News
U.S. To Sanction Russian Vessel Building Nord Stream 2 Gas Pipeline In Baltic Sea
The United States plans to sanction a Russian vessel as it seeks to stop the completion of a controversial natural gas export pipeline to Europe.
The administration of outgoing President Donald Trump told government officials in Berlin and other European capitals on January 18 that the sanctions on the Fortuna ship would go into effect the following day under existing legislation known as CAATSA.
The sanctions would punish any European company that helps Fortuna complete the Nord Stream 2 project, which is designed to carry natural gas from Russia to Germany across the Baltic seabed.
The United States opposes the project, claiming it would strengthen the Kremlin’s grip on the European energy market while undermining Ukraine’s security and economy.
The pipeline would reroute natural gas destined for Europe around Ukraine, depriving Kyiv of billions of dollars in annual transit fees.
The German government expressed disappointment over the U.S. decision.
"We're taking note of the announcement with regret," an Economy Ministry spokesman in Berlin said.
The United States in December 2019 passed legislation sanctioning any vessel building the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, forcing Swiss-based AllSeas to forgo its work on the project with more than 90 percent completed.
Russia is now seeking to finish the project with its own ships, prompting the United States to impose a wider array of sanctions.
The new sanctions will take effect one day before Trump leaves office.
President-elect Joe Biden, who is expected to take a tougher stance on Russia than his predecessor, has expressed opposition to the pipeline in the past.
However, he has said he will seek to improve relations with European allies, including Germany.
Based on reporting by Handelsblatt and Reuters
- By RFE/RL
Turkmen Journalist Achilova Among Finalists For Top Human Rights Prize
A 71-year-old Turkmen journalist has been nominated among three finalists for a prestigious human rights award for her reports from Turkmenistan, one of the most repressive countries in the world.
The Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders in Geneva said on January 18 that Soltan Achilova "documents the human rights abuses and social issues affecting the Turkmen people in their daily lives."
The jury composed of 10 activist groups, including Amnesty International, recognized Achilova's work in a country where "freedom of speech is inexistent and independent journalists work at their own peril."
"Despite the repressive environment and personal hardships, she is one of the very few reporters in the country daring to sign independent articles," the statement said.
Based in Ashgabat, Achilova is a contributor to the Vienna-based independent news website Khronika Turkmenistana (Chronicles of Turkmenistan), which focuses on news and developments in Turkmenistan.
She has in the past worked as a reporter for RFE/RL’s Turkmen Service.
Turkmen authorities, who don’t tolerate an independent press, have targeted the journalist for her work.
Achilova has been detained by police and physically assaulted by officers, thugs, and other unidentified assailants, while her relatives had also come under pressure by the authorities.
The two other nominees for the Martin Ennals Award are leading Saudi advocate for women’s rights Loujain Al-Hathloul and Chinese lawyer and human rights activist Yu Wensheng. Both of them are currently in jail.
The statement said that the award ceremony "will celebrate their courage" during an online event co-hosted by the city of Geneva on February 11.
Ice Hockey Federation Pulls World Championship From Minsk Over Security Concerns
MINSK -- The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) says it has decided to move the 2021 World Championship from Minsk due to safety and security issues that are "beyond its control."
The January 18 announcement comes amid mounting pressure from European countries and sponsors for Belarus to be stripped of its role as co-host of the tournament in May-June with Latvia because of an ongoing crackdown by authorities following a disputed election last year.
Losing the tournament is a further blow to strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka, who has cultivated an image as a jock, regularly taking to the ice to play hockey, his favorite sporting pastime.
"The IIHF Council has determined that it is currently impossible to ensure the welfare of teams, spectators, and officials while holding a World Championship in Belarus," it said in a statement.
"It is a very regrettable thing to have to remove the Minsk/Riga co-hosting bid," said IIHF President Rene Fasel, adding: "During this process, we had tried to promote that the World Championship could be used as a tool for reconciliation to help calm the socio-political issues happening in the Belarus and find a positive way forward."
While the championship "should not be used for political promotion by any side," the council "acknowledged that hosting this event in Minsk would not be appropriate when there are bigger issues to deal with and the safety and security of teams, spectators, and officials to prioritize," Fazel said.
Belarus's opposition and many European countries, including Latvia, have been calling for the IIHF to cancel Minsk’s involvement because of Lukashenka’s violent crackdown on protesters who dispute August elections that kept him in power.
Czech carmaker Skoda Auto and other companies have warned they would not sponsor the championship if the event was held in Belarus.
Concerns have also been voiced about the country's ability to control the coronavirus pandemic.
Belarusian opposition leader Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya called the decision to withdraw hosting rights "a very wise step – to support human rights & fair sport, not to cooperate with the regime in Belarus."
"We are grateful that the voices of Belarusians were heard," she tweeted
Writing on her Telegram channel, Tsikhanouskaya dubbed the IIHF decision a "victory,” saying “there will be no additional wave of repression" aimed at clearing out demonstrators ahead of the 2021 World Championship.
Swimmer Aliaksandra Herasimenia, a three-time Olympic medalist who heads the Belarusian Sport Solidarity Foundation, said the decision "restored the Belarusian community's faith in justice."
"Sporting events cannot be held in countries where violence and torture are used against civilians," she said in a statement.
Czech Foreign Minister Tomas Petricek, a fierce critic of Minsk hosting the competition, tweeted: "Democracy 1, Lukashenko 0."
The IIHF said the council must now “consider the status of Latvia as a co-host, and will also evaluate the possibility of moving to a single-venue format to facilitate COVID-19 safety regulations and team travel.”
Denmark and Slovakia have been named as possible hosts or Latvia could stage the world championship on its own.
Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics said his country would "honor its commitment" and was "ready to evaluate" how it could host the entire event.
- By RFE/RL
Watchdog Calls On Turkey To Halt Expulsion Of Iranian Journalist
A media watchdog has called on Turkey to halt the expulsion of an Iranian journalist sentenced to prison for alleged activities against the regime after criticizing Tehran's response to the coronavirus pandemic.
The U.S-based Committee To Protect Journalists (CPJ) said in a statement on January 18 that Mohammad Mosaed contacted the group a day earlier saying he had been detained by Turkish border police after crossing into Turkey from Iran at the eastern border city of Van.
Mosaed told the CPJ that he fled to Turkey after being summoned by Iranian authorities to begin serving his prison sentence in two days’ time.
He said the Turkish police took him to hospital for medical treatment, and told him he would soon be handed back to Iranian border guards.
Mosaed was sentenced in August by an Iranian court to four years and nine months in prison on charges of "colluding against national security" and "spreading propaganda against the system" after posting a tweet critical of the government's tackling of the outbreak.
The CPJ at the time described the ruling as a further attempt by Iranian authorities to try to "suppress the truth."
Mosaed was first detained in November 2019 in connection with messages he had posted on social media during an Internet shutdown implemented by the government amid widespread protests over high gas prices.
He was honored with the CPJ’s 2020 International Press Freedom Award in November.
“We believe that Mohammad Mosaed has a well-founded fear of persecution should he be returned to Iran,” said CPJ Middle East and North Africa Coordinator Sherif Mansour said in the statement.
"We urge Turkish authorities to respect their obligations under international law; to refrain from deporting Mosaed; to consider any request for political asylum that Mosaed may make; and to assure Mosaed's rights are protected through due process of law."
CPJ said phone messages to the office of the Turkish province of Van, where Mosaed is being detained, were not immediately returned.
Russian Authorities Say 'Coronavirus-Free' Turkmenistan Registers Sputnik-V Vaccine
The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) says Turkmenistan has registered Russia's Sputnik-V vaccine against COVID-19 even though the country claims to have no cases of the coronavirus.
"Turkmenistan became the first country in Central Asia that officially approved the use of the Sputnik-V vaccine on its territory," the RDIF, which helped develop the vaccine, said in a statement on January 18, adding that the vaccine had been registered thanks to an emergency-use authorization without additional clinical research.
Turkmenistan is the only nation in Central Asia that has yet to report officially on a single coronavirus infection to the World Health Organization (WHO).
RFE/RL's Coronavirus Crisis Archive
Features and analysis, videos, and infographics explore how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting the countries in our region.
In August, the WHO expressed concern over an increase in atypical pneumonia cases in Turkmenistan and unsuccessfully urged Ashgabat to allow it to organize independent coronavirus tests in the country.
Turkmen officials have clung to their zero-infections statistics despite signs of outbreaks in prisons, schools, and the general population as hospitals get increasingly crowded, as well as large numbers of cases in neighboring countries.
Many Turkmen citizens report staying home despite illness, fearing that a trip to the doctor could infect them as hospitals quietly strain under high numbers of patients reporting COVID-19-like symptoms.
The bodies of victims of lung ailments are being delivered to relatives in special plastic bags, and there have been an unusually high number of fresh graves across the country, RFE/RL's correspondents have reported.
Russia's Sputnik-V vaccine has been officially approved for use in several countries including Algeria, Argentina, Belarus, Bolivia, Palestine, Paraguay, and Venezuela.
Based on reporting by Interfax, TASS, and Reuters
Up To 12 People Feared Buried By Avalanche In North Caucasus
Russian authorities say as many as 12 people may have been buried under snow from an avalanche that struck a skiing area in the North Caucasus region of Karachai-Cherkessia.
Russia's Emergency Ministry said on January 18 that the avalanche hit the area around the resort town of Dombai on Mussa-Achitara mountain at around 1:30 p.m. local time.
According to the ministry, rescue work to locate and extract those trapped by the avalanche is under way.
The wall of snow buried two ski equipment rental stands and damaged a cafe, the ministry said.
Dombai is a popular skiing resort in the North Caucasus.
Based on reports by TASS and Interfax
Four Bodies Found From Sunken Ukrainian-Owned Cargo Ship
A Turkish rescue team has found the bodies of four crew members of a Ukrainian-owned cargo ship that sank in bad weather in the Black Sea over the weekend, including the vessel's captain, a Russian citizen.
The Russian Embassy in Ankara said on January 18 that the body of the vessel's captain Vitaly Galenko, a Russian national had been discovered.
Russia's Federal Agency for Maritime and River Transportation (Rosmorrechflot) said earlier that three more bodies were found from the January 17 maritime disaster.
According to Rosmorrechflot, six crew members, including a Russian citizen, had been rescued, while two of 12 crew members of the bulk carrier Arvin were Russian citizens and the rest were Ukrainians
Turkish authorities said on January 17 that there were 13 people aboard the vessel when it encountered bad weather conditions.
The ship, registered under the flag of the country of Palau, was heading for Bulgaria from Georgia when it sank, Ukrainian officials said. The Black Sea region has been hit by heavy rains, snow, and strong winds in recent days.
According to Ukrainian authorities, the ship was owned by a Ukrainian firm.
Based on reporting by Novaya Gazeta, Hurriyet, and Interfax
Russia Launches Mass COVID Vaccination Campaign
Russia has launched a mass coronavirus vaccination campaign opened to all Russians in a bid to stem the spread of the virus without reimposing a new nationwide lockdown.
Dozens of Moscow residents lined up on January 18 at a mobile clinic set up at the GUM department store on Red Square, where they received their first shot of the locally developed Sputnik-V vaccine.
Russia, which has the world's fourth-highest number of COVID-19 cases, began large-scale vaccinations last month, initially for people in key professions such as medical workers and teachers, even though the inoculation was still in its third phase of clinical trials.
RFE/RL's Coronavirus Crisis Archive
Features and analysis, videos, and infographics explore how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting the countries in our region.
Last week, President Vladimir Putin instructed officials to open up the inoculation program to the rest of the country’s population of 146 million, and to boost production of its vaccine.
Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova said on January 18 that authorities planned to vaccinate more than 20 million Russians against COVID-19 in the first quarter of the year.
But while the vaccine has been widely available in Moscow, with vaccination centers located at prominent sites in the capital, reports said most regions have reported receiving fewer than 5,000 doses so far.
Unlike many European countries, Russia has refrained from reimposing a strict nationwide lockdown despite being hit by a second wave of infections.
Russian health authorities have reported more than 3.5 million coronavirus cases since the pandemic began, with over 66,000 deaths. However, the death toll is believed to be much higher.
Based on reporting by AFP, Reuters, and TASS
Trial Begins For Associates Of Jailed Belarusian Blogger Tsikhanouski
HRODNA, Belarus -- Three associates of jailed Belarusian blogger Syarhey Tsikhanouski, the husband of opposition leader Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya, have gone on trial in the western city of Hrodna.
The October district court opened the trial of Dzmitry Furmanau, Yauhen Raznichenka, and Uladzimer Kniha on January 18 for organizing mass disorder. Raznichenka and Kniha are also charged with assaulting a police officer.
The defendants were arrested in late May 2020 after police disrupted public events in Hrodna to collect signatures to support Tsikhanouskaya's bid to become a presidential candidate.
Crisis In Belarus
Read our coverage as Belarusian strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka continues his brutal crackdown on NGOs, activists, and independent media following the August 2020 presidential election.
Tsikhanouski was arrested at the same time and later charged with the organization and preparation of actions that severely violated public order and disrupting the work of the Central Election Commission.
Tsikhanouski is the owner of a popular YouTube channel called The Country For Life, which challenges the Belarusian authorities.
When Tsikhanouski's candidacy was rejected by election officials, his wife took over and ran for president. She became the main challenger to Alyaksandr Lukashenka, the authoritarian leader who has run the country since 1994.
The official results of the August election that Lukashenka claims to have won sparked mass protests, with Tsikhanouskaya's supporters and opposition figures claiming she was the victor.
Since then, Lukashenka has overseen a violent crackdown on protesters by law enforcement, detaining thousands of people -- including media members -- and injuring scores.
The European Union and the United States have refused to recognize Lukashenka as the legitimate ruler of Belarus, characterizing the election as fraudulent.
- By RFE/RL
In Tit-For-Tat Move, Russia Expels Two Dutch Diplomats
The Russian Foreign Ministry has expelled two Dutch diplomats in a tit-for-tat move after the expulsion for espionage of two Russian diplomats from The Hague last month.
The ministry said in a statement on January 18 that, "guided by the principle of reciprocity," the Dutch acting charge d’affaires, Joost Reintjes, had been summoned to a meeting where he was informed of the decision to expel the two diplomats.
The dispute started on December 10, when the Dutch General Intelligence and Security Service (AIVD) said it was expelling two unidentified Russians who were seeking information on artificial intelligence, semiconductors, and nanotechnology.
The AIVD added that the two men worked for Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR).
Russia's embassy in The Hague at the time said the Netherlands had presented no evidence of unlawful acts by the Russian diplomats and the Foreign Ministry said in its statement on January 18 that the allegations were "unfounded and slanderous."
It added that the two Dutch diplomats had two weeks to leave Russia.
With reporting by Reuters and AFP
Kazakh Prison Guard Charged Over Beating Of Jailed Activist
NUR-SULTAN -- A Kazakh prison guard at a detention center in the capital has been charged with abuse of authority over the beating of a jailed political activist.
Lawyer Gulshat Amantaeva told RFE/RL on January 18 that the charge against the guard, who had beaten her client, Asqar Qaiyrbek, earlier this month, wasn't severe enough and that he should have been charged with torture.
Qaiyrbek was sentenced to two months in prison in December after a court found him guilty of having links with the opposition Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan (DVK) movement that is labeled an extremist organization and banned in the Central Asian state.
According to Amantaeva, two medical examinations held after the attack revealed that Qaiyrbek sustained serious injuries.
Maksim Kalashev of the Nur-Sultan city police department confirmed to RFE/RL that a probe had been launched into Qaiyrbek's beating, but declined to give any details.
Qaiyrbek is a well-known rights activist.
He has been sentenced to jail terms between five and 15 days several times in the past for taking part in unsanctioned rallies in the capital, including ones organized by the DVK.
Several activists have been sentenced to prison terms and freedom limitations in Kazakhstan in recent months for involvement in the DVK's activities, including taking part in unsanctioned, DVK-organized rallies.
DVK was established by an outspoken critic of the Kazakh government, fugitive tycoon Mukhtar Ablyazov, who resides in France and regularly organizes unsanctioned anti-government rallies via the Internet.
The movement was officially labeled as extremist and banned in Kazakhstan in March 2018.
- By RFE/RL
Russian Math Student Sentenced To Six Years In Prison For 'Hooliganism'
MOSCOW -- A court in Moscow has handed down a six-year prison sentence for hooliganism to Azat Miftakhov, a postgraduate mathematics student at the Moscow State University who says he was tortured while in custody.
Moscow's Golovinsky district court on January 18 found the 25-year-old guilty of involvement in an arson attack on the ruling United Russia party's office in Moscow in 2018.
Miftakhov has denied the charges, which his lawyers say stem from his anarchist beliefs and support for political prisoners.
Police detained some of the dozens of people gathered in front of the court building to express support for Miftakhov, who was arrested in early 2019 and accused of helping make an improvised bomb found in the city of Balashikha near Moscow.
He was released several days after the initial charge failed to hold, but was rearrested immediately and charged with being involved in the attack on a United Russia office in January 2018.
The Public Monitoring Commission, a human rights group, has said that Miftakhov's body bore the signs of torture, which the student claimed were the result of investigators unsuccessfully attempting to force him to confess to the bomb-making charge.
A prominent Russian human rights organization, Memorial, has recognized Miftakhov as a political prisoner, while mathematician Anatoly Vershik told Novaya gazeta last week that 2,500 mathematicians from 15 countries had signed a letter urging the International Congress of Mathematicians to assist in Miftakhov's release, warning that many of them might not attend the congress gathering in Russia's second-largest city, St. Petersburg, scheduled for July 2022.
Others who were detained along with Miftakhov but later released have also claimed to have been beaten by the police.
With reporting by TASS and Meduza
Uzbek Activist Claims Corruption In Distribution Of Compensation From Deadly Dam Accident
TASHKENT -- An Uzbek rights activist and blogger says several people have been jailed after they complained of corruption in the distribution of housing and financial compensation for victims of a deadly dam accident in the eastern region of Sirdaryo last year.
Khairullo Qilichev told RFE/RL that several people in the region had been handed jail terms of between three and seven days after they made the accusations during their efforts to receive compensation following the disaster. According to him, the people were jailed on charges of hooliganism and disobeying the authorities.
The dam of the Sardoba Reservoir in the eastern Uzbek region of Sirdaryo burst early on May 1, 2020, resulting in the death of six people and forcing at least 70,000 people out of their homes. Over 600 homes in neighboring Kazakhstan were also flooded.
Qilichev said many of those who lost their homes had yet to receive the compensation promised by President Shavkat Mirziyoev, while many people related to local officials and whose properties had not been affected by the flooding had been provided with new houses and financial allowances.
Qilichev added that he officially requested from the Sirdaryo regional administration information on the number of local people who lost their houses after the dam burst and how many of them had been jailed in recent weeks. He said he had yet to receive an answer.
A resident of the Sardoba district, 30-year-old Ihtiyor Ochilov, told RFE/RL that he had spent seven days in jail after he officially demanded the authorities provide him and his mother with compensation for damage to their properties.
On January 14, another man, 34-year-old Murodjon Mamaraimov, was handed a seven-day jail term on charges of hooliganism and disobeying the authorities a week after he issued a video statement accusing Sirdaryo authorities of unfairly distributing compensation.
According to official figures, a total of 2,570 private houses and 76 multistory apartment blocks were destroyed by the flooding, while 1,781 private houses and 52 multistory apartment blocks were partially damaged.
A total of 17 people, including energy officials, top officials of the state railways company, and heads of construction companies that were involved into the construction of the dam, are currently on trial in Tashkent over the disaster.
They have been charged with negligence, abuse of office, document forgery, embezzlement, and violating water distribution and safety regulations.
- By RFE/RL
Detention Of Kremlin Critic Navalny Sparks Strong Condemnation, Demands For His Immediate Release
The detention of Russian opposition politician Aleksei Navalny upon arrival in Moscow from Germany has drawn a wave of international criticism.
Foreign Minister Heiko Maas voiced Germany's criticism early on January 18, calling for Navalny's immediate release.
"Russia is bound by its own constitution and by international obligations to the principle of the rule of law and to the protection of civil rights," Maas said in a statement. "These principles must, of course, be applied to Alexei Navalny as well. He should be released immediately."
On January 17, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in a statement also demanded the "immediate and unconditional release" of the Kremlin critic and said Navalny "is not the problem."
Pompeo said the United States noted Navalny's detention with "grave concern," calling it "the latest in a series of attempts to silence Navalny and other opposition figures and independent voices who are critical of Russian authorities."
Pompeo added that confident political leaders "do not fear competing voices, nor commit violence against or wrongfully detain political opponents" and urged the Russian government to provide a level playing field for all political parties and candidates.
He said the Russian people "deserve a government that supports an open marketplace of ideas, transparent and accountable governance, an independent judiciary, and the ability to exercise their basic human rights of speech and assembly without fear of retribution."
Earlier on January 17, the incoming administration of President-elect Joe Biden called for Navalny's immediate release and that "the perpetrators of the outrageous attack on his life must be held accountable."
"The Kremlin's attacks on Mr. Navalny are not just a violation of human rights, but an affront to the Russian people who want their voices heard," Jake Sullivan, Biden's incoming national security adviser, said in a tweet.
Navalny arrived in the evening on January 17 in Moscow from Germany, where he was being treated after being poisoned in Siberia in August and was promptly detained by law enforcement authorities at the airport.
The detention sparked immediate outrage from European governments and human rights organizations.
European Council President Charles Michel called the apprehension of the opposition politician "unacceptable" and demanded his immediate release.
"The detainment of Alexei Navalny upon arrival in Moscow is unacceptable," Michel, who coordinates EU governments in Brussels, said in a tweet. "I call on Russian authorities to immediately release him."
The 44-year-old Kremlin critic, who Amnesty International called a "prisoner of conscience," was poisoned last summer by what tests at Western laboratories showed was a Novichok nerve agent. He was flown to Germany for emergency medical care after being poisoned.
Navalny, who has been jailed numerous times in Russia for organizing and leading anti-government protests, blames the poisoning on Russian authorities. Moscow denies any involvement.
The poisoning, which was similar to the near-fatal attack on Russian double-agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, in 2018 in the English city of Salisbury, drew wide international attention, as did Navalny's planned return after Russia's prison authority warned it Navalny could be jailed for 3 1/2 years for allegedly flouting the terms of a suspended prison sentence.
In a joint statement upon the news of Navalny's detention, the Baltic states of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia -- all former Soviet republics -- issued a call for the "imposition of restrictive measures" against Moscow.
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis added in a tweet that the detention of Navalny "by the Russian authorities is completely unacceptable. We demand his immediate release."
The EU "should act swiftly and if he is not released, we need to consider imposition of restrictive measures in response to this blatant act," he added.
Czech Foreign Minister Tomas Petricek called Navalny's detention a "politically motivated" action and said he was being held "for his views, not what he was formally accused of."
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki also called for "a swift and unequivocal response at the EU level" if Navalny is not released.
France's Foreign Ministry said it "takes note with great concern of the arrest" and called for Navalny's immediate release.
Italy's foreign minister also called for Navalny's immediate release.
"The arrest of Navalny on his arrival in Russia is a very serious matter, which concerns us. We ask for his immediate release. And we expect his rights to be respected," Luigi Di Maio said on Twitter.
With reporting by Current Time and RFE/RL’s Russian Service
Navalny Calls For Street Protests As World Blasts Russian's Detention
MOSCOW -- Aleksei Navalny has urged Russians to take to the streets in protest after a judge at a hastily arranged hearing in a makeshift courtroom just outside Moscow ruled to keep the Kremlin critic in police custody for 30 days after his dramatic airport arrest a day earlier.
At a January 18 hearing, which Navalny called a "mockery of justice," the judge ruled to keep him incarcerated until February 15, by which time a different court is expected to decide whether to convert a suspended 3 1/2 year sentence he served in an embezzlement case, which he says was trumped up, into real jail time.
Navalny’s detention has sparked global outrage and a chorus of international calls pressuring President Vladimir Putin for Navalny’s immediate release.
In St. Petersburg, police detained at least 20 people among a crowd of hundreds of Navalny supporters who had gathered at the Gostiny Dvor trade complex.
Detentions were made during similar rallies in support of the politician in Moscow and Khimki, near the capital.
"That very old man, the thief in the bunker is sitting there trembling in fear. They are scared, that is why they are doing all this in such an expedited, secret, and surreptitious way. They are in such a hurry (to jail me) because they are scared," Navalny said in the video, posted on YouTube in a reference to Putin and other Russian politicians.
"Do not be silent, resist, come out to the streets. Nobody will defend us except ourselves. And there are so many of us that if we want to achieve something we will make it," he added.
Navalny’s team headquarters in St. Petersburg called for nationwide protests on January 23.
"[Aleksei] is not afraid, do not be afraid either!" a tweet from the group said, adding that people were "indignant" over the ruling.
Police led the 44-year-old away on January 17 at the Sheremetyevo International Airport’s passport-control booth after he arrived from Berlin, where he had been recovering from the attack in August that Navalny says was ordered by Putin.
Aides said Navalny was denied access to his lawyers and notified at the last minute of the hearing, while his spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh posted a video of the opposition politician chiding President Vladimir Putin for fearing him so much that he has abandoned the country's laws altogether.
Navalny has been held incommunicado, his lawyers said, adding that they had not been granted access to him and that his condition was unknown.
"I’ve seen justice mocked many times, but this time the old guy in the bunker seems so scared that the Criminal Code has been ostentatiously ripped apart and thrown away," Navalny said in a separate video before the ruling on Twitter in an apparent reference to Putin.
Russia's Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN) said Navalny was being held because of "multiple violations" of the conditions of his suspended sentence relating to a 2014 fraud conviction and of evading criminal inspectors.
Navalny has said the case against him was trumped up and politically motivated.
Moscow’s Simonovsky district court will hear the state’s case to convert the suspended sentence on February 2. Russian lawyers said decisions on such issues are made quickly, generally in one hearing and, in exceptional cases, in two or three hearings. Sentence conversion is a common practice with Russian courts presiding over more than 15,000 cases last year.
Navalny, who Amnesty International on January 17 called a "prisoner of conscience," was poisoned in August by what tests at Western laboratories showed was a Novichok nerve agent. He was flown to Germany for emergency medical care after falling acutely ill while traveling in Siberia.
The opposition politician, who has been jailed numerous times in Russia for organizing and leading anti-government protests, blames the poisoning on Russian authorities. Moscow denies any involvement.
The poisoning, which was similar to the near-fatal attack on Russian double-agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, in 2018 in the English city of Salisbury, drew widespread international attention, as did Navalny's planned return after Russia's prison authority warned of Navalny's potential incarceration.
"The United States notes with grave concern that Mr. Navalny’s detention is the latest in a series of what appears to be attacks targeting opposition figures and independent voices critical of Russian authorities in an intensifying effort to silence civil society," U. S. Ambassador to Russia John Sullivan said in a statement.
"Confident political leaders do not fear independent voices, nor do they see the need to misuse legal authorities to commit violence against or wrongfully detain political opponents. The Russian people, like people everywhere, deserve a government that supports an open exchange of ideas, transparent and accountable governance, fair and equal treatment under the law, and the ability to exercise their rights without fear of retribution," he added.
The U.S. ambassador's words were echoed by the United Nations, the European Union, and many other countries and human rights groups, who have called for the Kremlin to explain how he was attacked with a Soviet-style chemical weapon.
"We are deeply troubled by the arrest of [Aleksei] Navalny, and call for his immediate release and for his due process rights to be respected in line with the rule of law. We reiterate our call for a thorough and impartial investigation into his poisoning," UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet's office said on Twitter on January 18.
"The European Union condemns the detention of the Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny upon his return to Moscow on 17 January and calls for his immediate release," EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said in a statement on behalf of the bloc's 27 nations.
"The EU will follow closely the developments in this field and will continue to take this into account when shaping its policy towards Russia."
Former Soviet republics Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia pushed other EU members at a ministerial meeting on January 18 to expand punitive measures that the bloc imposed in October over Navalny's poisoning.
"Lithuania, in the name of all three Baltic states, suggested to consider possible sanctions at today's General Affairs Council over the arrest of [Aleksei] Navalny and so-called court hearing that is taking place now," said Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis.
"We are the realists towards Russia as we live at the border. I hope that some EU capitals will wake up from their optimism and return towards realism."
Britain also joined in the chorus of calls for the Kremlin to act on January 18, demanding Navalny's release, saying Moscow should explain how he was attacked with a Soviet-style chemical weapon.
"It is appalling that Aleksei Navalny, the victim of a despicable crime, has been detained by Russian authorities. He must be immediately released," Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said.
"Rather than persecuting Mr. Navalny, Russia should explain how a chemical weapon came to be used on Russian soil."
Russia, meanwhile, continued to shrug off the West's consternation.
The Kremlin itself usually refers questions about Navalny to law enforcement agencies, but Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on January 18 called the condemnation of the detention an attempt to distract from the West's own problems.
"You can feel the joy with which these comments [on Navalny's arrest] are coming out," Lavrov told a news conference in Moscow.
"Judging by everything, it allows Western politicians to think that by doing this they can divert attention away from the deep crisis that the liberal model of development finds itself in," he added.
Navalny had been scheduled to arrive at Moscow's Vnukovo airport, where hundreds of his supporters had gathered amid a massive riot-police presence.
At the last minute, however, authorities closed Vnukovo to incoming flights and diverted Navalny's plane to Sheremetyevo airport on the other side of the capital.
Police detained numerous people who were awaiting Navalny's arrival at Vnukovo, including Lyubov Sobol, a lawyer for Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation; Ruslan Shaveddinov, a project manager for the foundation; and Novaya Gazeta journalist Vlad Dokshin. Other journalists were also reportedly among the detained.
Sobol and others later said they were released and were facing administrative charges.
With reporting by Reuters, AFP, and Interfax
- By RFE/RL
Detention Of Kremlin Critic Navalny Sparks Immediate Criticism Of Moscow By West
The detention of Russian opposition politician Aleksei Navalny by law enforcement as he arrived in Moscow following his return from Germany after recovering from being poisoned has sparked immediate outrage and criticism of the Kremlin.
Navalny arrived in the evening on January 17 in Moscow from Germany, where he was being treated after being poisoned in Russia last August, and was promptly detained by law enforcement authorities at the airport.
Anger over the move came almost as quickly.
European Council President Charles Michel called the apprehension of the 44-year-old Kremlin critic "unacceptable" and demanded his immediate release.
"The detainment of Alexei Navalny upon arrival in Moscow is unacceptable," Michel, who coordinates EU governments in Brussels, said in a tweet. "I call on Russian authorities to immediately release him."
Navalny, who Amnesty International called on January 17 a “prisoner of conscience,” was poisoned last summer by what tests at Western laboratories showed was a Novichok nerve agent. He was flown to Germany for emergency medical care after being poisoned in Siberia.
Navalny, who has been jailed numerous times in Russia for organizing and leading anti-government protests, blames the poisoning on the Russian authorities. Moscow denies any involvement.
The poisoning, which was similar to the near-fatal attack on Russian double-agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, in 2018 in the English city of Salisbury, drew wide international attention, as did Navalny's planned return after Russia's prison authority warned that Navalny could be jailed for 3 1/2 years for allegedly flouting the terms of a suspended prison sentence.
In a joint statement upon the news of Navalny's detention, the Baltic states of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia -- all former Soviet republics -- issued a call for the "imposition of restrictive measures" against Moscow.
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis added in a tweet that the detention of Navalny “by the Russian authorities is completely unacceptable. We demand his immediate release."
"[The] EU should act swiftly and if he is not released, we need to consider imposition of restrictive measures in response to this blatant act,” he added.
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki also called on Twitter for "a swift and unequivocal response at the EU level" if Navalny is not released.
In the United States, the incoming administration of President-elect Joe Biden also called for Navalny's immediate release and that "the perpetrators of the outrageous attack on his life must be held accountable."
"The Kremlin’s attacks on Mr. Navalny are not just a violation of human rights, but an affront to the Russian people who want their voices heard," Jake Sullivan, Biden's incoming national-security adviser, said in a tweet.
With reporting by Current Time and RFE/RL’s Russian Service
- By AP News Agency and
- Current Time
Navalny Detained At Moscow Airport
Russian opposition politician Aleksei Navalny was detained on January 17 by law enforcement authorities at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport after he arrived in Russia from Germany, where he was being treated after being poisoned.
Ukrainian-Owned Cargo Ship Sinks In Black Sea
At least two crew members have died and six remain unaccounted for after a Ukrainian-owned cargo ship sank in bad weather in the Black Sea off Turkey.
A Ukrainian government spokesman on January 17 said that “five people have been rescued and two bodies have been recovered” from the wreck of the bulk carrier Arvin, which is registered under the flag of the country of Palau.
The ship was heading for Bulgaria from Georgia when it sank, officials said. The Black Sea region has been hit by heavy rains, snow, and strong winds in recent days.
Reports differed on the number of people aboard the ship when it sank. Russia’s Interfax news agency said 12 people were aboard, including two Russians, while a Turkish official put the number at 13.
Sinan Guner, governor of northern Turkey's Bartin Province, said five seamen had been rescued. He added that weather conditions were hampering rescue efforts.
"There are high waves, and because of the waves the [rescue] boat can't see its surroundings. We are trying to reach them with directions from the shore," Guner was cited as saying by Turkish news agencies.
Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko told AFP that the ship was owned by a Ukrainian firm. He tweeted that five Ukrainians and one "foreigner" had been rescued so far and were hospitalized in satisfactory condition.
Tensions remain high in the strategic region. Moscow’s 2014 annexation of Ukraine's Black Sea peninsula of Crimea has not been recognized by a vast majority of nations and has led to U.S. and EU sanctions against Russia.
With reporting by AFP, AP, Reuters, and Interfax
Navalny Boards Flight For Russia
Russian opposition figure Aleksei Navalny has left Berlin for Moscow, despite the Russian authorities' stated intention to arrest him and potentially jail him for years. Navalny's flight with the Russian airline Pobeda on January 17 is scheduled to land at Moscow's Vnukovo airport. Journalists at Vnukovo have noted a large police presence, while the authorities have urged Russians not to come out to greet Navalny. The outspoken Kremlin critic has received months of medical treatment in Germany for a poisoning that he has blamed on the Russian authorities.
Kremlin Critic Navalny Detained After Arrival In Moscow
MOSCOW -- Russian opposition politician Aleksei Navalny arrived in Moscow from Germany, where he was being treated after being poisoned, and was promptly detained by law enforcement authorities at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport.
A live broadcast of his arrival showed police taking the 44-year-old Kremlin critic away on January 17 at the passport control booth.
His lawyer, who was travelling with him, was not allowed to accompany him. His wife, Yulia Navalnaya, who was also on the flight, was allowed to pass through passport control.
Russia's prison authority, FSIN, confirmed Navalny's detention, according to Interfax. The FSIN statement said that Navalny was being held because of “multiple violations” of the conditions of his suspended sentence relating to a 2014 fraud conviction and for evading criminal inspectors.
The statement said Navalny would be held “until a court ruling” on the matter.
The move, which could see Navalny jailed for 3 1/2 years for allegedly flouting the terms of a suspended prison sentence, sparked an immediate wave of criticism of President Vladimir Putin from both inside and outside the country.
"Putin seems to be doing everything possible to make @navalny into a national hero. After poisoning Navalny, which required German doctors to save his life, Putin arrests him on return for parole violations because he was in Germany," tweeted William Browder, a U.S.-born British investor and the CEO and cofounder of Hermitage Capital Management, the investment adviser to the Hermitage Fund, which at one time was the largest foreign portfolio investor in Russia.
Shortly before he was detained, Navalny told journalists at Sheremetyevo he was “happy” to be back in Russia and that he was confident he would not be arrested.
Navalny arrived from Germany after being flown there for emergency medical care after being poisoned in Russia in August 2020.
Laboratory tests conducted in Germany, France, and Sweden have established that Navalny was poisoned with a nerve agent of the Soviet-style Novichok class, a conclusion confirmed by the international Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.
INFOGRAPHIC: In And Out: All The Times Aleksei Navalny Has Been In Prison
Navalny has said President Vladimir Putin is directly responsible for the poisoning. The Kremlin has denied any involvement.
Belarusian opposition leader Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who has been leading protests against strongman leader Alyaksandr Lukashenka since a disputed presidential election in August 2020, wrote on Twitter that Navalny’s detention was “a dangerous step to depriving Russia of political alternatives.”
“Belarus has seen the outcome of such treatment of political opponents,” she wrote. “This does not serve the interests of the Russian people and of the country.”
Meanwhile, European Union members Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania immediately issued a joint statement calling for the “imposition of restrictive measures” against Russia over Navalny’s detention, which they called “completely unacceptable.”
Navalny had been scheduled to arrive at Moscow’s Vnukovo airport, where hundreds of his supporters had gathered amid a massive riot police presence.
At the last minute, however, authorities closed Vnukovo to incoming flights and diverted Navalny’s plane to Sheremetyevo airport on the other side of the capital.
Police detained numerous people who were waiting for Navalny's arrival at Vnukovo, including Lyubov Sobol, a lawyer for Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation; Ruslan Shaveddinov, a project manager for the foundation; and Novaya gazeta journalist Vlad Dokshin. Other journalists were also reportedly among the detained.
Navalny returned to Russia despite the authorities' stated intention to arrest him and potentially jail him for years.
Late last month, the FSIN demanded Navalny return immediately from Germany or face jail in Russia for violating the terms of his suspended prison sentence.
Navalny denies all wrongdoing in that case and says that it, like several other criminal cases filed against him in recent years, is retribution for his anti-Kremlin political activity.
According to court documents, he could face a prison term of as much as 3 1/2 years.
Amnesty International immediately issued a statement saying the organization considers Navalny a “prisoner of conscience” and calling for the Russian authorities to release him without conditions.
Amnesty also called for the release of the dozens of Navalny supporters who were detained earlier by police at the airport.
Opposition politician and former Yekaterinburg Mayor Yevgeny Roizman wrote on Twitter that he had spoken by telephone with Navalny’s parents and told him their son was “a worthy citizen of Russia, brave and respectable.”
Navalny and other members of his Anti-Corruption Foundation could also face separate criminal charges of embezzling donors' funds, an accusation they vehemently deny. That charge carries a prison term of up to 10 years.
Earlier on January 16, Germany demanded that Moscow carry out a full investigation into Navalny’s poisoning and sent to Russia the transcripts of interviews its authorities conducted with him.
With reporting by Reuters and TASS
Three Turkmen Border Guards Killed In Helicopter Crash
Three Turkmen border guards were killed when their military helicopter crashed into a high-voltage power transmission tower near the border with Iran, eyewitnesses said.
The crash took place late January 14 near the village of Yashlyk, located some 60 kilometers from the capital, Ashgabat.
A border guard officer, who spoke to RFE/RL on condition of anonymity, said all three on board the helicopter were killed, including a captain.
Eyewitnesses told RFE/RL that they believed that the military helicopter crashed due to dense fog and poor visibility.
Turkmen authorities have not commented on the crash.
Officials in the tightly controlled Central Asian nation rarely announce the deaths of military personnel.
Belarus Protesters March In Residential Areas To Demand Lukashenka's Resignation
Belarusian protesters marched in parks and residential areas of several cities and towns across the country on January 17 as demonstrators continue to demand the resignation of authoritarian ruler Alyaksandr Lukashenka.
The protesters also are demanding that those responsible for violent crackdowns against demonstrators during the past five months be held accountable.
Daily demonstrations have been held across Belarus since election officials announced that their tally of the country's August 9 presidential vote showed Lukashenka winning a landslide victory. Those results are seen by many in Belarus and abroad as being rigged in favor of Lukashenka.
Crisis In Belarus
Read our coverage as Belarusian strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka continues his brutal crackdown on NGOs, activists, and independent media following the August 2020 presidential election.
The United States and the European Union have refused to recognize Lukashenka's reelection as legitimate.
The independent BelaPAN news agency reported that protesters staged at least 30 marches and rallies on January 17, including in Minsk, Brest, Hrodna, and Homel.
Many of the protesters were carrying the opposition’s red-and-white flag or banners.
In an effort to avoid arrest by Lukashenka's security forces, protesters have resorted to so-called "flash-mob" tactics in which they gather at locations announced on social media at the last minute.
The flash-mob protests are smaller and shorter protest marches, usually conducted outside of city centers rather than the kind of mass demonstrations that have drawn tens of thousands of people but have been an easy target for brutal crackdowns by security forces.
The United Nations says authorities have detained more than 30,000 protesters. There have also been credible reports of torture and ill-treatment, and several people have died.
Navalny Due To Fly Back To Russia With Threat Of Arrest Looming
Russian opposition figure Aleksei Navalny is due to fly back to Russia on January 17 from Germany despite the Russian authorities' stated desire to arrest him and potentially jail him for years.
Navalny is expected to fly to Moscow from Berlin, where he has received months of medical treatment for a poisoning that he has blamed on the Russian authorities.
The outspoken Kremlin critic announced on January 13 that he would return to Russia despite having received a notice that the country's Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN) would seek his arrest.
His return sets the stage for a potentially dramatic new showdown between the Kremlin and Navalny, one of President Vladimir Putin's most outspoken foes.
Late last month, FSIN demanded Navalny return immediately from Germany or face jail in Russia for violating the terms of a suspended prison sentence relating to a 2014 fraud conviction and for evading criminal inspectors.
According to court documents, he could face a jail sentence of as much as 3 1/2 years.
“The question ‘to return or not’ never stood before me as I didn’t leave on my own. I ended up in Germany in an intensive care box. On January 17, Sunday, I will return home on a Pobeda flight," he said in a tweet on January 13, referring to a Russian airline whose name means Victory.
His supporters plan to meet him at Moscow's Vnukovo airport. About 2,000 people have used a Facebook page to say they plan to be there, with another 6,000 expressing an interest. Pro-Kremlin activists are also expected to turn up.
The Moscow Prosecutor-General’s Office has said the event is illegal because it is not sanctioned by the authorities.
Citing COVID-19 restrictions, the airport has said it will not allow media inside.
Coma
Navalny fell ill on a flight from Tomsk to Moscow and was treated and placed in an induced coma in a Siberian hospital before being transferred to a medical facility in Germany.
Lab tests in three European countries, confirmed by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, established Navalny was poisoned with a nerve agent of the Novichok class. The findings led the European Union to imposed sanctions on six Russian officials and a state research institute.
Russian authorities have claimed that no trace of poison was found in Navalny's body before he was airlifted to Germany, and have refused to open a criminal investigation into the incident.
WATCH: Showdown In Moscow: Navalny Risks Jail With Return To Russia
On the eve of his return, Navalny thanked the German people in a Facebook post and said they don’t fit the stereotype that they are unfriendly and only want to give and follow orders.
“The five months I've been here, I've been amazed how much the Germans don't match the stereotypical idea of them,” Navalny wrote. “These are really the sweetest people with a great sense of humor, always trying to help.”
"Thank you friends!" he wrote in German.
Earlier on January 16, Germany demanded that Moscow carry out a full investigation into the poisoning and sent to Russia the transcripts of interviews its authorities conducted with him.
The German Justice Ministry said that, with the sending of the information requested by Moscow -- including blood and tissue samples -- the Russian government now has all the information it needs to carry out a criminal investigation.
A ministry spokesman said Berlin expects that "the Russian government will now immediately take all necessary steps to clarify the crime against Mr. Navalny."
"This crime must be solved in Russia. This requires investigations commensurate with the seriousness of this crime," the spokesman added.
With reporting by Reuters, dpa, and AFP
- By RFE/RL
French FM Says Urgent That Iran, U.S. Return To Nuclear Deal
France’s foreign minister says Iran's continued breaches of the nuclear agreement it reached with world powers have made it urgent that Tehran and Washington return to the deal.
Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian's comments came in an interview published on January 16, just days before U.S. President Donald Trump -- who withdrew the United States from the deal -- leaves office.
His successor, President-elect Joe Biden, faces an immediate challenge posed by Iran’s acceleration of breaches of the nuclear deal, including its move this month to start pressing ahead with plans to enrich uranium to 20 percent fissile strength at its underground Fordow nuclear plant.
With a presidential election in Iran due in June, Le Drian said it was urgent to tell the Iranians that their enrichment activities have gone far enough and to bring Iran and the United States back into the accord, the main aim of which was to extend the time Iran would need to produce enough fissile material for a nuclear bomb to at least a year.
Tensions between Washington and Tehran have been rising since Trump withdrew the United States from the deal in 2018, arguing that it did not go far enough, and started imposing crippling sanctions as part of a “maximum pressure” campaign aimed at forcing Iran to negotiate a new accord.
"The Trump administration chose what it called the 'maximum pressure' campaign on Iran. The result was that this strategy only increased the risk and the threat," Le Drian told the Journal du Dimanche newspaper.
"This has to stop because Iran and -- I say this clearly -- is in the process of acquiring nuclear [weapons] capacity."
Tehran has always denied pursuing nuclear weapons, saying its nuclear program is strictly for civilian purposes.
Biden has said he will return the United States to the deal if Iran resumes strict compliance with it. Iran says sanctions must be lifted before it reverses its nuclear breaches.
Le Drian also said that even if both sides were to return to the deal, it would not be enough.
"Tough discussions will be needed over ballistic proliferation and Iran's destabilization of its neighbors in the region," he said.
Separately, European powers on January 16 warned Iran against starting work on uranium metal-based fuel for a research reactor, saying it contravened the nuclear deal.
"We strongly encourage Iran to end this activity, and return to full compliance with its commitments under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action without delay, if it is serious about preserving this agreement," France, Britain, and Germany said in a joint statement.
The statement added that Iran has “no credible civilian use” for uranium metal.
“The production of uranium metal has potentially grave military implications,” the statement said, while noting that under the 2015 nuclear deal, Iran committed to not engage in the production of uranium metal or conduct research and development on uranium metallurgy for 15 years.
The Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency said on January 14 that Iran has informed it the country has begun installing equipment for the production of uranium metal.
With reporting by Reuters, AFP, and Bloomberg
Germany Hands Over Navalny Interview Transcripts To Russia, Demands Criminal Probe
MOSCOW -- Germany has sent to Russia the transcripts of interviews its authorities conducted with Aleksei Navalny, and demanded that Moscow carry out a full investigation into the poisoning of the Russian opposition politician.
The move on January 16 came a day ahead of Navalny’s planned return to Moscow following several months in Germany, where he was sent for treatment following his August 2020 near-fatal poisoning that he has blamed on Russian authorities.
The Kremlin critic has said that he will return to Russia despite having received a notice that the country's Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN) would seek his arrest, setting the stage for a potentially dramatic new showdown between the Kremlin and Navalny, one of President Vladimir Putin's most outspoken foes.
Late last month, FSIN demanded Navalny return immediately from Germany or face jail in Russia for violating the terms of a suspended prison sentence relating to a 2014 fraud conviction and for evading criminal inspectors.
According to court documents, he could face a jail sentence of as much as 3 1/2 years.
The European Court of Human Rights ruled in October 2017 that the Russian courts violated Navalny's right to a fair trial in the case.
Navalny has faced numerous arrests and jail terms as he has challenged Putin's rule over the past several years, mainly by organizing and leading protest events.
The Kremlin critic in August fell seriously ill during a flight from the Siberian city of Tomsk to the Russian capital. He was initially treated at a hospital in Omsk before being taken by air to Berlin.
Several laboratories in Western countries, including Germany, have determined that Navalny was poisoned by Novichok, a military substance developed in Soviet-era Russia.
Moscow denies any involvement and, in September 2020, said it needed more information, including clinical samples, to carry out an investigation into the poisoning.
The German Justice Ministry said that with the handing over of information requested by Moscow -- including blood and tissue samples -- the Russian government now has all the information it needs to carry out a criminal investigation.
A ministry spokesman said Berlin expects that "the Russian government will now immediately take all necessary steps to clarify the crime against Mr. Navalny."
"This crime must be solved in Russia. This requires investigations commensurate with the seriousness of this crime," the spokesman added.
With reporting by Reuters, dpa, and AFP
RFE/RL has been declared an "undesirable organization" by the Russian government.
If you are in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine and hold a Russian passport or are a stateless person residing permanently in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine, please note that you could face fines or imprisonment for sharing, liking, commenting on, or saving our content, or for contacting us.
To find out more, click here.
Editors' Picks
Top Trending
Church, Entire Village 'Erased' In Azerbaijan's Recaptured Nagorno-Karabakh
2Armenian Border Residents Protest As Yerevan, Baku Agree On Delimitation
3Navalnaya Warns Of Putin's Willingness To Strike In Europe
4Iranian Commander Announces New Morality Enforcement Body
5One Winner Of The Ukraine War Is Azerbaijan
6Zelenskiy Says U.S. Breakthrough On Military Aid Gives Ukraine A 'Chance For Victory'
7Insta-Nazis: How Claims Of 'Rehabilitating Nazism' Are Molding A Militaristic Society In Putin's Russia
8Iran Disputes Reports Of First Delivery Of Russian Su-35 Fighter Jets
9Swiss Report Big Drop In Frozen Russian Assets
10Live Briefing: Russia Invades Ukraine
Subscribe
