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.
Aleksei Navalny, Dogged Anti-Corruption Crusader And Outspoken Kremlin Foe
Russian opposition activist Aleksei Navalny: an unyielding Putin critic noted for his courage and his devotion to nonviolent resistance and democracy. Through years of persecution and prison, his message to Russians has stayed the same: "I am not afraid, and you shouldn’t be either." By Robert Coalson
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Aleksei Navalny, Putin's Staunchest Critic, Reportedly Found Dead In Russian Prison
What The Fall Of Hungary's President Says About Orban's Grip On The Country
Hungarian President Katalin Novak resigned over the weekend following public outrage over her pardon of a man convicted of being an accessory to child sex abuse. The scandal has shaken Hungary and its ruling elite and hints at looming challenges for Prime Minister Viktor Orban and his Fidesz party. By Andy Heil and RFE/RL's Hungarian Service
Crew Of Seized 'Putin's Yacht' Scrambles To Confront RFE/RL Reporters
RFE/RL reporters found themselves pursued by a drone and questioned by police after getting close to a $700 million superyacht believed to be owned by Russian President Vladimir Putin. The 140-meter luxury ship Scheherazade was seized by Italy in May 2022 as part of EU sanctions over Russia's invasion of Ukraine. A U.S. federal court case over superyacht seizures is pending and investigative journalists have alleged that Putin's ownership is being concealed behind a straw owner. Eduard Khudainatov, the former CEO of Russian energy giant Rosneft, says he is the owner of the Scheherazade -- and two other seized superyachts linked to oligarchs. By RFE/RL's Russian Service, Mark Krutov, and Will Tizard
Closing The Kloop: Kyrgyzstan's Media Crackdown Becomes Farcical As Leading Journalism Foundation Shuttered
Kyrgyzstan's civil society and free press have traditionally been the most vibrant in Central Asia. But that has changed in recent years amid a deepening government crackdown. By Chris Rickleton and RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service
In Plain Sight: The Gradual Disappearance Of An Armenian Church In Central Tbilisi
An Armenian church that was once one of Tbilisi's most prominent landmarks is slowly falling to bits in full view of the Georgian capital's inhabitants. By RFE/RL’s Georgian Service
What's Next After Pakistan's Inconclusive Elections?
Rival political parties are in talks to form a coalition government after no clear winner emerged from the February 8 general elections. Experts say the most likely outcome is a coalition between former premier Nawaz Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and the Pakistan People's Party. By Abubakar Siddique
Sprung From Prison, Russian Ex-Convicts Recount Defection To Ukraine
Two Russian prisoners, Vladislav and Mikhail, joined mercenary groups when they were given the chance to fight in Ukraine rather than serve out their sentences. After fighting in conditions that seemed to promise certain death, both surrendered to Ukrainian forces -- then returned to battle as part of the Russian Volunteer Corps, a paramilitary unit fighting for Ukraine. By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, Taras Levchenko, and Margot Buff
'Sad, Shameful, And Terrifying': Anti-War Russians Fear Expulsion From Serbia
After signing an open letter critical of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Yelena Koposova had her application for residency in Serbia rejected on "security" grounds. Now other anti-war Russians in Serbia fear they could be next. By Iva Martinovic
In Kharkiv, Constant Shelling Takes Its Toll On Families -- And Their Dogs
Kharkiv, in northeastern Ukraine, has come under daily attack by Russian forces for the past two months. The fighting is taking a heavy toll on animals as well as people. Families describe their pets cowering in fear from the sound of shelling, while local shelters try to treat injured dogs and find the owners of lost pets that have fled the explosions. By Current Time
Turkmenistan Conducting Virginity Tests To 'Evaluate Teenagers' Morality'
Female students in western Turkmenistan are being forced to take virginity tests to check their “morality” and prevent teen pregnancies. Those who “fail” the controversial examination are being reported to security services. By RFE/RL’s Turkmen Service
Crime And Punishment In Communist Hungary
Hundreds of images made by police photographers in Budapest in the early 1970s have been released by the Hungarian photo archive Fortepan. They offer a rare glimpse into the underbelly of life during communist Hungary’s “normalization” period after the crushing of the 1956 revolution. By Amos Chapple
