Amnesty International has marked the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Intersex-phobia, and Transphobia by renewing its calls on Iran to repeal laws criminalizing consensual same-sex relations.

The London-based human rights watchdog said in an analysis published on May 17 that the recent "horrifying" killing of a 20-year-old gay man in Iran "has shed new light on how the criminalization of consensual same-sex sexual conduct and gender nonconformity perpetuates systemic violence and discrimination" against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people (LGBT).

The killing also "highlights the urgent need for the Iranian authorities to enact and implement laws to protect the human rights" of LGBT people from discrimination, harassment, assaults, and other abuses from state and nonstate actors. it said.

Alireza Fazeli Monfared was reportedly killed on May 4 by his half-brother and cousins who dumped his body under a tree near Ahvaz the capital of the southwestern province of Khuzestan.

SEE ALSO:

Horrific Killing Of Young Gay Man Puts Plight Of Iran's LGBT Community In Spotlight

Authorities said that Fazeli Monfared's throat was slit and announced an investigation, but no suspect has been arrested so far.

Amnesty International urged the authorities to "promptly conduct an independent, impartial and effective criminal investigation into the murder" and "bring those responsible to account in fair trials and without recourse to the death penalty."

"Investigations must examine whether the crime was motivated by hostility and prejudice on the grounds of his gender identity and sexual orientation."

Amnesty quoted individuals who had known Fazeli Monfared as saying he had faced "years of homophobic and transphobic harassment and death threats by several male relatives."

The sources said he had never reported such incidents to the police "out of a fear of facing violence and prosecution at the hands of the authorities."

Iranian laws criminalize consensual same-sex relations, including through the application of the death penalty, and flogging, and ban clothing, hairstyles, and other forms of gender expression that do not conform to strict gender "norms" enforced by the establishment, according to Amnesty International.

"These laws foster a permissive climate for homophobic and transphobic hate crimes and legitimize violent, including deadly, attacks against people on the grounds of their real or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity," Diana Eltahawy, deputy director for the Middle East and North Africa at the group, said in a statement.

"The Iranian authorities' brazen disregard for the lives and safety of LGBT people and the prevailing climate of impunity for such crimes raise the alarm that his murder could go unpunished."

MOSCOW -- City authorities have refused to approve a public exhibition marking the centenary of the late Russian human rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Andrei Sakharov.

Proposed by the Moscow Sakharov Center, the exhibition was titled Andrei Dmitriyevich Sakharov: Anxiety and Hope.

It was planned to open on May 17, four days ahead of Sakharov's 100th birthday, as a series of street displays in Moscow.

The proposed exhibition was meant to include photographs of Sakharov taken by Soviet and Russian photographers, as well as quotes from his memoirs, articles, and speeches.

SEE ALSO:

The 'Humanizing' Role Of Andrei Sakharov

The Moscow government's Department of Culture announced on March 23 that it was ready to provide photo display stands for the exhibition.

But the Sakharov Center said a model of the exhibition that it sent to the Department of Culture had been rejected.

The organization, which has not received an official letter with a reason for the decision, says it is now seeking a formal explanation.

It said a representative from the Department of Culture first informed the Sakharov Center on April 30 that the content of the exhibition was unacceptable.

But the organization said it was given another reason for the rejection on May 14, when a representative of the department said the exhibition stands were needed for another project -- an exhibition commemorating the Battle of Moscow, which took place from October 1941 to January 1942, and the May 9, 1945 World War II victory against Nazi Germany.

"We consider both the decision itself, whoever made it, and the wording of the refusal to be unconvincing and shameful," a Sakharov Center statement said.

"Andrei Dmitriyevich Sakharov is not threatened with historical oblivion," but officials in Moscow are trying to "fence off the legacy of one of their best sons," it said.

BANJA LUKA, Bosnia-Herzegovina -- Bosnia-Herzegovina's predominantly Serbian entity, Republika Srpska, and neighboring Serbia have launched the construction of a hydropower plant on the Drina River despite opposition from environmental organizations and Bosnia's central government.

The prime ministers of Republika Srpska and Serbia, Radovan Viskovic and Ana Brnabic, on May 17 laid the foundation stone for the construction of the at least 93-megawatt (MW) Buk Bijela dam and plant, near the eastern Bosnian town of Foca.

The project is expected to take four years to complete and cost 200 million euros ($243 million). It is the first phase of a larger joint project that would include building two more hydropower plants on the upper stretch of the Drina in Bosnia.

Buk Bijela will be the largest and most important of the three planned power plants, with a dam length of nearly 200 meters.

"We are proud that we are building it with Serbia...it means life, connection, survival, and prosperity," Viskovic told reporters.

The Bosnian War ended in a U.S.-brokered peace agreement in 1995 that divided Bosnia into two entities -- the Muslim and Croat federation and Republika Srpska -- held together by joint central institutions.

Bosnian Foreign Minister Bisera Turkovic warned Serbia that its role in the Buk Bijela project, which has not been approved by Bosnia's central authorities, could damage bilateral ties.

"The Serbian authorities must know that, by entering the Buk Bijela project...they risk not only economic damage but also do not contribute to good neighborly relations," Turkovic tweeted.

Environmentalists from Bosnia, Serbia, and Montenegro, which all have borders on the Drina, have also opposed the project, saying it would damage the environment.

Brnabic defended the project, saying it would generate electricity using renewable resources and that thermal power plants need replacing.

"Everything has an impact on the environment and I think that care should be taken to keep that impact as small as possible," she said.

In December 2020, members of Bosnia's parliament launched a Constitutional Court case against Republika Srpska's decision to issue a concession for the construction of the three hydropower plants, saying decisions on state property such as rivers on international borders can only be made at the state level.

A case about the Buk Bijela dam is also pending at the Espoo Convention Implementation Committee due to Bosnia's failure to consult Montenegro about the environmental impact of the plants.

Bosnia's energy production capacity consists of 2,083 MW from larger hydropower plants and 2,065 MW in coal-fired thermal power plants, according to Reuters. Small hydropower plants, wind, solar, and biomass accounts for a further 112.15 MW.

With reporting by Reuters and Balkan Insight

BATKEN, Kyrgyzstan -- Several Kyrgyz and Tajik nationals were briefly detained along a disputed segment of the border between the two Central Asian states as tensions in the area continue to simmer.

Authorities in Kyrgyzstan's southern region of Batken said that residents in the Kyrgyz village of Ak-Sai on May 17 stopped three Tajik nationals and turned them over to local police to investigate whether they were legally in the country.

Meanwhile, authorities said that three Kyrgyz citizens were detained on the territory of Tajikistan's Vorukh exclave within Kyrgyz territory the same day.

However, Zubaidullo Shomadov, a spokesman for the government of the nearby Tajik city of Isfara, told RFE/RL that two, not three Kyrgyz were detained.

According to the Batken regional officials, several hours later all of the detained individuals were released on both sides of the border. Shomadov also confirmed that all of the detained individuals had been released after talks between officials.

The deputy chief physician of the Batken regional hospital, Ulukbek Aijigitov, told RFE/RL that the three Kyrgyz nationals released from Tajik custody had been beaten in custody, were diagnosed with injuries such as concussions and sustained multiple bruises.

The incident took place about three weeks after deadly clashes in areas between Kyrgyz and Tajik military left scores of casualties on both sides.

The conflict broke out on April 28 and lasted for almost three days after the Tajiks tried to install security cameras on disputed territory.

SEE ALSO:

Deadly Border Conflict Promises To Change How Kyrgyz, Tajiks See One Another And Their Leaders

Many border areas in Central Asia have been restive since the Soviet Union's collapse in 1991.

The situation is particularly complicated near the numerous exclaves in the volatile Ferghana Valley, where the borders of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan meet.

In recent decades, there have been many incidents along the border, which in some cases involved gunfire.

A Moscow court has upheld a fine imposed on Twitter over its refusal to remove posts related to unsanctioned rallies at which demonstrators expressed their support for jailed opposition politician Aleksei Navalny.

The Taganka district court on May 17 ruled that a decision last month to fine Twitter 3.2 million rubles ($43,200) for leaving the posts, which urged teenagers to take part in pro-Navalny rallies in January, was correct and that Twitter's complaint against the ruling "was not satisfied."

On April 2, an arm of the court also ordered Twitter to pay two other fines -- one of 3.3 million rubles and one of 2.4 million rubles -- bringing the total penalty imposed on Twitter at 8.9 million rubles ($126,150). Twitter has appealed the two other fines as well, with rulings still pending.

The court also said on May 17 that it had registered four new protocols against Facebook on similar accusations. Fines for those protocols could total 16 million rubles, which along with the previous protocols against the social network would bring the total amount to 56 million rubles ($750,000).

Russian officials said earlier in May that they had also filed similar protocols against Google.

The moves are the latest in a major dispute Moscow has with global social-media platforms over content allegedly related to political protests.

SEE ALSO:

Russia's Bungling, Late-Game Effort To Control The Web

Russian critics of the Kremlin routinely use international social networks to get around state control of the media and reach tens of millions of citizens with their anti-government messages.

Navalny in January used U.S. social-media networks to organize some of the largest anti-government protests in almost a decade.

Russian authorities have gone as far as to threaten to ban social-media networks. Even though they have recently backed away from such threats, Russian regulators have punitively slowed user connections.

However, Russian media regulator Roskomnadzor said on May 17 that Twitter had started removing some of the banned content and therefore restrictions on its access across Russia had been partially lifted.

"It was decided not to block Twitter services and remove restrictions to access it in fixed networks, while continuing to keep Twitter traffic slow on mobile devices," Roskomnadzor said in its statement, adding that Twitter must remove all content declared by the regulator as banned for a full cancellation of all of the restrictions imposed on the social network.

With reporting by Interfax, TASS, and RIA Novosti

The European Union has called on Russia to repeal its controversial "foreign agent" law, which has been used to target a growing number of Russian-language media outlets, including Radio FreeEurope/Radio Liberty.

The call, made on May 17 by a spokesman for EU foreign-affairs chief Josep Borrell, comes as Russian authorities both expand their targets of the 9-year-old law, as well their enforcement of it.

Last week, court bailiffs moved to begin seizing property from RFE/RL's Moscow bureau, requesting a list of equipment that potentially could be seized. Bailiffs also obtained a court order freezing the Moscow bank accounts used by RFE/RL.

Days earlier, Russia's media regulator said it was adding VTimes, an online news site founded by ex-staffers of the newspaper Vedomosti, to its "foreign agent" list. The regulator had added another online news site, Meduza, previously.

"The EU has consistently urged the Russian authorities to repeal this stifling legislation and to respect their international obligations on freedom of association, assembly and expression," said Peter Stano, the spokesman for EU foreign-affairs chief Josep Borrell.

SEE ALSO:

RFE/RL's Russian Bank Accounts Frozen Following Bailiffs' Visit to Moscow Bureau

Russia's so-called "foreign agent" legislation was adopted in 2012 and has been modified repeatedly.

It requires nongovernmental organizations that receive foreign assistance and that the government deems to be engaged in political activity to be registered, to identify themselves as "foreign agents," and to submit to audits.

Later modifications of the law targeted foreign-funded media, including RFE/RL's Russian Service, six other RFE/RL Russian-language news services, and Current Time.

The law, which has been further expanded to include individual reporters, is one of several Kremlin-backed measures aimed at restricting foreign-funded activities in Russia.

A parallel measure known as the "undesirable organizations" law has forced the shutdown of a number of nongovernmental civil society groups in Russia, mainly from Europe and the United States.

"Such actions have the clear intention to hamper RFE/RL's operations in Russia as part of a wider trend to stifle independent media and critical voices in the country," Stano said.

Separately, the new York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) called on Russia to unfreeze the bank accounts used by RFE/RL and cease labeling outlets as "foreign agents."

Russian authorities "should cease fining and harassing news outlets for alleged violations of its foreign agents law -- an unjust piece of legislation that should be repealed," said Gulnoza Said, CPJ's Europe and Central Asia program coordinator, said in a statement.

"Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty should be able to access its resources freely, and websites such as VTimes should not be forced to jump through hoops and risk large fines due to their ownership structures."

SEE ALSO:

'I'm Not Afraid For Myself': Determined Pensioners Risk It All For Russia's Pro-Democracy Movement

To date, Russian media regulator Roskomnadzor has presented RFE/RL with 520 violations of its labeling restrictions, which are expected to result -- once all are adjudicated by Russian courts -- in fines of $2.4 million.

All of the appeals of these fines filed so far by RFE/RL have been summarily rejected in Russian courts.

In addition, appeals by three RFE/RL freelancers designated in December 2020 as individual media "foreign agents" have been rejected by courts in northwestern Russia, forcing them to begin filing detailed financial declarations with the authorities and to identify themselves in all electronic communications as a "foreign agent."

DUSHANBE -- Hundreds of travelers have been stranded for several days at airports in Tajikistan's two largest cities after flights to Russia on the Nordwind airline were put on hold.

Miroj Azizov, a representative for the airline in the Central Asian nation, told RFE/RL on May 16 that the Tajik State Agency of Civil Aviation had withdrawn the Moscow-based company's license to carry out flights on large planes to and from international airports in Dushanbe, the capital, and the country's second-largest city, Khujand.

Officials from the aviation regulator were not available for immediate comment.

Azizov told RFE/RL that the air company had complied with all regulations and requests by the State Agency of Civil Aviation, including a request to lower prices.

Several clients of the company complained to RFE/RL that they had spent many days at the airport waiting for their flights without decent food or access to proper facilities.

About 1 million labor migrants from Tajikistan permanently reside in Russia and regularly visit their homeland.

As a consequence of flights between Tajikistan and Russia being restricted due to the coronavirus pandemic, a lot of migrant workers have been unable to return to Russia for work.

WATCH: The Struggling Parents Of Tajikistan's First Quintuplets

Embed share

'Not Enough Mother's Milk': The Struggling Parents Of Tajikistan's First Quintuplets

Embed share

The code has been copied to your clipboard.

---

width px height px

---

The URL has been copied to your clipboard

No media source currently available

0:00 0:02:25 0:00

The restrictions were lifted on April 1, sparking a rush to return to Russia to resume employment.

The restrictions have also had a major impact on Tajik students enrolled at Russian universities.

Nordwind flies to 75 cities in 17 countries. Many of its routes are to popular Russian holiday destinations around the Mediterranean Sea and the Indian Ocean.

Two Turkmen nationals have been found dead in their apartment in Istanbul after apparently consuming large amounts of bootleg alcohol.

Turkish media reports said over the weekend that the men, identified as Umytjan Charyev, 35, and Zafarjan Charyev, 37, were found dead by their neighbor on May 15.

According to preliminary investigations, the men, who were brothers, were found among a large number of empty vials, which appeared to have been filled with bootleg alcohol made with a base of perfume.

Many Turkmen labor migrants in Turkey have faced hardships since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.

They are unable to return home and receive no support from Turkmenistan's diplomatic missions in Turkey.

In the wake of pandemic in March last year, some 58 Turkmen citizens died in Istanbul after they drank bootleg alcohol.

Turkish police arrested 11 people at the time, including Turkmen nationals, suspected of selling the counterfeit alcohol.

Some reports said that Turkmen citizens drank bootleg alcohol amid rumors saying that alcohol can help the human body combat the coronavirus.

With reporting by NTV, Istiklal, and CNN Turk

BISHKEK -- Kyrgyzstan's parliament has backed a plan to temporarily seize the country's largest gold mine after its Canadian operator, Centerra Gold, announced it was taking the government to an international court.

Bishkek has regularly accused the Canadian mining company of cheating on the money it owes the government for gold production at the giant Kumtor mine.

But the dispute escalated on May 14 when President Sadyr Japarov signed a law allowing the government to temporarily take over the mine's operations. Japarov says the move is necessary to remedy environmental and safety violations.

According to the new law, the government can take control for up to three months of any company that operates under a concession agreement in Kyrgyzstan if that firm violates environmental regulations, endangers the local environment or lives of people, or causes other significant damage.

Centerra's Kyrgyz subsidiary Kumtor Gold Company (KGC), Kyrgyzstan's biggest taxpayer, is the only firm in the former Soviet republic that operates under a concession agreement.

The head of a Kyrgyz state commission investigating alleged wrongdoing at the Kumtor mine said on May 17 that his group concluded that the agreement on giving the mining concession to Centerra Gold must be revoked, due to what he called "corruption" and "violations of safety and environmental regulations."

Japarov suggested a temporary "external management" period of the mining operations could last three months -- a proposal that parliament unanimously supported in a nonbinding vote later in the day.

In a joint statement, Canadian Foreign Minister Marc Garneau and International Trade Minister Mary Ng said they were "very concerned" by Kyrgyzstan's move, and warned it could have far-reaching consequences on trade and foreign investment in the Central Asian country.

"Measures such as this that have the potential to reduce trade and foreign direct investment will further undermine the economic livelihoods of the Kyrgyz people."

Kyrgyzstan's move comes after a court fined KGC more than $3 billion for dumping mining waste on glaciers near the mine 4,000 meters above sea level. A state commission also recently alleged that KGC owes more than $1 billion in unpaid taxes.

Centerra has called Kyrgyzstan's actions "wrongful and illegal." On May 16, the Canadian firm said it had "initiated binding arbitration to enforce its rights under long-standing investment agreements with the government."

It also accused Kyrgyz law enforcement of intimidation -- including police visits to the homes of several senior KGC managers and a May 15 raid of KGC's office in Bishkek.

Japarov's sudden rise to power in October 2020 after being freed from jail in the midst of a political crisis was particularly bad news for Centerra.

As an opposition politician during the past decade, Japarov had led an unsuccessful bid in parliament and on the streets to nationalize the mine.

He oversaw several chaotic rallies against the company -- including a 2013 rally in which a provincial governor was kidnapped, the basis of Japarov's 2017 arrest and 11-year prison sentence on hostage-taking charges.

Canada, Britain, and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) have all criticized Kyrgyzstan's moves against Centerra.

The EBRD, which has provided financing to the Kumtor project, said on May 16 that the potential takeover of the mine "would put in doubt the commitment of the Kyrgyz Republic to stand by its obligations to its international partners and foreign investors."

The London-based bank said the takeover of the Kumtor mine by Bishkek "risks the country's economic recovery and its reputation as a secure place for investors to operate."

With reporting by AFP

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has met with Danish Prime Minister Mette Fredriksen in Copenhagen at the start of a diplomatic tour that includes a meeting in Iceland of the Arctic Council and his first face-to-face talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov since President Joe Biden started his term in January.

During his May 17 meeting with Fredriksen, Blinken "emphasized the importance of advancing our mutual goals of combating the climate crisis, developing green technology, and continuing common efforts with the Kingdom of Denmark on the Arctic," the State Department said in a statement.

The two also discussed "strengthening the NATO Alliance and cooperating to address other challenges, including energy security," it said.

Blinken is also due to hold talks with Danish Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod in Copenhagen to discuss "combating the climate crisis" and "shared interest in strengthening the transatlantic relationship," the State Department said.

Blinken will stress the U.S. commitment to green technology and preserving environmental stability in the Arctic with the Danish leaders, the department said in a statement.

After those talks, he plans to travel on May 17 to Iceland for meetings with President Gudni Johannesson, Prime Minister Katrin Jakobsdottir, and Foreign Minister Gudlaugur Thordarson ahead of a meeting of the eight-member Arctic Council in Reykjavik beginning on May 19.

State Department spokesman Ned Price said Blinken will "advance efforts to sustain the Arctic as a region of peace, free of conflict, where Arctic Council members collaborate on shared priorities to protect the well-being of Arctic communities and address the ever-growing threat and impacts of the climate crisis."

The meeting with Lavrov is scheduled to take place on May 20. The Russian Foreign Ministry has said the two will discuss "key issues of mutual relations and the international agenda."

Ahead of the meeting, Lavrov on May 17 warned Western countries against staking claims in the Arctic.

"It has been absolutely clear for everyone for a long time that this is our territory, this is our land," Lavrov said at a press conference in Moscow. "We are responsible for ensuring our Arctic coast is safe."

A U.S. intelligence report in April said Moscow is looking to increase its economic and military footprint in the Arctic, taking advantage of global warming's impact on the vast northern region.

Blinken and Lavrov will test the Biden administration's proposition of working on areas where Washington and Moscow have mutual interests, a senior State Department official told reporters en route to Copenhagen.

"We've made very clear from the first day of the administration that we seek a more stable relationship, a more predictable relationship with Russia," the official said.

The meeting comes amid ongoing tensions between Washington and Moscow over Russia's military buildup in and around Ukraine, Russian meddling in U.S. elections, and recent cyberattacks blamed on cybercriminals in Russia, and the official indicated that those matters would be addressed.

"We're not going to stand idly by," he said.

At the end of his trip, Blinken plans to stop in Greenland to meet with the new head of government, Mute Bourup Egede.

The two are expected to discuss their countries' shared commitment to increased cooperation in the Arctic.

With reporting by AFP and AP

A Russian court has postponed the hearing into a case against the political network of jailed Kremlin critic Aleksei Navalny to determine whether it should be designated “extremist.”

The Moscow City Court was expected on May 17 to rule on a motion put forward by prosecutors that would label three organizations tied to Navalny -- the Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK), the Citizens’ Rights Defense Foundation (FZPG), and Navalny’s regional headquarters -- “extremist.”

However, as the hearing started, prosecutors added six more volumes of materials to the case, meaning lawyers for Navalny’s groups needed time to go over the new materials, the Team 29 group of attorneys representing Navalny's team said.

An hour into the hearing, the court rule to postpone it until June 9.

Prosecutors say the organizations have “engaged in creating conditions for destabilizing the social and sociopolitical situation under the guise of their liberal slogans.”

Rights activists have sharply criticized the prosecutor's motion as a "scandalous" attempt to silence and oppress any opposition and dissent in the country.

A court ruling in favor of the motion, which is widely expected, means anyone connected to the operations "immediately will be charged with extremism and this will lead to prison sentences for those who work at the headquarters, those who cooperate with them, and those who help them," Navalny ally Leonid Volkov said last month.

The label would put Navalny and his supporters and financial backers on par with members of the Islamic State militant group and Al-Qaeda. Under Russian law, membership in or funding of an extremist organization is punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

Ivan Zhdanov, the head of the FBK, said on April 29 the organization's activities will not cease regardless of the outcome of the court hearing. The FBK has published numerous investigations into the lavish lifestyles of Russia's elite.

SEE ALSO:

Navalny Groups Vow To Carry On After Moscow Court Suspends 'Certain Activities'

Among them is a probe into a residence belonging to Putin that was published last month on YouTube. The investigation found that the residence contains sumptuous interiors and includes a large spa center not revealed to Russian taxpayers. Putin denies the palace is his.

The move to label Navalny’s organizations extremist is the latest in a series of assaults on Navalny since he suffered a nerve-agent poisoning attack in August 2020.

He and his supporters blame that attack on Federal Security Service (FSB) operatives acting at the behest of authoritarian President Vladimir Putin.

Navalny spent weeks in Germany recuperating from the poisoning. When he returned to Russia in January, he was arrested and later sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison on charges he says were trumped up to hinder his political activity.

Navalny launched a hunger strike in prison on March 31 demanding he be examined by his own doctor amid what his supporters have described as a “deliberate campaign” by prison officials to undermine his health. Though he ended the strike on April 22, he said he is still pushing for his legal right to be seen by a doctor of his own choice.

As part of the crackdown on Navalny's organizations, Moscow prosecutors last month halted all activities of Navalny's regional offices and petitioned the court to do the same for the FBK and FZPG as the prosecutors didn't have the authority to do so on their own.

Volkov said on April 29 that the Navalny regional headquarters network was shutting down as it had become "impossible" to maintain operations. Some headquarters, however, will continue their activities as independent social and political groups, Volkov said.

With reporting by AFP and Reuters

Czech President Milos Zeman has called Russia silly for listing his country as an "unfriendly" state amid deteriorating ties over an intelligence dispute.

Relations have slumped since April when the Czech government accused Russian military intelligence agents of causing a 2014 blast at an ammunition depot that killed two people. The Czech Republic has expelled dozens of Russian employees at Moscow's embassy in Prague as spies.

Russia denies the allegations and has retaliated by expelling Czech diplomats. On May 14, it also listed the country as "unfriendly" along with the United States -- and it has threatened to apply the measure to other countries if they engage in "unfriendly actions."

The designation will bar the United States from hiring local personnel for its diplomatic missions in Russia, and limits the number of local hires by the Czech Republic to 19.

"It is always wrong to be an enemy," Zeman told the Czech radio station Frekvence 1 on May 16.

"It is silliness from the Russian side, because making enemies from former friends is a mistake," said Zeman, who has favored friendly ties with Russia for years. "If there cannot be friendship, then there should at least be correct relations."

Zeman's remarks came a day after the European Union said Russia's decision to categorize the United States and the Czech Republic as "unfriendly" was not justified.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on May 15 that the EU deplores allegations from Moscow of "unfriendly actions" perpetrated against Russia.

"We call on Russia to review its decision, to avoid a further deterioration of our relationship that is already under strain. The EU will continue to coordinate its position with its partners," he said.

"We express full solidarity with the Czech Republic, an EU member state, and the United States of America and call on Russia to fully respect the Vienna Convention," Borrell added.

Russia’s decision was also criticized by European Council President Charles Michel. On May 15, Michel called the Russian government's action "another escalatory step" that "undermines diplomatic relations."

With reporting by dpa and Reuters

A top Iranian commander has expressed support for the Palestinian Hamas movement in fighting that erupted this week in Gaza against Israel.

The commander of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IGRC), General Esmail Qaani, assured Hamas of his full support on May 15, Iranian state media reported.

Qaani made the comments in a telephone conversation with Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, who thanked Iran for its support. According to Iran’s Al-Alam television channel, he also said the fight against Israel was not just Hamas's but that of the entire Islamic world.

The Islamist Hamas, which has been designated a terrorist organization by the European Union, the United States, and other countries, has fired thousands of rockets at Israel in a new flare-up of violence that on May 16 entered its seventh day.

The Israeli military has pummeled Gaza with air strikes and on May 15 destroyed a building housing news media.

The number of people killed in Gaza since May 10 has climbed to 145, including 41 children, according to the Palestinians. Israel has reported 10 dead, including two children.

Earlier on May 15, the Iranian foreign minister canceled a visit to Austria after the government hoisted the Israeli flag on its buildings.

The main topic of the meeting would have been negotiations that have been taking place in Vienna to revive the 2015 nuclear agreement between Iran and world powers.

Iran, which considers Israel its archenemy, supports anti-Israel resistance groups, including Hamas in Gaza and Hizballah in southern Lebanon.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on May 11 urged all nations to condemn Israel’s “brutal and cruel crime” and said Palestinians need to be empowered in order to “force” Israel to accept their rights.

Based on reporting by dpa and AP

Alyaksandr Lukashenka will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin later this month as the Belarusian strongman faces growing isolation from the West over his crackdown on peaceful protesters.

The visit is scheduled for the end of May, Kommersant reported, and will be Lukashenka’s third trip to Russia this year. The two leaders will discuss their closer integration, among other issues, the paper reported.

Putin has been pushing Lukashenka in recent years to take steps toward the integration of their economies in order to cement a 20-year-old agreement to form a union state.

Lukashenka has rebuffed the pressure, but unprecedented street protests over last year's presidential election and subsequent Western sanctions have weakened his negotiating position with Putin.

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.

Lukashenka is seeking lower energy prices from Russia before moving ahead with integration, while Putin wants integration first before cutting prices for Belarus, Kommersant reported.

Belarus’s economy is heavily dependent on below-market Russian energy to fuel its outdated manufacturing sector.

The Kremlin has outlined plans to gradually raise energy prices for its smaller neighbor, potentially squeezing the nation’s finances at a time when it has few alternatives to Russia.

The United States and European Union have imposed sanctions on Belarusian officials and companies in response to Lukashenka’s violent crackdown on protesters in the wake of the August 2020 presidential election, hampering the country’s ability to raise money in the West.

According to a presidential decree published on May 15, Belarus will sell bonds inside Russia with the aim to raise up to 100 billion rubles ($1.35 billion) over the next two years.

Russian state-owned banks are the largest buyers of ruble bonds.

The money raised from the bond sale will be used to refinance the nation’s foreign debt, which stood at $18.3 billion as of February 1, much of which is held by Russia.

With reporting by VTimes and Kommersant

Belarus has sentenced two reporters, including one working for German international broadcaster Deutsche Welle, to 20 days in jail for allegedly participating in an unsanctioned demonstration.

The May 15 ruling is the latest in a series by Belarusian courts aimed at intimidating reporters covering the state’s brutal crackdown on peaceful demonstrators, critics say

Deutsche Welle freelance reporter Alyaksandr Burakou and independent reporter Uladzimer Laptsevich were detained on May 12 in Mahileu, a town 200 kilometers east of the Belarusian capital, Minsk, where they were waiting to cover the trial of opposition politician Paval Severinets.

Belarusian police charged them with "repeatedly participating in an unsanctioned demonstration within a year."

The reporters rejected the charges. Belarusian human rights group MayDay said there was no mass demonstration on May 12 in front of the court in Mahileu.

Deutsche Welle Director-General Peter Limbourg called on Belarusian officials to free the reporters immediately.

"We strongly protest against the violation of the constitutionally guaranteed press rights in Belarus," Limbourg said in a statement. "This accusation was constructed arbitrarily, and the way [Alyaksandr] Burakou has been treated shows that the regime is taking increasingly ruthless actions against journalists."

Burakou told the court that he had been subject to inhumane treatment in the detention facility. He complained that police guards regularly woke him, hampering his sleep.

He also said they failed to hand him personal care products and warm clothes brought to the detention center by his family.

Belarusian authorities have stepped up their repression of journalists and bloggers ever since the start of mass protests sparked by the August 9 presidential election.

Protesters say the election was rigged in favor of strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka, who has ruled Belarus since 1994.

Dozens of reporters have been temporarily detained or jailed over the ensuing nine months. Burakou was detained right before the election initially on a charge of "transporting counterfeit alcohol."

However, he was later sentenced to 10 days in jail for petty hooliganism in what he said was an attempt to prevent him from covering the election.

German Foreign Ministry spokesman Christofer Burger told Deutsche Welle on May 14 that the repression of journalists was "unacceptable" and "a clear violation of Belarus's international obligations."

With reporting by Deutsche Welle

ALMATY, Kazakhstan -- Police in Kazakhstan have detained an Instagram blogger over satirical posts he made on the social media platform as the government continues to pressure political opponents.

Police searched the home of Temirlan Ensebek in Almaty on May 15 and seized his equipment, his wife told RFE/RL.

Yensebek is a member of Oyan, Qazaqstan (Wake Up, Kazakhstan!), a group that supports political reform in the authoritarian Central Asian nation.

A few supporters of the blogger protested outside the police station where he was being questioned.

Ensebek's wife said he could face charges of knowingly spreading false information that puts public order in danger.

His wife said she did not know which post could have caused the police investigation. All posts on his Qaznews24 Instagram page have been deleted.

Some of Ensebek's satirical posts poking fun at the nation’s authoritarian system were widely discussed on social media.

In one of his posts, he joked that Muslim leaders in Kazakhstan had proposed giving former President Nursultan Nazarbaev that status of a god and recommended incorporating that into the constitution.

Kazakhstan changed the name of its capital to Nur-Sultan in 2019 to honor Nazarbaev, who ruled with an iron fist from the nation’s independence in 1991 until 2019.

He continues to wield considerable influence as chairman of the Security Council.

In another post, Ensebek said the Interior Ministry was preparing a law that would limit the right of Kazakh citizens to travel abroad to just one time a year.

Under President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev, who was handpicked by Nazarbaev, Kazakhstan continues to clamp down on freedom of speech and harass opposition members.

Police last year detained dozens of journalists and bloggers and launched criminal cases for alleged crimes such as spreading false information and inciting the public, according to Adilsoz, a local media watchdog.

KYIV -- Two Ukrainian ministers have reportedly submitted their resignations to parliament while a third minister is expected to be fired as President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's cabinet experiences more turnover.

Minister of Economic Development, Trade, and Agriculture Ihor Petrashko and Minister of Infrastructure Vladyslav Krykliy submitted their resignations, Olha Tuniy, the press secretary of Verkhovna Rada Speaker Dmytro Razumkov, said in a May 14 Facebook post.

Tuniy gave no reason for their decision to resign. Neither minister has publicly announced their intention to step down.

Separately, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal asked parliament the same day to fire Health Minister Maksym Stepanov, who has been criticized for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

The parliament will consider Shmyhal’s request to dismiss Stepanov at its next meeting on May 18.

Zelenskiy’s cabinet has experienced significant turnover since the former comic took power in 2019.

He dismissed his first government in March 2020 after just six months despite what Ukraine observers said was significant progress on banking and land reforms.

Parliament last month approved Herman Halushchenko as Ukraine’s new energy minister.

Halushchenko is the fourth person to hold the position of minister or acting-minster of energy under Zelenskiy.

There have been important changes outside Zelenskiy's cabinet as well over the past 15 months.

The president fired his chief of staff Andriy Bohdan in February 2020 while National Bank head Yakiv Smolii resigned in July 2020 citing political pressure.

A top Ukrainian official did not exclude the possibility of a prisoner swap with Russia if a Kyiv court convicts a Kremlin-leaning politician of treason.

Oleksiy Danilov, the secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, said in a TV interview that Kyiv would "gladly" hand over lawmaker Viktor Medvedchuk to Moscow in exchange for Ukrainians held in Russian prisons if the opportunity arises.

However, he said such a decision can only be made by President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

Ukrainian Prosecutor-General Iryna Venediktova on May 11 charged Medvedchuk, the leading figure in the Opposition Platform -- For Life party, with three counts of treason.

A Kyiv court placed Medvedchuk under house arrest on May 13 and set the start of his trial for July in what could be the highest-profile political case in Ukraine in years.

He denies the charges and calls them politically motivated.

Medvedchuk promotes closer ties with Russia, which annexed Crimea and backed fighters in eastern Ukraine following the overthrow of Kremlin-leaning President Viktor Yanukovych in 2014.

The war in eastern Ukraine, which continues to this day, has killed more than 13,000 people.

Medvedchuk is accused among other things of concealing his ownership of natural gas assets in Russian-occupied Crimea with the help of the Kremlin.

Ukraine in February sanctioned Medvedchuk and three television stations believed to be owned by him.

Ukraine accuses the stations of promoting Russian disinformation.

The 66-year-old Medvedchuk has close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is the godfather of his daughter.

SEE ALSO:

Behind The Scenes In Ukraine, Ties To Putin Help Power Broker Pull Strings 

Medvedchuk has frequently traveled to Moscow to discuss with Russian officials, including Putin, peace in eastern Ukraine, prisoner swaps, as well as natural gas deals.

Putin on May 14 accused Ukraine of carrying out "anti-Russian" policies in a possible reference to the charges against his friend Medvedchuk.

Analysts say that Zelenskiy has grown frustrated with the lack of progress in the peace talks with Russia and sees Medvedchuk as a hindrance.

Zelenskiy, a political novice, came to power in May 2019 in part on a promise to end the war in eastern Ukraine and free political prisoners.

He carried out three prisoner swaps with Russia and the Kremlin-backed fighters in eastern Ukraine within his first year but has made no progress since April 2020.

Russia stills holds about 100 Ukrainians -- including many Crimean Tatars -- that Kyiv deems to be political prisoners.

Zelenskiy’s ratings have tumbled from above 70 percent in 2019 to below 30 percent this year amid disillusionment with his leadership.

A hard-line cleric in charge of Iran's judiciary is among the final potential candidates who have registered to run in the country's upcoming presidential election.

Ebrahim Raisi, who has close ties to 82-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, announced plans to enter the race on May 15, the last day for potential candidates to register for the June 18 election.

The Guardians Council will vet the registrants and announce a final list of candidates on May 27.

Others who registered included Ali Larijani, a prominent conservative voice and former parliament speaker who later allied himself with outgoing President Hassan Rohani, who cannot run for another term.

SEE ALSO:

Amid Nuclear Standoff, Who's In The Running To Take The Reins In Iran?

Mohsen Hashemi Rafsanjani, a reformist who is the eldest son of the late former Iranian President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, also entered his name on May 15.

Several potential candidates have prominent backgrounds in the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, a paramilitary force answerable only to the supreme leader.

Former hard-line President Mahmud Ahmadinejad registered on May 12.

Based on reporting by AP, Reuters, and dpa

The European Council has criticized Russia's decision to designate the United States and the Czech Republic as "unfriendly," a move by Moscow that will limit the two Western countries in their hiring of staff for embassy operations in Russia.

The Russian government published its official list of "unfriendly" countries on May 14. It pledged to apply the measure to other countries if they engage in "unfriendly actions."

The designation will bar the United States from hiring local personnel for its diplomatic missions in Russia, and caps the number of local hires for the Czech Republic at 19.

European Council President Charles Michel on May 15 called the Russian government's action "another escalatory step" that "undermines diplomatic relations."

On May 14, the Czech Foreign Ministry said in statement that "we consider this course of action by the Russian Federation to be another step toward the escalation of relations not only with the Czech Republic, but also with the E.U. and its allies."

The move is "completely contrary to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations," the statement said, adding that it would affect tourism and business between the two countries.

SEE ALSO:

Czech PM's Remarks On 2014 Blasts Trigger Outrage, Underscore Split Over Russia Ties

Relations between Prague and Moscow have soured considerably following Czech accusations on April 17 that Russia was involved in a deadly arms-depot blast on Czech territory in 2014.

The two countries have engaged in harsh rhetoric and tit-for-tat diplomatic expulsions in the weeks since, with the Czechs backed by Brussels and Washington.

"This proves that the Czech Republic’s response to the Vrbetice incident was correct, and its reaction affected Russia so deeply that [Moscow] decided to include us on the list of unfriendly nations, along with the United States," Czech Interior Minister Jan Hamacek said on May 14.

The U.S. Embassy in Prague tweeted that “we are proud to stand alongside our steadfast ally, the Czech Republic!”

With reporting by AP, Reuters, and TASS

Gasoline shortages have spread from the southern United States to the U.S. capital as a large pipeline works to recover from a cyberattack that U.S. officials say originated in Russia.

The pipeline's owner said on May 14 that it was making progress in restoring full service and ramping up deliveries of gasoline and other fuels. But the company, Colonial Pipeline, expects it will take a few more days to recover from the most disruptive cyberattack on U.S. energy infrastructure.

Gasoline station outages in Washington climbed to 88 percent from 79 percent the day before, tracking firm GasBuddy said.

About 65 percent of gas stations in North Carolina were without fuel, while in Virginia, South Carolina, and Georgia just under 50 percent were empty, GasBuddy said.

Most of the areas experiencing outages have seen panic buying, GasBuddy added.

Colonial Pipeline announced on May 13 that it had restarted its entire pipeline system linking refineries on the Gulf Coast of Texas to markets along the U.S. East Coast.

Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said despite the current number of gasoline stations that are out, the nation is "over the hump" on gas shortages and service should return to normal in most areas by the end of the weekend.

"It’s still going to work its way through the system over the next few days, but we should be back to normal fairly soon,'' Granholm said in an interview with the Associated Press.

President Joe Biden also said supplies should start returning to normal by this weekend.

Biden said his administration would seek to put the responsible Russian-speaking ransomware syndicate out of business.

Biden has said he intends to speak directly to Russian President Vladimir Putin about Russia’s harboring of ransomware criminals who caused tens of billions of dollars in damages in Western countries in the past year.

The darknet site of the hacking group blamed for the attack, DarkSide, has gone offline, and its operators said in a cybercriminal forum post that the site would be shutting down, the Associated Press reported.

This could indicate that DarkSide, which rents out its ransomware to partners to carry out the actual attacks, could have taken the site down to prevent Western law enforcement agencies from tracking the rest of its infrastructure, cybersecurity experts said.

In a ransomware cyberattack, hackers lock up computer systems and demand a ransom for the key needed to access the data network again.

Colonial Pipeline, which first reported the cyberattack on May 8, paid a ransom of nearly $5 million in cryptocurrency for the key, according to multiple sources quoted by U.S. news media.

Colonial Pipeline has not disclosed how much money the hackers were seeking or whether it paid.

The FBI advises against paying ransoms because it only encourages ransomware attacks. But many victims opt to pay to get access to their computer data again.

U.S. lawmakers members reintroduced legislation on May 14 to support efforts by the Department of Homeland Security to secure pipelines and pipeline facilities from cyberattacks.

With reporting by AP, Reuters, and Bloomberg

Ukraine has unveiled a synagogue on the site commemorating Babyn Yar, one of the biggest massacres of Jews during World War II.

"The symbolic synagogue is a big step toward restoring the memory of all those who died in this place," Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said during a ceremony on May 14.

The wooden synagogue, which is constructed like a pop-up book, is decorated with patterns and texts of prayers that recreate the traditional interiors of ancient synagogues in western Ukraine. The unveiling coincided with commemorations of Ukraine's inaugural Day of Remembrance for Ukrainians who helped save Jews during World War II.

About 34,000 Jewish men, women and children were killed at the Babyn Yar ravine on the outskirts of Kyiv on September 29-30, 1941, soon after the Nazis occupied the city. In the following months more than 100,000 people, including Ukrainian nationalists, Roma, Jews, and Soviet prisoners of war were killed at the site.

• Amos Chapple

In the autumn of 1941, one the gravest atrocities of the 20th century unfolded in a ragged ravine on the outskirts of Nazi-occupied Kyiv.

After World War II, the site was used as a landfill and lagoon. The unveiling of the synagogue is part of the recent effort to shed more light on the massacre.

A monument was built on the site in the 1970s, but it was dedicated only to Soviet victims. Following the fall of the Soviet Union, a sculpture in the shape of a menorah was erected nearby.

The Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorial Center, which was behind the effort to install the temporary synagogue, has plans to build a major memorial at the site.

Based on reporting by Reuters and AFP

A former U.S. Army Green Beret who pleaded guilty last year to providing classified information to Russian military intelligence agents over a long period of time has been sentenced to more than 15 years in prison.

A Virginia judge handed down the sentence on May 14. Prosecutors had asked for a 17-year prison term.

Peter Debbins, 46, periodically met with Russian agents from 1996 to 2011 during trips to Russia, providing them with information about his chemical and former special units teams, prosecutors said.

"His conduct is a personal betrayal of colleagues and country, and it reflects the threat of Russian intelligence operations targeting our military," Assistant Attorney General John Demers for the Justice Department's National Security Division said in a statement.

Demers said the long sentence reflects "the seriousness of his conduct" and serves as a "warning to those who would be tempted to do the same."

According to U.S. prosecutors, Debbins, whose mother was born in the Soviet Union, traveled to Russia for the first time in 1994 and met his current wife in the central city of Chelyabinsk. Debbins' father-in-law was a colonel in the Russian air force.

He returned in 1996 as an exchange student from the University of Minnesota and met with his Russian handler.

The U.S.-born Debbins told Russian intelligence he considered himself a "son of Russia," and "thought that the United States was too dominant in the world and needed to be cut down to size," according to the indictment filed last year.

Court filings show that Debbins joined the U.S. Army as an active duty officer in 1998 and served through 2005, the last two years as a Special Forces officer.

While on assignment in Azerbaijan, he was discharged and lost his security clearance after violating protocols. That included bringing his wife with him to Azerbaijan and allowing her to use a government-issued cell phone, according to the court filing.

After being discharged from the military, he worked as a civilian for U.S. military contractors, in some cases in counterintelligence, including work as a Russian linguist.

The original charging indictment alleged that he provided information and the names of fellow Special Forces members while he was on assignment in Azerbaijan and Georgia.

According to his guilty plea, Debbins admitted that the Russian agents used the information he provided to evaluate whether other Special Forces officers could be persuaded to cooperate with Russia.

U.S. prosecutors were assisted by Army Counterintelligence, the FBI’s Minneapolis Field Office, the United Kingdom’s Metropolitan Police Service and MI5.