never asked and will not ask America to help Tehran in its fight against the outbreak."
Iranian authorities have been criticized for their slow initial response to the pandemic, and experts have been skeptical about the veracity of official figures released by the Iranian authorities, who keep a tight lid on local and foreign media.
On April 5, President Hassan Rohani announced that "low-risk economic activities" would resume starting April 11.
Rohani told officials at a televised meeting that two-thirds of government employees will return to working from their offices on the same date. He did not elaborate on what he meant by "low-risk activities."
Pakistan
Police in Pakistan's southwestern city of Quetta have detained dozens of doctors and other medical personnel who were protesting the lack of proper equipment in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.
Personnel from the Quetta Civil Hospital and Bolan Medical College were marching toward the provincial government building on April 6 when they were stopped by officers and detained.
Video from the operation shows some security forces beating the protesters during the police operation.
A police official was quoted as saying 30 demonstrators were arrested for defying a ban on public gatherings imposed during a lockdown to fight the spread of the coronavirus.
RFE/RL's Coverage Of COVID-19
Features and analysis, videos, and infographics explore how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting the countries in our region.
The protesters said that 12 of their colleagues who were treating patients suffering from COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, had tested positive and that they would return to their duties only after the government provides them with personal protection equipment.
The government in Balochistan Province, of which Quetta is the capital, says hospitals in the province have been fully equipped with all of the necessary items needed to battle the outbreak.
Amnesty International’s South Asia section called for the immediate release of the detained health workers and said "police must stop using excessive force.”
“Their arrests in Balochistan today are an attack on their right to peaceful protest and an affront to the risks they face,” the watchdog said.
Pakistani authorities have almost 3,300 confirmed cases of coronavirus so far, including 50 deaths.
Tajikistan
Tajik authorities say 13 people, including several health workers, have been ordered into quarantine after a patient at a rural hospital in the country’s north died from what officials said was pneumonia.
Health officials said that the group, which includes a top doctor at the Jabbor Rasulov hospital, had tested negative for COVID-19, as had the original patient whose relatives said fell ill after traveling to neighboring Kyrgyzstan for a wedding.
However, the confusion about conditions at Jabbor Rasulov hospital in Sughd Province added to mounting concern over the coronavirus situation in Tajikistan, one of the poorest countries in Central Asia.
Government authorities have said there are no registered cases in the nation, and last week, the in-country representative for the World Health Organization backed up that claim.
But Tajikistan’s health-care system is rickety and underfunded, and the country is surrounded by neighbors where coronavirus cases have been reported and increasing.
Tajikistan’s authoritarian government has also long suppressed independent media and nongovernmental civil-society groups. That’s only added to concern that authorities are either hiding the true scope of infections, or are unable to test widely in the population.
The 13 people were ordered into quarantine on April 5 and taken from the Jabbor Rasulov hospital to the Khujand regional infectious-disease facility.
Marufjon Hojiboev, the deputy head of the Sughd Provincial Health Department, told reporters on April 6 that the national laboratory in Dushanbe found negative results for COVID-19 among the 13 individuals.
Three of those under quarantine “had high fever that has since returned to normal,” Hojiboev said, and further tests would be conducted “as a routine procedure.”
Bibikhonum Darveszoda, a spokeswoman for the Tajik Health Ministry, told RFE/RL that all those put in quarantine were recovering and their lives are not in danger. She did not explain what exactly the group was recovering from, though one doctor at the Jabbor Rasulov hospital told RFE/RL that all reported fevers, and some had pain in their throats.
The patient, whose death on March 31 initially sparked concern, was identified as a 60-year-old man who lived in a village near the border with Kyrgyzstan.
Relatives of the man told RFE/RL that the man had attended a wedding in Kyrgyzstan sometime before March 21 and felt unwell after returning home to Tajikistan the same day.
Kyrgyzstan had 216 confirmed coronavirus infections as of April 6, according to official figures.
Deputy Tajik Health Minister Mirhamuddin Kamolzoda told RFE/RL that tests on the man who died were negative for the coronavirus. He added that the ministry was prepared to release those results publicly to allay any concerns.
Tajik officials came under criticism last month for celebrating Norouz, the Persian New Year, with parades and concerts, ignoring warnings by the World Health Organization against mass gatherings.
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan says it is pardoning inmates older than 65 to slow the progress of the coronavirus outbreak in the country.
President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree on the measure on April 6.
According to the decree, 176 inmates, including one Russian citizen, will be released in the coming days.
Aliyev also extended until at least April 20 the quarantine rules imposed late last month.
"The next steps will be taken in accordance with the situation," Aliyev said at the opening of a medical mask factory in Baku.
As of April 6, there were 641 coronavirus cases officially registered in Azerbaijan, including seven deaths and 44 patients who have recovered.
With reporting by RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal, Reuters, Interfax, TASS, RFE/RL's Romanian Service, digi24.ro, g4media.ro, hotnews.ro, and adevarul.ro
More News
- By AFP
Three Failed Doping Tests At Asian Games In 24 Hours, Including Uzbek Cyclist
Uzbek cyclist Aleksei Fomovsky and Philippine mountain biker Ariana Evangelista both failed doping tests at the Hangzhou Asian Games, officials said on October 4, making it three announced in 24 hours. Fomovsky, 22, who came fifth in the men's omnium points race on September 28, failed a drug test for anabolic steroids, the International Testing Agency (ITA) said. Late on October 3, the ITA and Olympic Council of Asia said that Saudi distance runner Muhammad Yousef Alasiri had also failed a drug test. So did Afghan boxer Mohammad Khaibar Nooristani, on September 28, in what was the first known case of doping at the Games.
Serbian Activist Fined For Egging Ratko Mladic Mural
A Serbian court has fined civic activist Aida Corovic 100,000 dinars ($897) for throwing eggs at a mural of convicted war criminal Ratko Mladic on the wall of a Belgrade residential building in 2021. The court said Corovic violated the law because she "threw eggs in the direction of a residential building" and insulted police officers. The UN court in The Hague sentenced the former Bosnian Serb military chief to life imprisonment for genocide and crimes against humanity. The mural by unknown authors celebrating him stood for a year and a half on a building in the city center. Civic activists removed it in May. To read the original story by RFE/RL’s Balkan Service, click here.
- By dpa
German Foreign Minister Heads To Balkans Amid Serbia-Kosovo Tensions
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock will travel to the Balkans on October 5 amid mounting tensions between Serbia and Kosovo. Baerbock will speak to leaders from Serbia and Kosovo and continue to urge both sides to de-escalate the conflict on the sidelines of a meeting in Albania of foreign ministers from the Western Balkans, a German Foreign Ministry spokesman said. Baerbock's spokesman said the situation in the region was "definitely worrying." The meetings in Albania are part of the Berlin Process, which was launched in 2014 to promote cooperation among the six West Balkan countries.
- By Reuters
Ukraine's Economy Set To Continue To Grow Next Year, IMF Official Says
Ukraine's economy is adapting well to the wartime environment following Russia's invasion and growth will continue next year, a top International Monetary Fund (IMF) official said on October 4. Natan Epstein, deputy mission chief for Ukraine, said domestic demand and strong private consumption were driving the activities. "The economy is certainly adapting to the war environment, showing remarkable resilience, and we do expect growth to continue next year," he told a media briefing. In June, the IMF forecast Ukraine's gross domestic product growth would be 1 percent-3 percent this year. Epstein said he expected growth to be closer to the upper estimate. To read the original story by Reuters, click here.
Armenia Protests Arrests Of Former Nagorno-Karabakh Leaders
The Armenian Foreign Ministry has protested the arrests of several former separatist leaders of Nagorno-Karabakh by Azerbaijan after Baku reclaimed control of the ethnic Armenian-populated breakaway region in a lightning military operation last month.
The ministry on October 4 said former de facto leaders of Nagorno-Karabakh -- Arkadi Ghukasian, Bako Sahakian, Arayik Harutiunian, Davit Ishkhanian, Ruben Vardanian, and others -- had been arrested "illegally."
"Despite the dialogue with the representatives of Nagorno-Karabakh, the statements of high-ranking officials of Azerbaijan regarding the willingness to respect and protect the rights of Armenians, not to hinder their return to Nagorno-Karabakh, and on establishment of peace in the region, the law enforcement bodies of Azerbaijan continue arbitrary arrests," a statement said.
It added that Armenia "will take all possible steps to protect the rights of illegally detained representatives of Nagorno-Karabakh, including in international courts."
The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry rejected the Armenian statement, saying it "constitutes an attempt to justify the acts committed by those who are now under arrest."
"The arrest of these persons in the process of the criminal investigation initiated under the applicable articles of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan, regarding the aggression against Azerbaijan, inciting separatism, terrorist acts, crimes against peace and humanity, as well as war crimes and other grave crimes against prisoners of war and civilians, first and foremost serves to restore justice, and to undermine the legitimacy of these actions is completely unacceptable," the Azerbaijani ministry said.
A day earlier, sources close to Azerbaijani law enforcement told RFE/RL that Harutiunian, who was the de facto leader of Nagorno-Karabakh before stepping down as president in early September, was arrested and was being transported to Baku.
The sources also said Ghukasian, who served as the separatist president from 1997 to 2007, and Sahakian, who held the job from 2007 to 2020, were also arrested along with Ishkhanian, the speaker of the separatist legislature.
Azerbaijan's State Security Service said on September 29 that it detained Davit Manukian, former deputy commander of the breakaway region's de facto armed forces, on "terrorism" charges. Two days earlier, Azerbaijan arrested Vardanian, the former de facto prime minister of Nagorno-Karabakh.
Sources close to the ethnic Armenian leadership in the region confirmed to RFE/RL on September 29 that Azerbaijani officials also detained Levon Mnatsakanian, a former commander of Nagorno-Karabakh's armed forces, at a border checkpoint with Armenia.
Notorious Criminal Kingpin Killed In Special Operation In Bishkek
BISHKEK -- Kyrgyz security officers have killed notorious organized-crime figure Kamchy Kolbaev (aka Kamchybek Asanbek), who was added by Washington to a list of major global drug-trafficking suspects in 2011.
The State Committee of National Security (UKMK) said on October 4 that Kolbaev was "liquidated" during a special operation in Bishkek after he resisted arrest and opened fire at security forces.
The 49-year-old Kolbaev, known as a "thief-in-law," a title traditionally given to kingpins among criminal groups in former Soviet republics, was detained in October 2020 on suspicion of organizing a criminal group and participating in the activities of an organized criminal group.
The U.S. Embassy in Bishkek welcomed Kolbaev's detention at the time it was announced and expressed hope that Kyrgyz authorities would "prosecute and continue to detain this dangerous criminal leader in the interest of public safety.”
However, in early March 2021, Kolbaev was released from pretrial detention and ordered not to leave Bishkek.
In late 2012, Kolbaev was extradited to Kyrgyzstan from the United Arab Emirates at Bishkek's request and sentenced to 5 1/2 years in prison on extortion charges. His prison term was later shortened to three years without explanation.
In June 2014, Kolbaev was granted an early release, which Kyrgyz officials explained by saying that each day spent by an inmate in a detention center is equal to two days in prison.
Weeks before his early release, the U.S. State Department offered a reward of up to $1 million for information leading to the disruption of the financial mechanisms of Kolbaev's criminal network, which it described as being "part of the broader Brothers' Circle transnational criminal organization composed of leaders and members of several Eurasian criminal groups."
Bulgarian Parliament Approves Agreement With Protesting Energy Workers
Bulgaria's parliament approved on October 4 an agreement with energy workers who have been protesting plans for a transition to cleaner energy. It was not immediately clear if the protesters would end their demonstration, triggered by the adoption of plans for a green transition of the coal-mining regions Stara Zagora, Pernik, and Kustendil. The plans must include a timetable for reducing the capacities of coal-burning power plants in order to be approved by the European Union. The government has now agreed it won't close coal power plants before 2038 -- a deadline that was set by the plans -- but it said it would leave it to market forces to decide which ones would remain operational until then. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Bulgarian Service, click here.
Armenian PM To Attend EU-Sponsored Talks In Spain Despite Reports Baku Won't Show
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian has said he plans to attend European Union talks scheduled for October 5 in Granada, Spain, despite reports that Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has decided not to take part in the meeting where discussions over a peace deal were expected.
Pashinian said on October 4 that the Armenian side was "very constructive and optimistic" about signing a peace agreement with Azerbaijan. But, he added, he was also ready to resign if it helps "normalize" the situation in the Caucasus country.
"We thought there was an opportunity to sign a landmark document, and in fact, until this morning, we valued that opportunity very highly," Pashinian said, calling the peace agreement-to-be "a document of turning point" that the Armenian opposition "tried to present as destructive."
Pashinian said that the Armenian delegation will "present our viewpoints" in Granada.
"Of course we are sorry that the meeting will not take place, but we hope that the conceptual document that is on the table will be signed at a convenient time," Pashinian said.
Pashinian's statement came amid reports by Azerbaijani media saying that Aliyev refused to participate in the five-party -- European Union, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Germany, France -- meeting. Aliyev's office has not confirmed the reports.
The reports said Baku proposed Turkey take part in the talks as well, but Germany and France rejected that proposal.
According to the reports, Baku will not discuss regional problems with countries located far from the South Caucasus but could take part in three-party talks between the EU, Azerbaijan, and Armenia.
The talks in Granada were scheduled after Azerbaijan routed Nagorno-Karabakh's ethnic Armenian forces in a 24-hour military campaign two weeks ago. De facto authorities of the breakaway region then agreed to dissolve their government by the end of this year.
More than 100,000 ethnic Armenians fled Nagorno-Karabakh after that, although Baku pledged to respect the rights of Armenians after the military campaign.
- By Current Time
Russian LGBT Artist Says Warrant Issued For Her, Added To Wanted List
Russian LGBT activist and artist Yulia Tsvetkova -- who is involved in a high-profile pornography case involving nude drawings and other artwork -- said a court has issued a warrant for her arrest and added her to a wanted list.
Tsvetkova, currently residing outside of Russia, wrote on Telegram on October 4 that the court seeks to have her put in pretrial detention for at least six months.
Tsvetkova left Russia in July 2022 after a court in the Far Eastern city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur acquitted her.
However, in March of this year, a court of appeals in Vladivostok canceled the acquittal and sent the case for retrial.
Tsvetkova, 30, draws women's bodies and is widely known for her advocacy of LGBT issues.
She administers a social-media page dubbed The Vagina Monologues. The pages contained drawings and other images that resembled female genitalia, which had attracted the attention of authorities.
She was charged with producing and distributing pornographic material in 2019, and prosecutors said at the time that they sought a 38-month prison sentence in the case.
Tsvetkova went on trial in April 2021 after an investigation of almost 18 months, during which she was fined for spreading LGBT "propaganda" and put under house arrest.
In May 2021, Tsvetkova launched a hunger strike to protest the case against her, accusing the state of the "cowardly" handling of her case and ruining her life, which amounted to "torture."
In June 2022, the Justice Ministry added Tsvetkova to its list of "foreign agents."
Amnesty International has said the case against Tsvetkova amounts to political repression and "Kafkaesque absurdity," adding that the artist was criminally charged with "producing pornography" simply for "drawing and publishing images of the female body and freely expressing her views through art."
In November 2022, Tsvetkova's paintings were exhibited at the Le Pangolin space in Marseille, France.
Pretrial Detention Of Suspect In Car-Bomb Attack On Russian Nationalist Writer Extended
A Moscow court extended pretrial detention until January 6, 2024, of a Ukrainian-born man suspected of carrying out a car bombing in May that wounded a prominent Russian nationalist writer. The writer, Zakhar Prilepin, an ardent supporter of Russia's military campaign in Ukraine, broke both legs in the attack. His close associate, who was in the car with him, was killed. Aleksandr Permyakov was charged with committing a "terrorist act" and illegal handling of explosives. Russia accused Ukraine's Security Service of organizing the attack, while Ukraine’s Atesh movement claimed responsibility for it. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Idel.Realities, click here.
Belgrade Court Orders Release Of Politician Accused Of Organizing Monastery Attack
A Belgrade court on October 4 ordered the release of Milan Radoicic, the top official of the main ethnic Serb political party in Kosovo, who had been detained in Serbia a day earlier for his involvement in a deadly confrontation with Kosovar police late last month.
Radoicic was detained for 48 hours on October 3 after he admitted to organizing and participating in the events that sparked the shoot-out at an Orthodox monastery in Kosovo that left four people dead.
The prosecution, which accused Radoicic of crimes against public security in connection with illegally manufacturing and trafficking weapons, had asked the court to hold him in custody, saying that there was a risk he would escape.
The court rejected the proposal on October 4 but banned Radoicic from leaving the country, confiscating his passport. The prosecution can appeal the court’s decision within three days.
In a statement read by his lawyer on September 29, Radoicic admitted that he “personally made all the logistical preparations” for the events, describing his actions as a way to “encourage Serbs” from the region to resist what he called “the terror of [Kosovo Prime Minister Albin] Kurti's regime.”
Radoicic also said that the Serbian government had no knowledge of his planning the confrontation.
Kosovo has rejected Radoicic's denial, saying Serbia was involved in the clashes, which Belgrade denies.
Kosovar Interior Minister Xhelal Svecla has told RFE/RL in an interview that Radoicic didn't act alone and said he had been “continuously supported by [Serb President Aleksandar] Vucic” and the government of Serbia.
Svecla sadi that Vucic and what he called his “extremist ideas related to the whole region” were the real culprits behind the attack on the monastery.
Radoicic is a construction tycoon as well as a top official in the main ethnic Serb political party in Kosovo, Serbian List, funded mainly by Belgrade. He was hit with sanctions by the United States and Britain in 2021 for allegedly being part of an organized crime group.
The monastery attack further raised tensions in the region at a time when European Union and U.S. officials have been pushing for a deal that would normalize ties between Serbia and Kosovo.
Trial Of 27 Kyrgyz Border-Deal Detainees Continues, With 11 Defendants Absent
BISHKEK -- The Birinchi Mai district court in Bishkek has resumed the high-profile trial of 27 politicians, journalists, and activists -- without 11 of the defendants present -- after they protested against a Kyrgyz-Uzbek border demarcation deal.
The 11 defendants who did not attend the proceedings on October 4 are being held in detention centers, while those who did attend are currently under house arrest.
The lawyers for the 11 defendants challenged the judge's decision to not allow their presence, saying it contradicted their legal rights. They demanded the judge's replacement, but the motion was denied.
The court has yet to give an official justification for the move.
The 27 members of the so-called Kempir-Abad Defense Committee, who went on trial behind closed doors on June 22, were arrested in late October last year after they protested against the Kyrgyz-Uzbek border demarcation deal that saw Kyrgyzstan in November hand over the territory of the Kempir-Abad water reservoir, which covers 4,485 hectares, to Uzbekistan in exchange for over 19,000 hectares of land elsewhere.
The majority of them were later transferred to house arrest.
Those arrested were charged with planning riots over the agreement, which was more than three decades in the making. Some of the arrested individuals were later charged with plotting a power seizure by force.
Several of them protested against their arrest and launched hunger strikes while in pretrial detention.
If convicted, the defendants face more than 10 years in prison.
There have been several rallies in Bishkek demanding their release.
Human rights organizations have also demanded the Kyrgyz government release the jailed men and women and drop all charges against them, saying they were imprisoned for expressing their thoughts and opinions.
In November 2022, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov and his Uzbek counterpart, Shavkat Mirziyoev, signed the disputed deal into law after lawmakers in both countries approved it.
The Kempir-Abad reservoir, known in Uzbekistan as the Andijon reservoir, was built in 1983. It is located in the fertile Ferghana Valley and represents a vital regional water source. Uzbekistan, whose population of 35 million is five times larger than that of Kyrgyzstan, uses most of the water from the area.
Many Kyrgyz civil activists, opposition politicians, and residents living close to the dam have been against the deal, saying Uzbekistan should continue to be allowed to use the water but that the reservoir's land should remain within Kyrgyzstan.
Japarov and his allies claim the deal benefits Kyrgyzstan and that Kyrgyz farmers will still have access to the water reservoir.
Moldova Takes Further Steps To Ban Members Of Pro-Russian Party From Local Polls
Moldovan authorities on October 4 reinforced a ban on members of an outlawed Russia-backed party taking part in upcoming local elections, in effect reversing the Constitutional Court's decision a day earlier that had scrapped the interdiction.
Moldova's Exceptional Situations Committee (CSE) decided that members of the Shor Party who are charged, indicted, or even under suspicion of committing criminal acts will not be allowed to run in the polls, scheduled for November 5.
The CSE, which is led by Prime Minister Dorin Recean and comprises several cabinet members as well as intelligence agency chiefs and prominent lawmakers, was initially established to deal with the emergency situation declared due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Constitutional Court, which had outlawed the Shor Party in June amid moves by Moldova to reduce Russia's influence, ruled on October 3 that legislation approved by lawmakers in July banning party members from running for office for five years was unconstitutional.
The court's decision came following a complaint against the ban by members of the disbanded party, which was headed by exiled businessman Ilan Shor, who is accused by the West and the Moldovan government of trying to destabilize the country.
Wedged between Ukraine, Romania, and the Black Sea, Moldova has often found itself in the center of a struggle for influence between Moscow and the West.
The situation has intensified since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, especially with the Kremlin-backed breakaway region of Transdniester on its eastern border. Russia still keeps more than 1,000 troops in Transdniester as "peacekeepers."
The United States in June imposed sanctions on seven members of a group linked to Shor for their alleged roles in Moscow's campaign to destabilize Moldova and instigate an insurrection.
Shor, who is suspected of involvement in a $1 billion bank fraud and other illicit schemes, fled to Israel following the election of Moldova's pro-Western President Maia Sandu in 2020.
From abroad, he has organized months of anti-government protests with the aim of toppling Sandu and the reformist government that has been critical of Russia's war in Ukraine.
Russian Journalist Who Famously Protested Ukraine War On Live TV Sentenced For Second Protest
Former Russian TV journalist Marina Ovsyannikova has been sentenced in absentia to 8 1/2 years in prison for an anti-war demonstration she made in front of the Kremlin last year.
Ovsyannikova first shot to global attention in March 2022 when she protested Russia's invasion of Ukraine by interrupting a live news broadcast.
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 Basmanny district court pronounced the sentence on October 4 after finding Ovsyannikova guilty of distributing "false information" about Russian armed forces involved in the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, saying she was "motivated by political hatred."
The case against Ovsyannikova was launched in July last year after she unfolded a poster near the Kremlin saying: "Putin Is A Murderer, His Soldiers Are Fascists," with photos of Ukrainian children killed during attack by Russia's armed forces against Ukrainian civilians.
She was placed under house arrest in August after police searched her apartment in the Russian capital but fled the country in October with her 11-year-old daughter after a Moscow court ruled that the young girl must stay with her father because her mother "is involved in political activities."
The couple was divorced years before the protest actions.
The Interior Ministry then added Ovsyannikova to its wanted list, saying that she violated the conditions of her house arrest.
Ovsyannikova gained international recognition on March 14, 2022, when she burst onto the set of Channel One's Vremya news program holding a poster reading: “Stop the war. Don’t believe propaganda. They are lying to you,” in Russian. She also shouted: "Stop the war! No to war!"
The Ukraine-born Ovsyannikova was a producer with Channel One at the time of her protest. She was later detained and fined 30,000 rubles ($300) by a court for calling for illegal protests.
A law signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin in March last year -- well after Ovsyannikova's first protest but before her second demonstration -- provides for lengthy prison terms for distributing "deliberately false information" about Russian military operations.
Ovsyannikova resigned from Channel One and spent several months abroad, including in Ukraine, repeatedly expressing her condemnation of the war.
Russia refers to the full-scale conflict in Ukraine, which it launched in February 2022, as a "special military operation." It is forbidden to publicly call it a war and those who do face stiff penalties, including lengthy sentences.
Zelenskiy Vows Ukrainians Will 'Do Everything' To Defeat Russia As U.K. Urges Aid 'To Finish The Job'
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has said Ukrainians will "do everything" in their power to prevail over invading Russian forces despite all difficulties as Britain urged the West to beef up its military assistance to help Ukraine "finish the job."
"There is fatigue but we will do everything to win against the enemy, and our counteroffensive goes ahead, even if slowly we do everything to repel the enemy," Zelenskiy told Italian news station SkyTg24 on October 4.
Zelenskiy also said Russia was weaker than at the start of the invasion in February 2022 and was trying to freeze the conflict.
He thanked Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni for Italy's support for Ukraine and mentioned his "personal relationship and human relationship [with Meloni] based on shared values."
Despite growing signs of war fatigue in the U.S. Congress and in some European Union countries, Zelenskiy said Kyiv felt support from Washington and that he hoped to discuss with EU leaders ways to improve Ukraine's air defenses ahead of the cold season, when fresh Russian strikes are expected on the country's energy infrastructure.
In Britain, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on October 4 urged Western allies to continue supplying Ukraine with weapons.
"I say this to our allies: If we give President Zelenskiy the tools, the Ukrainians will finish the job," Sunak told the Conservative Party conference in northern England.
Earlier on October 4, air-raid alerts sounded across Ukraine's south, east, and center on October 4 amid reports of explosions in the southern region of Dnipropetrovsk, as Moscow claimed that it had "destroyed" swarms of Ukrainian drones over three Russian areas.
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.
There was little initial information about the blasts that were reported in Kryviy Rih. Alerts were declared early in the day in Odesa, Mykolayiv, and the Kherson regions, regional officials said.
Russia's Defense Ministry said its air defenses shot down 31 Ukrainian drones overnight and prevented the landing in Crimea of a Ukrainian speedboat carrying a commando team.
"Air-defense systems intercepted and destroyed 31 Ukrainian aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicles over the Belgorod, Bryansk, and Kursk regions," the ministry said on Telegram on October 4.
"Russian aircraft prevented an attempt to penetrate the territory of Crimea by a Ukrainian landing group traveling in the direction of Cape Tarkhankut on a high-speed military boat and three jet skis," it said.
The information could not be independently confirmed.
Russia, which has launched countless deadly drone and missile attacks on Ukrainian cities and energy infrastructure since the start of its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, has been in recent months subjected itself to increasingly frequent aerial and naval drone strikes targeting regions close to the border and even Moscow.
On the battlefield, Ukrainian forces have been engaged in heavy fighting with Russian troops in the east and south, the military said, amid a seesaw of offensive and defensive actions by both sides in the Donetsk, Kharkiv, and Zaporizhzhya regions.
Offensive operations were under way in the Melitopol area of Zaporizhzhya and Bakhmut in Donetsk, the General Staff reported early on October 4, adding that Ukrainian forces also repelled Russian counterattacks near Bakhmut.
"During the past 24 hours, 43 close-quarter battles took place along the front line," it said.
Meanwhile, U.S. President Joe Biden spoke by phone with key allies to reassure them that the United States will stand fast on Ukraine after funding for U.S. aid to help Kyiv's war effort was dropped from a stopgap spending measure passed by Congress over the weekend.
Poland's President Andrzej Duda said Biden assured allies of continued U.S. support for Ukraine and of his strong conviction that Congress will not walk away. Biden explained the situation after Congress passed and he signed legislation that keeps the U.S. government funded through mid-November but that excluded billions of dollars to help Ukraine in its fight against Russia.
"He assured us that there is backing for the continuing support for Ukraine, first of all for the military support. He said that he will get that backing in the Congress,” Duda said at a news conference.
Duda said Biden called on allies to continue their support for Ukraine and that all the leaders assured him that they would.
"All of us...are determined to continue supporting Ukraine,” Duda said.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on X, the social media platform formerly called Twitter, that it was a “good call," adding that "we are all committed to supporting #Ukraine for as long as it takes.”
Others joining Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the call were the leaders of Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan, Romania, Britain, the European Commission, and the European Council. France’s foreign minister also participated, the White House said.
While Biden told the leaders he is "confident" that Congress will agree to fund new assistance for Ukraine, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby warned that U.S. aid will only last "perhaps a couple of months or so," adding that it is vital to help Kyiv's slow-moving counteroffensive before winter sets in.
"Time is not our friend," Kirby told reporters. "We have enough funding authorities to meet Ukraine's battlefields needs for a bit longer, but we need Congress to act."
With reporting by Reuters, AP, and AFP
France Agrees To Start Delivering Military Equipment To Armenia
France is ready to begin deliveries of military equipment to Armenia to beef up its defense capabilities, French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna said on a visit to Yerevan on October 3. Colonna's visit came after Azerbaijan's lightning offensive last month that gave it total control over Nagorno-Karabakh and triggered a massive exodus of ethnic Armenians from the breakaway region into Armenia. Colonna declined to give details but added that she has asked the European Union's chief diplomat, Josep Borrell, to expand the EU mission in the region and proposed including Armenia in an EU peace mechanism similar to that implemented by the bloc in Moldova. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Armenian Service, click here.
Reports: More Former Separatist Leaders Of Nagorno-Karabakh Arrested
Authorities in Azerbaijan reportedly have arrested more former separatist leaders of Nagorno-Karabakh after Baku reclaimed control of the ethnic Armenian-populated breakaway region in a lightning military operation last month.
Arayik Harutiunian, who led the region before stepping down as president at the beginning of September, was arrested and was being transported to the Azerbaijani capital, sources confirmed to RFE/RL on October 3.
Arkadi Gukasian, who served as the separatist president from 1997 to 2007, and Bako Sahakian, who held the job from 2007 to 2020, were also arrested along with the speaker of the separatist legislature, Davit Ishkhanian.
Gukasian, Sahakian, and Ishkhanian have already been transported to Baku, sources told RFE/RL. The arrests have not been officially confirmed.
The arrests follow the detention of other officials by Azerbaijan's State Security Service (DTX). The DTX said on September 29 that it detained Davit Manukian, a former deputy commander of the breakaway region's de facto armed forces, on "terrorism" charges. Two days earlier, Azerbaijan arrested the former de facto prime minister of Nagorno-Karabakh, billionaire Ruben Vardanian.
Sources close to ethnic Armenian de facto authorities in the region confirmed to RFE/RL on September 29 that Azerbaijani officials also detained Levon Mnatsakanian, a former commander of Nagorno-Karabakh's separatist armed forces, at a border checkpoint with Armenia.
Other leaders of Nagorno-Karabakh have arrived safely in Armenia, according to State Minister Artur Harutiunian. He told RFE/RL on October 3 that he arrived in Armenia through the Azerbaijani checkpoint accompanied by the director of the National Security Service (NSS), Ararat Melkumian, Internal Affairs Minister Karen Sarkisian, and the head of the presidential administration Karen Shahramanian.
Artur Harutiunian did not comment on the detention of the former presidents and the speaker of parliament, saying only that when they were escorted out, they were still in Stepanakert.
Other details could not be verified because communications with Nagorno-Karabakh have been disrupted.
Although Baku pledged to respect the rights of ethnic Armenians after the military campaign, most of the population have fled the region fearing reprisals after three decades of separatist rule.
The UN mission has sent a mission to Nagorno-Karabakh to assess humanitarian needs in the region, but an Armenian official complained on October 3 that it “has done everything possible to legitimize ethnic cleansing, illegal arrests, destruction of civil infrastructure and other crimes carried out by Azerbaijan."
Edmon Marukian, Armenian ambassador-at-large, said the people in the mission “discredit the UN as an institution."
Marukian made the comments on X, formerly Twitter, but they were later deleted.
Armenia has also filed a lawsuit with the UN International Court of Justice (ICJ) to prevent the targeting of ethnic Armenians.
The lawsuit says Yerevan expects that Baku will "refrain from taking punitive measures against current or former political representatives or military personnel of Nagorno-Karabakh."
After The Exodus: Azerbaijan Seizes A Lifeless Nagorno-Karabakh
Nagorno-Karabakh, which along with seven adjacent districts had been under ethnic Armenian control for nearly three decades prior to the war in 2020, is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan.
The 2020 war ended with a Russian-brokered cease-fire, under which Moscow deployed about 2,000 troops to the region to serve as peacekeepers.
Azerbaijan’s presidential office said the country has presented a plan for the “reintegration” of ethnic Armenians in the region, noting that “the equality of rights and freedoms, including security, is guaranteed to everyone regardless of their ethnic, religious or linguistic affiliation.”
With reporting by AP and Reuters
- By AFP
Teenager In Coma After Morality Police Apprehend Her In Tehran, Rights Group Says
An Iranian teenager is in a coma at a hospital and under heavy security after an assault on the Tehran subway, a rights group said on October 3. The rights group Hengaw said the teenager, Armita Garawand, had been severely injured after being apprehended by agents of the so-called morality police. Iranian authorities denied security forces were involved and said the girl fainted due to low blood pressure. Iran remains on high alert just over a year after the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, who had been arrested for allegedly wearing a hijab, or head scarf, improperly.
- By Reuters
Russia Plans To Block VPN In March 2024, Member Of Federation Council Says
Artyom Sheikin, a member of the Russian parliament's Federation Council, said on October 3 that the country’s Roskomnadzor media watchdog plans to block virtual private networks (VPNs) across the country as of March 1, 2024. As Russian authorities have introduced dramatic restrictions to increasing numbers of independent websites to block the flow of information related to Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, demand for VPN services significantly increased among Internet users. Sheikin emphasized that it was "especially important" to block access to Meta Platforms, which owns Instagram, WhatsApp, and Facebook.
To read the original story by Reuters, click here.
- By AFP
Romania To Send Troops To Bolster NATO Kosovo Force
Romania says it will send some 100 troops to bolster NATO's peacekeeping force in Kosovo after mounting tensions with Serbia. Romania's NATO Ambassador said on October 3 that Bucharest would add a "contingent at company level" to the KFOR peacekeepers after a decision by the Western alliance to bolster the deployment. NATO member Britain last week said it would deploy some 600 troops to reinforce KFOR. The moves came after an armed attack on September 24 that killed a Kosovar police officer and three attackers. Kosovo's government has accused Belgrade of backing the operation.
Pakistani Government Orders All Migrants Living In Country Illegally To Leave By November 1
Pakistan has issued an order requiring all people living illegally in the country to leave by November 1. Caretaker Interior Minister Sarfarz Bugti said that businesses and properties of foreign nationals living illegally in Pakistan will be confiscated if they do not leave Pakistan. Bugti said the crackdown would apply to all nationalities but was not aimed at Afghans, though the vast majority of migrants in the country are Afghans. A government statement said the new policy was endorsed on October 3 during a high-level meeting of Pakistani political leaders and the country’s powerful military. To read the story on RFE/RL’s Radio Mashaal, click here.
Armenian Envoy Objects To Dodik's Praise For Azerbaijani Military Action In Nagorno-Karabakh
The Armenian ambassador to the Czech Republic, Serbia, and Bosnia-Herzegovina has expressed “deep regret and disgust” over Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik’s praise for the recent Azerbaijani offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh. In a letter to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Dodik expressed respect for Aliyev's recent military action, saying the settlement of the dispute over Nagorno-Karabakh was “thanks to his wisdom and courage." Ambassador Ashot Hovakimian responded in an open letter saying the “almost complete ethnic cleansing of the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh…is not a move that deserves the praise of the international community [or] the president of Republika Srpska." To read the full story on RFE/RL’s Balkan Service, click here.
Kyrgyz, Tajik Officials Sign Protocol On Disputed Border Areas, But Don't Give Details
Kyrgyz and Tajik officials meeting to discuss the delimitation and demarcation of disputed border areas between the two countries said they had signed a protocol amid claims that progress was made on the issue, though no details were disclosed.
Saimumin Yatimov, the chairman of the State Committee for National Security of Tajikistan, said the deal had been signed on October 2 in Batken, Kyrgyzstan. The two Central Asian countries have been meeting for months in an effort to resolve border disputes that have led to deadly clashes between them in recent years.
"Conflicts are always less [important] than [historical ties]. That's why we have signed Protocol No. 44," said Yatimov. "We will diligently and constructively implement it step by step, aiming to reach a comprehensive and fundamental agreement in the shortest possible time."
Kamchybek Tashiev, the chairman of Kyrgyzstan's Committee for National Security, said in a statement that the protocol "provides a basis for resolving all border issues."
“God willing, we will soon decide to define the state borders. We have decided that our commissions will operate continuously [on this issue]. Our decision today will lead to peace and stability at the border, and our people will live in friendship and harmony,” he added.
The most disputed areas between two countries are the land surrounding Vorukh, an enclave of Tajik territory within Kyrgyzstan. Bishkek maintains that the road leading to the enclave, Tort-Kocho, is part of Kyrgyzstan -- as it is internationally recognized -- while Dushanbe considers it as its own.
The border between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan is approximately 975 kilometers long. The delimitation and demarcation process began in 2002 and, as of 2020, some 519 kilometers had been defined. To show the progress made since then, at a meeting last year between Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov and his Tajik counterpart, Emomali Rahmon, the sides said some 664 kilometers of the border had been defined.
But that total was contradicted by Rahmon in January when he said that 63 percent of the border -- roughly 614 kilometers -- had been demarcated as work on the remaining border was ongoing. Special commissions from each country continue to negotiate the disputed areas.
In Kyrgyz-Tajik border clashes in September 2022, Kyrgyz officials said 63 of its citizens had been killed, while Tajikistan reported a death toll of 41 people. After speaking with relatives and friends of those killed during the clashes, RFE/RL's Tajik Service reported that 81 Tajik citizens had lost their lives.
Kyrgyz and Tajik authorities accused each other of aggression after the two sides used heavy artillery and mortars in the clashes.
Biden Calls Allies To Reassure U.S. Aid Will Continue As Zelenskiy Visits Frontline Troops In East
U.S. President Joe Biden spoke by phone with key allies on October 3 to reassure them that the Washington will stand fast on Ukraine after funding for U.S. aid to help Kyiv's war effort was dropped from a stopgap spending measure passed by Congress over the weekend.
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 call came as President Volodymyr Zelenskiy traveled to the front line in eastern Ukraine's regions of Kharkiv and Donetsk where he met with troops engaged in fighting with attacking Russian forces.
Poland's President Andrzej Duda said Biden assured allies of continued U.S. support for Ukraine and of his strong conviction that Congress will not walk away. Biden explained the situation after Congress passed and he signed legislation that keeps the U.S. government funded through mid-November but which excluded billions of dollars to help Ukraine in its fight against Russia.
"He assured us that there is backing for the continuing support for Ukraine, first of all for the military support. He said that he will get that backing in the Congress,” Duda said at a news conference in Kielce, Poland.
Duda said Biden called on the allies to continue their support for Ukraine and that all the leaders assured him that they would.
"All of us...are determined to continue supporting Ukraine,” Duda said.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on X, the social media platform formerly called Twitter, that it was a “good call," adding that "we are all committed to supporting #Ukraine for as long as it takes.”
Others joining Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the call were the leaders of Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan, Romania, Britain, the European Commission, and the European Council. France’s foreign minister also participated, the White House said.
While Biden told the leaders that he is "confident" Congress will agree to fund new assistance for Ukraine, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby warned that U.S. aid will only last "perhaps a couple of months or so," adding that it is vital to help Kyiv's slow-moving counteroffensive before winter sets in.
"Time is not our friend," Kirby told reporters. "We have enough funding authorities to meet Ukraine's battlefields needs for a bit longer, but we need Congress to act.
Biden made the call after reports that Zelenskiy had visited brigades fighting in one of the hot spots of the war, the Kupyansk-Lyman direction "where Russian occupiers constantly attempt to attack our positions," Zelenskiy said.
"We met with brigade and battalion commanders to discuss the battlefield situation, pressing issues, and needs," he said on X, adding, "I thank them for their service!"
Zelenskiy's visit to the front line came as fighting continued in the south and east, where Ukrainian and Russian forces have been engaged for months in close-quarters combat operations.
In the southern region of Kherson, Russian shelling killed two people and wounded seven others over the past 24 hours, regional Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said on Telegram on October 3.
"The Russian military targeted residential areas in the region, educational institutions, a church, the headquarters of a humanitarian organization, a shopping center, an auto center, a factory and a critical infrastructure facility in Kherson [city]," Prokudin said.
Kherson, which was partially liberated by Ukrainian troops one year ago, has been constantly targeted by Russian shelling from across the Dnieper River.
Russia also launched a fresh wave of Iranian-made drones on the Mykolayiv and Dnipropetrovsk regions overnight, Ukraine's air defense said early on October 3, adding that it had shot down 29 out of the 31 drones. One Russian cruise missile was also destroyed, the air defense said.
Ukraine's southern command said the attack lasted more than three hours.
In the town of Pavlohrad, in Dnipropetrovsk region, a Russian drone struck an industrial enterprise, causing a fire, regional Governor Serhiy Lysak said on Telegram.
"The fire has already been extinguished, but there is destruction among the production facilities," Lysak said.
On the battlefield, Ukrainian forces fought 35 close-quarter battles over the past 24 hours as they pressed with an offensive in the Bakhmut area of the eastern Donetsk region and in the direction of the southern city of Melitopol, the General Staff of the Ukrainian military said in its daily report on October 3.
With reporting by Reuters, AP, and AFP
Moldova's Constitutional Court Allows Members of Banned Pro-Russian Party Shor To Run In Elections
Moldova's Constitutional Court said on October 3 that members of the Russia-backed Shor party can take part in local elections next month, less than four months after it banned the organization. The decision comes after a complaint by members of the party, which is headed by exiled businessman Ilan Shor and is accused by the West and the Moldovan government of trying to destabilize the country, against a law that prevents its leaders from running in elections for a period of five years. In June, the Constitutional Court declared Shor “unconstitutional” and dissolved it amid moves by Moldova to reduce the influence of Russia. To read the original story by RFE/RL’s Moldovan Service, click here.
Editors' Picks
Top Trending
'Messianic' Putin Fell Victim To His Own Propaganda, Says Veteran Journalist
2Putin, Medvedev Combine Spin With Threats On Anniversary Of Unilateral Annexations In Ukraine
3U.S. Urges Serbia To Pull Back Large Military Deployment Along Border With Kosovo
4Pristina Says Evidence Shows Serbia Planned To Seize Northern Kosovo After Attack
5Russian Ruble Weakens Past 100 To The Dollar
6War In Ukraine Poses 'Terrible Threat' For Russia's Saami People, But Solutions Are Few
7Ukraine Says Its Forces Repelled Attacks, Inflicted Losses Across Front Line
8Slovakia: An Election Result That Embodies Ukraine Fatigue
9Controversial New Russian History Textbook Opens Old Wounds In North Caucasus
10Chinese Drones Flow To Training Centers Linked To Russian War In Ukraine
Subscribe
