We know you're busy and probably don't have the time to read all of our coverage each and every day. That's why we've put together The Week's Best. Here are some of the highlights produced in English by RFE/RL's vast team of correspondents, multimedia editors, and visual journalists over the past seven days.
Genocide Scholar: What Russia Is Doing In Ukraine Is 'Genocidal'
Western officials gathered in The Hague on April 2 to discuss efforts to prosecute alleged Russian war crimes committed by its forces in Ukraine. Can those crimes be considered genocide? By Dragan Stavljanin
Father Of Moscow Attack Suspect Says Son Said He Was Coming Home
Barotali Mirzoev says his son told the family two days before the Crocus City Hall attack near Moscow that he was returning home to Tajikistan. Dalerjon Mirzoev, who had been working in Russia since last October, is one of four Tajik men accused of carrying out the attack on March 22 in which 144 people were killed. By RFE/RL's Tajik Service and Sarvinoz Ruhulloh
Russia 'Punishes' Tajik Migrants With Entry Denials, Deportations After Terror Attack
Many Tajik migrants have been denied entry to Russia or deported from the country without explanation, while others report being beaten by police as antimigrant sentiment rises in the wake of the March 22 terrorist attack in Moscow. But despite the difficult situation in Russia, many migrants say they will stay as they have no better alternative. By Farangis Najibullah and RFE/RL's Tajik Service
Exclusive: Russian Prisoner Released To Fight In Ukraine Implicated In Murder, Attempted Rape Of Civilians
An investigation by Current Time reveals that a Russian soldier who allegedly murdered two civilians and attempted to rape another in occupied southern Ukraine in 2022 is one of the many thousands of Russian convicts the Kremlin has enlisted to fight in the full-scale invasion. By Iryna Romaliyska and Baktygul Chynybaeva
Secret Spy Weapons Of The Cold War
Several devices designed during the Cold War to kill, injure, or record adversaries might have been dismissed as urban legends if examples had not been documented in photos. By Amos Chapple
Ukrainian Medics Near Avdiyivka Face Steady Stream Of Wounded
As Russian troops continue to grind past Avdiyivka, Ukrainian soldiers trying to hold the defensive line are suffering casualties and medics are scrambling to save their lives. At one emergency treatment center near the front line, crisis care is needed most often in the evenings, as RFE/RL correspondent Maryan Kushnir learned. By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, Maryan Kushnir, and Will Tizard
Navalny Street In The Hague? Some Dutch And Russians Call For A Lasting Tribute
Mourners in many countries created temporary memorials to Aleksei Navalny after his death in a Russian prison in February. In the Netherlands, activists are trying to honor the opposition leader in a permanent way: by renaming the street that hosts the Russian Embassy after Navalny. They've collected tens of thousands of signatures, though some locals question whether officials in The Hague will approve the politically provocative change. By Current Time
Government Under Fire As Kazakh Regions Go Under Water
More than 15,000 people in Kazakhstan have been evacuated in massive flooding that has directed public anger towards officials -- who have admitted they were unprepared for such a large-scale catastrophe. In the long term, experts say, the country must find ways to direct precious meltwater for use during increasingly drought-struck summer months. By Chris Rickleton and RFE/RL's Kazakh Service
Could Taliban Canal Spark Water War In Central Asia?
The Taliban-led government is pushing forward with the ambitious Qosh Tepa canal project despite concerns over its impact. The waterway taps the Amu Darya River, a key water source that runs through Afghanistan and Central Asia. While Afghan farmers await a potential agricultural boon, neighboring states Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan have expressed concern over possible damage to water security and farming in the area. By RFE/RL's Radio Azadi and Austin Malloy
