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- By RFE/RL
Georgia's Main Opposition Ends Monthslong Boycott Of Parliament
Georgia's main opposition leader, Nika Melia, has said that his United National Movement (ENM) will enter parliament after a nearly seven-month boycott.
"We will enter parliament to liberate the Georgian state captured by oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili," Melia told journalists in Tbilisi, referring to the multibillionaire founder of the ruling Georgian Dream party.
Georgia was plunged into political paralysis after Georgian Dream won the parliamentary elections in October, in a vote the opposition said was unfair and fraudulent.
A group of opposition parties then boycotted parliament and staged protests demanding new elections.
The European Union, backed by the United States, has played a mediating role in resolving the crisis in the small country with ambitions of strengthening ties with the West.
Melia was released from prison on bail with the help of the EU earlier in May, after three months of pretrial detention on charges that he organized "mass violence" during 2019 anti-government protests.
His detention, which the ENM said was politically motivated, helped fuel a protracted political crisis first triggered by the contested election.
On April 19, European Council President Charles Michel mediated a compromise agreement between opposition groups and Georgian Dream that paved the way for several opposition parties to enter parliament. Melia's release from prison was part of that agreement.
However, the ENM -- founded by exiled former President Mikheil Saakashvili -- did not join parliament alongside the other parties, leaving its 36 seats vacant in the 150-seat legislature.
In announcing the the ENM's return to parliament, Melia did not commit to the EU-brokered political agreement.
In a joint statement, the EU and U.S. missions to Georgia said the ENM's return to parliament was "another positive step" toward strengthening democracy in Georgia.
"However, we strongly regret that the United National Movement did not seize the opportunity today to join the other parliamentary parties in signing the 19 April agreement," the missions said.
"The ENM shares the responsibility with the other elected parties to engage constructively in parliament to address perceptions of politicized justice, adopt and scrutinize the implementation of ambitious electoral and judicial reform, and participate in power-sharing within parliament, among many priorities," they said.
Under the EU-brokered deal, early parliamentary elections will be called in 2022 if Georgian Dream gets less than 43 percent in upcoming local elections. It also sets the rules for power-sharing in parliament, outlines reforms to the judicial system, and suggests reforms to the Central Election Commission.
With reporting by AFP, Reuters, and RFE/RL's Georgian Service
- By RFE/RL
Three Russian Paramilitaries Killed In Central African Republic
A military vehicle struck a land mine in the Central African Republic (C.A.R.), killing at least two police officers and three Russian paramilitaries helping government forces battle rebel groups in the war-torn country.
"Three Russian allies and two Central African police officers were killed," government spokesman Ange Maxime Kazagui told AFP on May 30.
Five members of the local security forces were also wounded in the attack, which occurred on May 28 in the west of the country on a road between Barberati and Bouar.
Russia helps President Faustin Archange Touadera combat rebel groups in the resource-rich country’s ongoing civil war, including fielding Russian mercenaries and security details for government figures.
Moscow says it has only sent unarmed "instructors" to train the C.A.R. Defense Ministry.
Numerous witnesses and NGOs say the instructors are in fact paramilitaries from the Vagner Group, a Russian military contractor with ties to the government, who are actively participating alongside Rwandan special forces and UN peacekeepers in the fight against rebels.
A UN report in March expressed concern about Russian paramilitaries participating in human rights abuses alongside C.A.R. government forces, and in some cases UN peacekeepers. The alleged abuses include mass summary executions, forced displacement of the civilian population, and indiscriminate targeting of civilian facilities.
Russia has significantly increased its presence and influence in the C.A.R., where Russian national Valery Zakharov serves as national-security adviser to President Touadera, who was sworn in for a second five-year term on March 30 after winning an election in December.
Bangui has also granted gold- and diamond-mining permits to Russian companies suspected of having links to businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin, a close associate of Russian President Vladimir Putin, and the man believed to be the head of the Vagner Group.
With reporting by AFP and Corbeau News
Biden To Press Putin On Human Rights During June 16 Meeting
U.S. President Joe Biden says he will press Russian President Vladimir Putin to respect human rights when the two leaders meet in June.
The June 16 summit in Geneva, Switzerland, comes amid escalating tensions between the United States and Russia.
"I'm meeting with President Putin in a couple weeks in Geneva making it clear we will not, we will not stand by and let him abuse those rights," Biden said during a speech honoring the U.S. holiday Memorial Day on May 30.
The White House said on May 28 that it was planning to "move ahead" with the meeting between the two leaders after Microsoft flagged a cyberattack on U.S. government agencies by Nobelium, the group behind last year’s SolarWind hack that originated in Russia.
The Kremlin has said it has no information about the attack.
Biden said in March that he believed Putin was a "killer," which prompted a diplomatic row that led to Moscow recalling its ambassador to Washington for consultations.
Biden first proposed a summit in a call with Putin in April as his administration prepared to levy sanctions against Russian officials for the second time during the first three months of his presidency.
The White House said Biden plans to discuss Ukraine during the summit. Russia annexed the Ukrainian region of Crimea in 2014 and Kremlin-backed separatists took control of a chunk of eastern Ukraine that same year.
The Biden administration has also criticized Russia for the arrest and jailing of opposition leader Aleksei Navalny and publicly acknowledged that it has low to moderate confidence that Russian agents were offering bounties to the Taliban to attack U.S. troops in Afghanistan.
With reporting by Reuters and AFP
- By RFE/RL
Belarusian Journalist Pratasevich Moved To KGB Detention Facility, Says Rights Group
The Belarusian rights group Vyasna says detained journalist and opposition activist Raman Pratasevich has been moved to a pretrial detention facility run by the country’s main security agency, the KGB.
In a report on its Telegram channel on May 30, Vyasna also said that Pratasevich had received a package from his sister but that an unspecified book had been taken from it.
Vyasna did not reveal the name or location of the facility. Previously, Pratasevich had been held at pretrial detention center No. 1 in the capital, Minsk.
Pratasevich, 26, is facing charges of being behind civil disturbances, an offense punishable by up to 15 years in prison.
He was a key administrator of the Telegram channel, Nexta-Live, which has been covering the mass protests that broke out in Belarus following the disputed presidential election last August.
Security forces have arrested more than 30,000 people, including dozens of journalists who covered the rallies.
Belarus dispatched a fighter jet to intercept a Ryanair commercial flight on May 23 and forced it to land in Minsk, where Pratasevich and his girlfriend, Sofia Sapega, a Russian national, were taken off the aircraft and detained.
The plane was flying over Belarus from Athens to the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius.
The move sparked international outrage and demands for Pratasevich's release. The European Union has since banned flights from Belarus.
With reporting by TASS
Chief Editor Of Independent Belarusian News Portal Briefly Detained
Belarusian authorities have briefly detained Alyaksey Shota, the editor in chief of the independent Hrodna.life news portal, in the western city of Hrodna.
In a statement on May 30, police in Hrodna said that the news portal had posted material that was "recognized as extremist."
Shota was later released after questioning.
In March, a court in Hrodna found Shota guilty of disseminating extremist material and imposed a fine.
Shota's detention comes amid a crackdown on independent journalists and opponents of authoritarian leader Alyaksandr Lukashenka.
Belarus dispatched a fighter jet to intercept a Ryanair commercial flight on May 23 and forced it to land in Minsk, where journalist Raman Pratasevich and his girlfriend, Sofia Sapega, a Russian national, were taken off the aircraft and detained.
The plane was flying over Belarus from Athens to the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius.
The move sparked international outrage and demands for Pratasevich's release. The European Union banned flights from Belarus.
Shota had previously worked for Tut.by, the country's largest independent online media outlet.
Earlier in May, police launched a probe of Tut.by, searching the homes of several of its editors and blocking its website.
The Belarusian Association of Journalists said last week that 27 media workers were behind bars, either awaiting trial or serving sentences.
Belarus has been gripped by nearly unprecedented political turmoil since last August, when Lukashenka declared victory in a disputed presidential election.
Belarusians have taken to the streets around the country to protest. Security forces have arrested more than 30,000 people, including dozens of journalists who covered the rallies.
The crackdown has pushed most of the top opposition figures out of the country.
With reporting by TASS
Hollywood Actor Steven Seagal Joins Pro-Kremlin Party
Hollywood actor Steven Seagal, who has Russian citizenship, has joined a pro-Kremlin political party.
The A Just Russia party backs almost all Kremlin initiatives and supports President Vladimir Putin but is a rival of the ruling United Russia party.
At a ceremony on May 29, Seagal posed for pictures next to one of the party leaders, Russian writer Zakhar Prilepin, who is associated with Russia-backed separatists that are fighting against Ukrainian government forces in eastern Ukraine.
Seagal, who has personal ties with Putin, was given Russian citizenship in 2016.
The 69-year-old actor has starred in Hollywood action movies such as Above The Law (1988), Hard To Kill (1990), and Under Siege (1992). His films were popular in the Soviet Union and then in Russia and other ex-Soviet republics.
One of several Western actors and athletes who have been granted Russian citizenship under Putin, he was appointed by the Foreign Ministry as a special envoy for cultural ties with the United States in 2018.
The U.S.-born martial artist has retained his American citizenship.
Based on reporting by Reuters and dpa
Rohani Dismisses Iran's Central Bank Chief Over Presidential Candidacy
Iranian President Hassan Rohani has dismissed the head of the country's Central Bank, Abdolnaser Hemmatti, because he is running as a candidate for president in an election in June.
Reuters quoted Hemmatti as saying during a meeting late on May 29 via the Clubhouse social-media app that Rohani told him: "If you stand in the election, you cannot remain the Central Bank chief because it affects monetary and exchange rate policies."
Hemmatti said he told Rohani that he "had no problem with his decision."
Meanwhile, Iranian state media outlets say the deputy chief of the Budget and Planning Organization, Hamid Pourmohammadi denied reports on May 30 that he has replaced Hemmati as the Central Bank governor.
Hemmatti is one of seven candidates approved recently by Iran's hard-line Guardians Council to run in the June 18 presidential election.
Rohani himself cannot seek reelection after having served two consecutive four-year terms.
Based on reporting by Reuters, Fars, Tasnim, and Iranian state TV
Ukrainian Diplomat Collapses, Dies Suddenly In Thailand
KYIV -- The Foreign Ministry in Kyiv has confirmed that a Ukrainian diplomat has died suddenly while on holiday with his family at a resort island off Thailand's southern coast.
Authorities in Kyiv did not immediately announce the cause of death for Andriy Beshta, 45, who had served as Ukraine's ambassador to Thailand from November 2015 until he was relieved of the post in April.
Police in Thailand quoted Beshta's teenage son, Ostap Beshta, as saying that his father had been feeling fine before he went to sleep on May 29 at about 11 p.m. local time in their shared hotel room on the island of Koh Lipe.
Police said the diplomat's son told investigators that his father woke up vomiting at about 4:30 a.m. and then fell unconscious.
"Preliminary investigations showed no signs of him being attacked, no signs of a raid, or violence," a statement attributed to National Police deputy spokesman Kissana Phathanacharoen said.
Thai authorities were questioning other witnesses in the case.
Ekkarat Leesen, the governor of Thailand's southern Satun Province, said Beshta's body was taken to a police hospital for an autopsy.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy tweeted on May 30 that Beshta "was a friendly man and a highly professional diplomat."
Zelenskiy also said he had spoken by telephone to Beshta's four surviving family members in Thailand -- who, according to the Ukrainian embassy's website, include his wife, a daughter, and two sons.
Since 2017, Beshta had also served part-time as Ukraine's ambassador to Laos and Myanmar, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said.
With reporting by AP and AFP
- By RFE/RL
Iran Confirms French Citizen Charged With Spying, Propaganda
The lawyer for a French tourist detained in Iran a year ago says Iranian prosecutors have confirmed that his client will be tried on charges of espionage and "propaganda against the system."
The 35-year-old French citizen, Benjamin Briere, was arrested in Iran in May 2020 -- allegedly while flying a drone and taking photographs in a prohibited area near the Iran-Turkmenistan border.
He could face the death penalty in Iran if convicted of espionage. A conviction for spreading "propaganda against the system" could result in a prison sentence ranging from three months to a year.
Briere's lawyer, Said Dehghan, said on May 30 that Iranian authorities told him their investigation had been completed and that prosecutors had confirmed the charges.
"The prosecutor is preparing the indictment and sending it to the [Islamic] Revolutionary Court for the continuation of the judicial process," Dehghan said.
The lawyer said the charge of "propaganda against the system" was the result of a social media post by Briere in which he allegedly pointed out that while "the hijab is mandatory" in Iran, it is not in other Islamic countries.
Briere is being held in the northeastern Iranian city of Mashhad. He had also been facing charges of "corruption on Earth," one of the most serious offenses under Iranian law, and drinking alcohol -- which is punishable by flogging.
But Dehghan said those charges were dismissed after the investigation.
Confirmation of the charges against him comes days after the French weekly Le Point published an open letter by Briere's sister, Blandine Briere, in which she called upon French President Emmanuel Macron to push for her brother's release.
She said the charges were "baseless" and that Briere had become a "negotiating tool" amid tensions between Iran and the West over Iran's nuclear capacity.
France is part of a group of countries - along with the United States, Britain, China, Russia, and Germany - that say they are trying to restore a nuclear deal struck with Iran in 2015 but abandoned in 2018 by former U.S. President Donald Trump.
Arrests of foreigners in Iran -- especially dual nationals, who are often accused of espionage -- have multiplied since Trump unilaterally withdrew the United States from the agreement and reimposed harsh sanctions against Tehran.
Tehran insists its nuclear program is only for peaceful purposes. But suspicions remain in other countries, including France, that Iran is secretly trying to develop nuclear weapons.
With reporting by AFP, Reuters, AP, and BBC
- By RFE/RL
Bomb Kills Six Afghan Guards Near Iran-Afghanistan Railroad Project
Six members of the Afghan security forces have been killed by a roadside bomb near the site of a railway that is being built to link eastern Iran with Afghanistan's western province of Herat.
Herat's provincial governor, Wahid Qatali, said those who were killed had been guarding the site of the railway line in Ghoryan district.
The Afghanistan Railway Authority confirmed the May 29 attack on the Iranian-Afghan infrastructure project.
When completed, the 225-kilometer-long cross-border railway is meant to link the Iranian city of Khaf with the western Afghan city of Herat.
The first three sections, spanning a combined length of 140 kilometers, were inaugurated in December 2020 when a test freight train transported 500 tons of cement between Iran's Khaf station in Iran and Rozanak station in western Afghanistan.
Work under way within Afghanistan on the last 43-kilometer section of the railway is meant to be completed by mid-2022 -- passing through the districts of Ghoryan, Zenda Jan, and Enjeel to reach Rabat Paryan in the Kushk district before heading to Herat.
The construction project is managed by the Railways of the Islamic Republic of Iran (RAI) and the Afghanistan Railway Authority (ARA).
Tehran plans to extend its section of the railway to Iran's southern port city of Chabahar, allowing Afghanistan to improve its trade through connections to Central Asia, Russia, Turkey, and Europe.
Elsewhere in Afghanistan, at least seven people were killed late on May 29 when a mortar shell struck a wedding party in the northeastern province of Kapisa.
Reports say the mortar shell exploded in the province's contested district of Tagab during skirmishes between Taliban militants and Afghan government forces. Both sides blamed each other.
Earlier on May 29, at least four people were killed and 11 others wounded when a roadside bomb struck a minibus that was carrying students and university lecturers in the northern province of Parwan.
With reporting by dpa
- By RFE/RL
Tsikhanouskaya Hails Worldwide Support For Belarusian Opposition After Diversion Of Plane
Belarusian opposition leader Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya hailed the support that has been expressed by people around the world after Belarus diverted a commercial jet to Minsk and arrested a dissident journalist on board.
"I am very touched by the support I see in Lithuania and all around the world," Tsikhanouskaya told reporters in Vilnius on May 29 as protests were held in several European capitals as part of a global day of solidarity with the Belarusian opposition.
Afterward she expressed her thanks "for the amazing atmosphere today" on Twitter.
Tsikhanouskaya called for the protests to mark the first anniversary of the arrest of her husband, Syarhey Tsikhanouski, a popular blogger, who planned to run against authoritarian leader Alyaksandr Lukashenka in the country’s August 2020 presidential election before he was arrested.
Tsikhanouski remains in jail and faces many more years in prison if convicted of the charges against him related to his attempt to participate in the election.
In addition to the solidarity protest in Vilnius, demonstrations were held in Kyiv and Warsaw, where the parents of Belarusian journalist Raman Pratasevich, who was forcibly detained together with his girlfriend Sofia Sapega on May 23 after the jet was diverted, spoke.
"I’m calling on all EU countries and the United States to please help us free Raman and Sofia, as well as everyone else who has been imprisoned," Pratasevich's mother, Natallya, told the crowd of several hundred.
"We want to live in a free country, in a country where everyone has the right to express his beliefs," his father, Dzmitry, added.
The demonstrators held pictures of Pratasevich and Sapega and waved the red and white flag of the Belarusian opposition.
They chanted "Long live Belarus" and held up signs with slogans such as "Help Belarus" and "Freedom for Belarus."
Pratasevich, 26, is facing charges of being behind civil disturbances, an offense punishable by up to 15 years in prison.
Members of the Media Freedom Coalition issued a statement on May 29 condemning the forced diversion of the plane and the arrest of Pratasevich.
"This unprecedented and shocking action constitutes a full frontal attack on media freedom and has serious implications on the right of freedom of expression and opinion more broadly," the coalition said in a statement posted at the website of the U.S. State Department.
It said the action is "all the more troubling when seen in the context of the large-scale campaign to silence independent voices in Belarus."
The statement, signed by the governments of 21 countries, said some 400 journalists and workers in the media in Belarus have faced various forms of repression as they reported on the disputed August 9 election.
The Media Freedom Coalition also demanded the immediate and unconditional release of Pratasevich and other journalists and media workers.
Lukashenka's decision to intercept the Ryanair flight and arrest Pratasevich has drawn additional sanctions from the United States and threats of sanctions and more serious actions from the European Union.
Most European countries have urged their aircraft to avoid Belarus airspace and banned Belarus carriers from their skies, and the UN’s International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has launched an investigation.
Lukashenka, who met in the Russian Black Sea resort city of Sochi with Russian President Vladimir Putin on May 28, said the reaction by Western countries to the incident had been an “outburst of emotions.”
Lukashenka was in Sochi for a second day of meetings on May 29. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists that Russia was prepared to send the second $500 million tranche of a $1.5 billion loan to Belarus "in the immediate future."
With reporting by Reuters and AFP
- By RFE/RL
Russia Ready To Send $500 Million Loan Tranche To Belarusian Government
Belarusian strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka was in the Russian Black Sea resort city of Sochi for a second day of meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The talks on May 29 were described as informal by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, who said the day before that the summit would last just one day.
Peskov also told journalists that Russia was prepared to send the second $500 million tranche of a $1.5 billion loan to Belarus "in the immediate future."
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 has been under intense domestic and international pressure since a disputed presidential election in August 2020 that has been widely denounced as falsified. The election, which gave Lukashenka a sixth presidential term, prompted mass demonstrations and an often brutal crackdown by his government.
Russia has been Lukashenka's main ally throughout the events, providing political, technical, and financial support to the Belarusian government.
Earlier this month, Minsk scrambled a fighter jet to divert a Ryanair commercial passenger jet and force it to land in the Belarusian capital, citing a purported bomb threat.
Although no bomb was found, authorities in Minsk detained journalist Raman Pratasevich, a prominent opposition activist.
During the first day of the Sochi talks on May 28, Putin dismissed the Western reaction to the flight’s diversion as "an outburst of emotions."
With reporting by TASS
Turkmen Officials Ordered To Shave Heads After Death Of President's Father
Senior male Turkmen officials and managers of major private companies have been ordered to shave their heads and wear a traditional Turkmen skullcap as signs of mourning following the death last month of President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov's father.
Myalikguly Berdymukhammedov, a retired police lieutenant colonel who held positions in the Turkmen government during Soviet times, died on April 18 at the age of 88.
Women working in state agencies must wear mourning shawls trimmed in black, RFE/RL correspondents say.
The order lasts for 40 days.
Following his father's death, Berdymukhammedov did not appear in public for seven days, missing the celebration of National Horse Day on April 23. The president's son, Serdar, who serves as deputy prime minister, hosted the celebrations.
In more recent days, the president has appeared at official events in mourning garb and traveling in a black car, although he has previously ordered only the use of white cars in the country.
The government has reportedly been collecting money from state-sector works to pay for various commemorations.
Outgoing Envoy Allows That Bosnia's International Backers Maybe 'Changed Gears Too Quickly'
The outgoing European Union high representative for Bosnia-Herzegovina has expressed regret that the international community "changed gears too quickly" in that Balkan state but expressed hope that a new German-led diplomatic offensive could soon help draw attention to Bosnia's plight.
Valentin Inzko announced his resignation on May 27 and is expected to be followed in the job by Germany's Christian Schmidt from August 1.
"Perhaps the international community made a mistake when it changed gears too quickly from what we had -- a robust, strong, international presence -- to domestic responsibility, domestic solutions," Inzko told RFE/RL's Balkan Service in an exclusive interview.
Bosnia, which comprises a Bosniak and Croat federation and the Serb-dominated Republika Srpska, is still governed under the 25-year-old Dayton peace agreements that helped cease ethnically fueled violence following the breakup of Yugoslavia.
The country faces an array of problems that arise from parallel structures of regional and executive power, as well as a major drive for independence by the leader of Republika Srpska, Milorad Dodik.
Inzko has served as the implementer of civilian safeguards set out in the cease-fire in Bosnia for 12 years.
He said he had hoped on his arrival that the "energy that ruled here for the first 10 or 12 years would be utilized."
"Of course, I expected faster progress," Inzko said.
Inzko came into the high-representative post with a mandate to wrap up its operations.
But lingering ethnic resentments including many built into its governance, centrifugal forces sometimes encouraged by neighboring states, and corruption and political paralysis have badly hampered the running of the country.
Inzko has publicly challenged a push in some quarters to shut down the Office of the High Representative (OHR) "as soon as possible."
Inzko told RFE/RL that "if a shutdown were good, I'd shut down the OHR tomorrow," but unfortunately "the international community, especially I personally, have seen it get worse and worse every year."
He cited Dodik's push for a referendum on Republika Srpska's possible secession from Bosnia.
"Mr. Dodik probably doesn't want a state," Inzko said, adding a list of complaints the Bosnian Serb leader has directed at the judiciary and the European security mission in Bosnia, EUFOR.
"He doesn't want positive things and he wants everything to be according to his taste and preference. It cannot [be], because there are international laws and conventions and Mr. Dodik must abide by them."
Inzko cited progress since the early years after the Dayton agreements, when Bosnia had no border force, no legitimate currency of its own, "nine ministries instead of three" to represent rival institutions, three flags, three anthems, and other issues.
He said the international community was present at the time "in a very robust way" that has since flagged.
"That phase needs to be refreshed, so that now this phase of Mr. Schmidt's is...a mix of the first and second phases," Inzko said.
"There will absolutely be a [diplomatic] offensive," Inzko predicted. "I think the offensive is already under way."
He cited Schmidt's talks with senior U.S., German, and EU officials, as well as conversations with regional leaders.
"[German Chancellor] Angela Merkel herself said that Bosnia-Herzegovina will now be more on the agenda at a higher level, to return [Bosnia] to the agenda," Inzko said.
But, he said, "there are conflicts that are much bigger, and some are older, but they are all bigger than Bosnia-Herzegovina" and "when people wake up in the morning in Washington or Berlin, Bosnia-Herzegovina is not in the foreground for them."
"This is why we much be grateful to Germany, Mr. Schmidt, for returning Bosnia-Herzegovina to the international agenda," Inzko said.
Bosnia is populated by about 3.8 million people -- about half of them Bosniaks, around 30 percent Serbs, and around 15 percent Croats.
Inzko said ongoing forces tugging at Bosnia's unity and disputes over certain sides' choices to elevate war criminals to hero status were evidence that "there are still people living in the past, who glorify the wrong people."
Based on an interview by Dzenana Halimovic
Dozens Of Russian Diplomats Leave Czech Republic Amid Strained Relations
MOSCOW -- Dozens of Russian diplomats and their families have left the Czech Republic after Prague ordered their expulsion in April.
A flight carrying 54 Russian Embassy employees and their families left Prague on May 29 for Moscow, according to the Russian state news agency TASS. In all, Prague has ordered 63 diplomats to leave the country.
The remaining Russian diplomats are expected to leave the Czech Republic on May 31.
It was the largest expulsion of diplomats in the history of relations between the two countries.
The diplomatic row began in April, when the Czech government accused Russian intelligence agents of carrying out two explosions at a military arms depot in the eastern part of the Czech Republic in October 2014. Two Czech citizens were killed in those explosions, which Prague says were aimed at destroying munitions that had been sold to Ukraine.
At the time, Prague ordered the expulsion of 18 Russian diplomats, saying they had used their diplomatic status as a cover for intelligence work. Moscow responded by expelling 20 Czech diplomats.
On April 22, the two sides agreed that their diplomatic representations would be brought to strict parity, with each mission comprising seven diplomats and 25 technical employees.
By the end of May, the Czech Republic must dismiss 79 Russian citizens who have been working for the Czech diplomatic mission in Russia.
The Russian government on May 14 officially declared the Czech Republic and the United States to be "unfriendly" states.
Belavia Head Calls EU Response To Ryanair Diversion 'Despicable'
The head of Belarus's national air carrier has said the EU countries' imposition of airspace restrictions in response to Minsk's Ryanair diversion last week is "despicable," as fallout continues over what many regard as a "state hijacking" to nab a Belarusian dissident journalist.
Many of Belarus's neighbors and some other Western states have barred Belavia from overflights since the May 23 incident, in which a dubious bomb threat was cited in ordering a MiG 29 fighter jet to divert an Athens-to-Vilnius flight to Minsk.
Belavia director Ihar Charhinets said via Facebook that such moves exhibited "fascist perversity" and the gradual closure of air corridors showed "they are mocking us," according to TASS.
Belavia is wholly state-owned with about 30 aircraft and flew to nearly 60 destinations before the bans were announced.
Alyaksandr Lukashenka, who has dominated Belarus for nearly three decades and is fighting for his political life amid unprecedented protests since a reelection claim in August, keeps a tight grip on all of the country's key industries.
The United States has already levied sanctions in response to the forced Ryanair diversion and has called Belarusian authorities' actions a "false pretense" to allow them to detain Raman Pratasevich, an opposition activist and journalist.
Charhinets accused European governments of hastiness for imposing restrictions before the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) could investigate fully.
"All this is happening before an investigation of the incident, for which there may be some guilty parties, but Belavia is definitely not among them," he wrote. "They punish innocent Belavia, without even beginning an investigation. It's despicable."
The ICAO has said Belarus's forced diversion could have violated international air-travel rules under the so-called Chicago Convention.
Many countries have also strongly advised airlines to avoid Belarusian airspace.
The European Union is still weighing its official responses, with a chorus of calls for toughening existing sanctions on Belarus and more, travel-specific strictures including banning Belavia from EU airports.
Based on reporting by Reuters
- By RFE/RL
White House Says Biden-Putin Summit To 'Move Forward' Despite Cyberattack
The White House has suggested that government agencies largely rebuffed the latest cyberassault on U.S. targets by suspected Russian intelligence operatives and downplayed adversarial tensions ahead of a summit next month between the U.S. and Russian presidents.
On May 27, Microsoft said hacking group Nobelium, originating from Russia, had launched an assault on government agencies and think tanks using an e-mail marketing account of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
AP quoted unnamed administration officials on May 28 as describing the attacks on USAID, think tanks, and other organizations as "basic phishing," in which e-mails are used to try to embed malware in computer systems.
Asked whether the hacking discovery would affect the Biden-Putin summit, White House principal deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said, "We're going to move forward with that."
U.S. President Joe Biden is slated to hold his first summit with Russia's Vladimir Putin since taking office in January in Geneva, Switzerland, on June 16.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters this week that Moscow did not have any detailed information from Microsoft on the attack and that it so far was not a topic on the summit agenda.
The "wave of attacks" targeted about 3,000 e-mail accounts at more than 150 different organizations, Microsoft Vice President Tom Burt said in a blog post.
Burt said Russian-based Nobelium was the same actor that was behind a major attack last year on SolarWinds customers, including U.S. government bodies.
The SolarWinds attack compromised at least nine government agencies and hundreds of private companies, and was functioning from 2019 before being detected late last year.
This latest effort appeared to have been less stealthy, experts have said.
At least one-quarter of the organizations targeted in the latest cyberattack are involved in international development, humanitarian, and human rights work, and the targeted victims are in at least 24 countries, Burt said without saying whether any of the attempts led to successful intrusions.
Most appeared to have been blocked by spam guards, Microsoft said on May 28, adding that it was "not seeing evidence of any significant number of compromised organizations at this time."
A USAID spokesperson said that agency was still investigating the possible intrusion.
The Biden administration's proposed $6 trillion budget includes $750 million to boost cyberdefenses at nine government agencies hit by the SolarWinds hack that was blamed by U.S. and British officials on Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR).
The SolarWinds hack gave the perpetrators access to thousands of companies and government offices that used that company's software.
This month, Russia's spy chief denied responsibility for the SolarWinds cyberattack but said he was "flattered" by the accusations that Russian foreign intelligence was behind such a sophisticated hack.
With reporting by AP
Indonesia Frees Iranian Tanker Four Months After Seizure
Officials from both countries say Indonesian authorities have released an Iranian-flagged tanker seized four months ago over the suspected illegal transfer of oil.
The May 28 move reportedly followed an Indonesian court ruling earlier in the week that the vessel, the MT Horse, could be released and its captain put under a two-year probation without a fine.
A spokesman for the Indonesian coast guard, Wisnu Pramandita, announced the release.
Iran has been accused of disguising the destination of its oil transfers since the United States reimposed harsh sanctions on its exports after Washington withdrew from a major nuclear agreement between Iran and world powers in 2018.
Jakarta said after it seized the MT Horse in late January that it suspected the tanker of an illegal transfer in Indonesian waters.
Iranian officials described the issue as "technical."
The MT Horse last year reportedly delivered more than 2 million barrels of condensate, a mixture of light liquid hydrocarbons similar to a light crude oil, to Venezuela, which is also a target of U.S. trade sanctions.
U.S. and Iranian officials are currently engaged in indirect talks, along with other signatories, to revive the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan Of Action, which placed checks on Iran's disputed nuclear program in exchange for relief from U.S. and other international sanctions.
Based on reporting by Reuters
NATO Chief Says 'Hard To Believe' No Russian Coordination On Ryanair Diversion
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg says he thinks it is likely that Belarusian authorities organized the diversion last week of an Irish airliner to Minsk with ally Russia.
The military alliance leader was speaking to Sky News on May 28 aboard a British aircraft carrier during NATO's largest military exercises of the year.
"We know the very close relationship between Russia and Belarus, and therefore it's hard to believe that the regime in Minsk could do something like this without any kind of coordination with Russia," Stoltenberg said.
Alyaksandr Lukashenka has relied heavily on Moscow's support since a fiercely disputed reelection bid in August 2020 that sparked massive public protests and a fierce crackdown on dissent.
A Ryanair flight was diverted during a flight between Greece and Lithuania on May 23 after Lukashenka ordered a MiG-29 fighter jet to accompany the aircraft because Belarusian authorities said they had received information there was a bomb aboard the plane.
No bomb was found when the aircraft was searched on the ground in Minsk, but Lukashenka critic and journalist Raman Pratasevich and a Russian friend aboard the flight were detained.
The United States and others believe the incident was staged as a "false pretense" to snatch Pratasevich.
Many governments and rights groups have demanded Pratasevich's release, and Belarusian opposition leaders have expressed fears for his life.
Lukashenka met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Sochi on May 28, where the Russian leader described international reaction to the airliner's diversion as an "outburst of emotions."
Washington has imposed fresh Belarusian sanctions and is coordinating with the European Union and other partners to impose other penalties on Minsk.
Many governments have advised their airlines to avoid Belarusian airspace.
EU foreign-policy chief Josep Borrell warned on May 28 there was a risk of an escalation after Moscow denied access to two European carriers that skirted Belarus en route to Moscow.
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.
- By RFE/RL
European Alliance To Suspend Belarus's State Broadcaster Over 'Exceptional Concerns'
The executive board of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has voted to suspend Belarus's national broadcaster over "serious and quite exceptional concerns" that threaten freedom of expression and other "core values."
The alliance of public-service media said on May 28 that it had been "closely monitoring the suppression of media freedom in Belarus" and Belteleradio's (BTRC) actions amid the crackdown on dissent since Alyaksandr Lukashenka's disputed claim of reelection in August.
"In light of these exceptional developments, the Executive Board has no alternative other than to propose the suspension of BTRC's membership of the EBU," it said.
Belteleradio has two weeks to respond before the suspension comes into effect, the EBU said.
The group cited "particular alarm" at the recent "broadcast of interviews apparently obtained under duress."
That was possibly a reference to the broadcast this week of separate videos showing a detained Belarusian journalist, Raman Pratasevich, and his Russian girlfriend, Sofia Sapega.
Both were seized by Belarusian authorities on May 23 after the forced diversion of their Ryanair flight between Athens and Vilnius by a Belarusian fighter jet in what has been widely condemned as a "state hijacking."
"The EBU has been closely monitoring the suppression of media freedom in Belarus and have consistently called on BTRC, as a member of the EBU, to uphold our core values of freedom of expression, independence, and accountability," the alliance said in a statement.
"Since the disputed elections last summer, we have been campaigning for the protection of independent journalism and freedom of expression in the country," it said.
"We have publicly supported journalists at BTRC who have been protesting against government interference. We have also been monitoring BTRC's coverage and have communicated our concerns to their management."
The EBU is an alliance of public-service media organizations, with more than 100 member organizations operating nearly 2,000 television, radio, and online networks in 56 countries in Europe and beyond.
In March, it excluded Belarus from the Eurovision Song Contest for failing to submit an entry that complied with the nonpolitical nature of the competition.
Minsk denounced that Eurovision decision as "politically motivated."
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.
- By RFE/RL
Russian Diplomat Says Hundreds Of Soldiers Heading To C.A.R. Are Instructors
The Russian deputy ambassador to the United Nations has described hundreds of Russian soldiers due to be sent to the Central African Republic (C.A.R.) this month as "unarmed instructors."
Dmitry Polyansky told reporters at UN headquarters in New York on May 28 that the soldiers "are not armed because they are not supposed to be armed. They are instructors."
Polyansky said he did not know if the soldiers had already arrived in the C.A.R. He added that they "might deal with some armaments when they instruct people but they are not supposed to fight."
Moscow has maintained a contingent of soldiers since 2018 in the C.A.R. to train the country's army.
Prior to the latest contingent, Moscow acknowledged the presence of 535 Russian instructors under contract with the Central African Defense Ministry.
The C.A.R. notified the UN Security Council on May 4 that it intended to welcome 600 additional instructors. It is obliged to give 20 days' notice under the latest arms embargo on the country.
Numerous witnesses and NGOs say the instructors are in fact paramilitaries from the Vagner Group, a Russian military contractor with indirect ties to the country's political elite, who are actively participating alongside Rwandan special forces and UN peacekeepers in the fight against rebels trying to seize power.
Russia has denied Vagner mercenaries are in the African country, saying only that military instructors had been sent to train government soldiers.
The country of 4.7 million has been gripped by civil war since a coalition of armed groups overthrew the government in 2013. About a quarter of its 5 million people are displaced.
Jean-Pierre Lacroix, UN undersecretary for peace operations, said UN peacekeepers had encountered difficulties with the C.A.R.'s military and its partners but gave no further information.
"It is essential to have a certain consultation, a coordination," he said, adding that he would visit the C.A.R. next week.
Russia has significantly increased its presence and influence in the C.A.R., where Russian national Valery Zakharov serves as national security adviser to President Faustin Archange Touadera, who was sworn in for a second five-year term on March 30 after winning an election in December.
Bangui has also granted Central African gold and diamond mining permits to Russian companies suspected of having links to Russian businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin, a close associate of Russian President Vladimir Putin, and the man believed to be the head of the Vagner Group.
With reporting by AFP
Belarusians Protest Across Europe In 'Day Of Solidarity' Against Lukashenka
Protests were held in several European capitals on May 29 as part of a global day of solidarity with the Belarus opposition called by exiled opposition leader Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya.
Protesters in Warsaw were joined by the parents of Belarusian journalist Raman Pratasevich, who was forcibly detained in Minsk last week together with his girlfriend, Sofia Sapega, after a commercial jet that they were traveling in was diverted and forced to land in the Belarusian capital.
"I'm calling on all EU countries and the United States to please help us free Raman and Sofia, as well as everyone else who has been imprisoned,” Pratasevich's mother, Natallya, told the crowd of several hundred.
The demonstrators shouted slogans against longtime Belarus strongman leader Alyaksandr Lukashenka and waved the red and white flag of the Belarusian opposition.
Tsikanouskaya attended a similar demonstration in the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius.
"We are here today to express our determination to continue the struggle for freedom. We will not back down," she told the crowd of about 150 people.
About 100 people, mostly Belarusians, protested in the Ukrainian capital.
"A North Korea is being built step by step," protester Syarhey Bulba said at the May 29 protest.
The day of solidarity was held to mark the first anniversary of the arrest of Tsikhanouskaya's husband. Syarhey Tsikhanouski, a popular blogger, who had planned to run against Lukashenka in the country’s August 2020 presidential election.
Protesters in Kyiv used their shoes to strike a portrait of Lukashenka as a tribute to Tsikhanouski's slogan, "Smash the cockroach."
Earlier, Tsikhanouskaya called for a global day of solidarity with Belarus to mark the anniversary.
She urged people to join a "global rally" on the day that marks the first anniversary of the start of nonviolent protests in Belarus and "the harshest repressions in our modern history."
Tsikhanouskaya, who ran for president in her husband's place and became the main opposition candidate, said politicians and the Belarusian diaspora would participate in the global rally on May 29.
"But the main thing is for Belarusians to support each other on this day in the country -- by all possible means: street rallies, symbols, letters to political prisoners," Tsikhanouskaya said on Telegram.
She urged people everywhere to hold demonstrations, join virtual events, sign petitions, write letters to political prisoners in Belarus, post on social media, and light up the facades of buildings in red and white, the colors of the Belarusian opposition.
"It's very important to send a clear signal of support to brave Belarusian people fighting for freedom, but also to urge the dictatorial regime to end violence, stop torture, release all political prisoners, and conduct a new free and fair presidential election," Tsikhanouskaya said in a statement issued by her office.
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.
Belarus has been in political turmoil since authoritarian leader Lukashenka claimed victory in the August election, which the opposition claimed was rigged in his favor.
Authorities in the country have responded to anti-government demonstrations with a violent crackdown, detaining tens of thousands of protesters. Hundreds have been tortured, according to human rights groups, and several protesters have died as a result of police actions.
Lukashenka faces mounting pressure and new sanctions over the diversion on May 23 of a commercial flight and the arrest of Pratasevich and his girlfriend, who were taken off the flight after it landed in Minsk.
European Union foreign ministers are discussing possible economic sanctions, and the United States on May 28 said it would reimpose sanctions on nine Belarusian state-owned enterprises on June 3.
The United States is also coordinating with the EU and other partners to develop a list of targeted sanctions against key members of the Belarusian government "associated with ongoing abuses of human rights and corruption, the falsification of the 2020 election, and the events of May 23," White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in a statement.
- By RFE/RL
U.S. Reimposes Sanctions On Belarusian State Firms Over Diversion Of Plane, Arrest Of Journalist
The United States will impose more sanctions on Belarus after the diversion of a commercial flight to Minsk and the arrest of a journalist on board.
The moves include reimposing full sanctions against nine Belarusian state-owned enterprises on June 3, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said on May 28 in a statement outlining the measures.
"We take these measures, together with our partners and allies, to hold the regime accountable for its actions and to demonstrate our commitment to the aspirations of the people of Belarus," Psaki said.
The United States is also coordinating with the EU and other partners to develop a list of targeted sanctions against key members of the Belarusian government "associated with ongoing abuses of human rights and corruption, the falsification of the 2020 election, and the events of May 23," Psaki said.
Belarus's forced diversion of the Ryanair flight on May 23 was done "under false pretenses," she said, adding that the flight, which was traveling between two member states of the European Union, and the subsequent removal and arrest of Belarusian journalist Raman Pratasevich "are a direct affront to international norms."
The nine state-owned Belarusian enterprises that will be hit with sanctions effective June 3 had previously been granted relief under a series of general licenses by the Treasury Department.
As a result of the move, U.S. persons will be prohibited from engaging in transactions with these entities, their property, or their interests in property, Psaki said.
In addition, the State Department has issued a warning to U.S. citizens urging them not to travel to Belarus, and the Federal Aviation Administration has issued a notice warning U.S. airlines to exercise extreme caution when considering flying in Belarusian airspace.
The Ryanair flight was diverted after authoritarian leader Alyaksandr Lukashenka ordered a MiG-29 fighter jet to accompany the aircraft because Belarusian authorities had received information there was a bomb on board the plane. No bomb was found when the aircraft was searched on the ground in Minsk.
Psaki said the diversion of the flight took place amid an escalating wave of repression by the Lukashenka regime "against the aspirations of the people of Belarus for democracy and human rights."
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.
She called on the government to allow a "credible international investigation" into the diversion of the flight, to immediately release all political prisoners, and to enter into a "genuine political dialogue with the leaders of the democratic opposition and civil society groups that leads to the conduct of free and fair presidential elections under OSCE auspices and monitoring."
She said the United States will continue to advocate for action against the Lukashenka regime for its "affront to international norms and undermining of democracy and human rights," she said.
Lukashenka, who met in the Russian Black Sea resort city of Sochi with Russian President Vladimir Putin on May 28, said the reaction by Western countries to the incident had been an "outburst of emotions."
With reporting by AFP and Reuters
Iran's Rohani Congratulates Assad On Syria Election Victory
Iranian President Hassan Rohani has congratulated Syria's Bashar al-Assad on winning a fourth seven-year presidential term in an election dismissed as a sham by the opposition and Western governments, according to an Iranian presidential website.
"I sincerely congratulate you on the successful conduct of the elections and your reelection as president of the Syrian Arab Republic," Rohani said in a statement to Iran's close ally Assad.
"The Syrian people took an important step in deciding the fate and prosperity of Syria with their large turnout and decisive choice," Rohani added, according to his website.
Assad won the election on May 27 with a majority of 95 percent.
The election was the second presidential vote since the country's conflict began 10 years ago to challenge Assad's authority following his takeover from his father in 2000, and featured no independent monitors.
Assad ran against two little-known figures for Syria's top post, which has been held by a member of the Assad family for five decades.
No vote was held in northeastern Syria, which is controlled by U.S.-backed Kurdish-led fighters, or in the northwestern province of Idlib, the last major rebel stronghold in the country.
The Syrian civil war broke out in 2011 when anti-Assad protests turned into an armed insurgency in response to a brutal military crackdown.
The fighting has left nearly half a million dead and half the country's population displaced, including more than 5 million refugees outside Syria.
With the help of Russia and Iran, Assad has crushed the insurgency and regained control over 70 percent of territory.
Based on reporting by Reuters and AFP
- By RFE/RL
British PM Johnson Meets Hungarian Counterpart Amid Criticism
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson met Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on May 28 amid criticism for inviting the hard-line Central European leader to 10 Downing Street.
Johnson’s office said in a statement that the two leaders discussed security and climate change among other topics, adding that the British premier raised the issue of human rights with Orban.
The Hungarian prime minister, who has been in power since 2010, is an anti-immigration right-wing populist who described Muslim migrants as invaders who threaten Europe’s Christian cultural identity.
Hungary is a European Union and NATO member, but Orban has repeatedly come into conflict with Brussels for clamping down on media and judicial freedom and has been accused of condoning cronyism and corruption among his inner circle.
He's also maintained close ties with President Vladimir Putin's Russia and with China, and has twice blocked the EU from issuing statements condemning Beijing for actions in Hong Kong.
Orban has previously praised Johnson for taking Britain out of the bloc.
Opposition Labour Party foreign-affairs spokeswoman Lisa Nandy said Johnson should challenge Orban’s “repeated attempts to undermine democratic values.”
“Anything less than a robust rejection of these acts is tantamount to rolling out the red carpet,” she said.
Downing Street said Johnson “raised his significant concerns about human rights in Hungary, including gender equality, LGBT rights, and media freedom.”
“The leaders also discussed a number of foreign-policy issues including Russia, Belarus, and China," Downing Street said. "The prime minister encouraged Hungary to use their influence to promote democracy and stability.”
Based on reporting by AP and Reuters
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