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Breaking News


NEWS

January 30, 2024
 * By RFE/RL's Russian Service


INTERNET DOWN FOR HOURS IN ONE OF RUSSIA'S LARGEST OUTAGES




Russia has suffered one of its largest Internet outages as sites with the .ru
domain were unavailable for hours on the evening of January 30. Hundreds of
Russian websites and mobile applications, including those belonging to the
largest bank, social-media company, news portal, and e-commerce firm, were down
for several hours, local agencies reported. People all over Russia were
impacted. Russia's digital ministry said the failure was caused by a technical
problem related to a set of DNS protocol extensions. Russia may be in the
process of fulfilling plans to transfer all Internet users inside the country to
the national DNS server, experts said. To read the original story by RFE/RL's
Russian Service, click here.

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MORE NEWS

August 13, 2024
 * By RFE/RL


PUTIN REITERATES MOSCOW'S SUPPORT FOR PALESTINE AT TALKS WITH ABBAS


Russian President Vladimir Putin (right) embraces Palestinian leader Mahmud
Abbas during a meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow in 2018.


Russian President Vladimir Putin reiterated Moscow’s support for Palestinian
statehood at the start of talks with Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas in
Novo-Ogaryovo near Moscow on August 13. Putin stressed that Russia is closely
following developments in Gaza. "We think for establishing a long, reliable, and
stable peace in the region, all the UN decisions must be carried out, and first
of all, a full-fledged state of Palestine must be established," Putin said at
the beginning of the talks. Abbas expressed thanks to Russia for supporting
Palestine.

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August 13, 2024
 * By RFE/RL


RUSSIAN TROOPS LIKELY SUFFERING FROM LACK OF DRINKING WATER IN UKRAINE, BRITISH
INTEL SAYS




Russian troops fighting in Ukraine are likely suffering from a shortage of
drinking water because of the damage inflicted by Moscow's strikes on Ukraine's
infrastructure and compounded by high temperatures, British intelligence said in
its daily report on August 13. It mentioned a Russian military blogger's claim
on July 23 that water rations for Russian pilots had been limited to 1 liter per
day -- a quarter of the minimum intake recommended for working in high
temperatures. Some Russian units have been forced to drink water filtrated from
stagnant puddles, thus increasing the risk of waterborne diseases, it said.

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August 13, 2024
 * By RFE/RL's Romanian Service


ROMANIA DESTROYS STRAY MINE ON BLACK SEA SHORE


Romanian military detonates an explosive charge to simulate the destroying of a
mine off the Black Sea. (file photo)


Romania's navy on August 13 carried out a controlled explosion of a mine that
had drifted to its Black Sea coast, the Defense Ministry said. The navy was
alerted by local officials earlier about an unidentified object that had washed
up on the shore near Grindul Chituc, in the Danube Delta, which Romania shares
with Ukraine. Romania, Bulgaria, and Turkey have a joint task force to defuse
stray mines, which began floating in the Black Sea after Russia invaded Ukraine
in 2022. Since the war started, more than 100 drifting mines have been
discovered and destroyed. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Romanian
Service, click here.

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August 13, 2024
 * By RFE/RL's Moldovan Service


MOLDOVA SUSPENDS COMPANIES THAT BROKERED AIRPLANE-PARTS SALES TO RUSSIA


A Russian Sukhoi Su-34 fighter-bomber (file photo)


Moldova has suspended the activity of three companies -- Airrock Solutions,
Aerostage Services, and Maxjet Service -- that had brokered airplane-parts sales
to Russia. The decision was made during an August 7 meeting of the Council for
the Promotion of Investment Projects, headed by Prime Minister Dorin Recean. In
February, an investigation by RFE/RL's Moldovan Service found that the three
companies had brokered airplane-parts sales worth more than $15 million to
Russian firms in 2022-23. The sales did not violate Moldovan law but were made
after Brussels adopted sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine in
February 2022. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Moldovan Service, click
here.

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August 13, 2024
 * By RFE/RL's Bulgarian Service


COUNCIL OF EUROPE COMMISSIONER URGES BULGARIAN PRESIDENT NOT TO SIGN LAW BANNING
LGBT 'PROMOTION' IN SCHOOLS


Crowds gathered on August 7 and 8 in Bulgaria's capital, Sofia, to protest the
amendment banning the "propaganda, promotion, or incitement" of "ideas and views
related to nontraditional sexual orientation."


The Council of Europe commissioner for human rights, Michael O'Flaherty, has
called on Bulgarian president Rumen Radev not to sign a law banning LGBT
"promotion" in schools. "Authorities should tackle discrimination and hostile
rhetoric against LGBTI people including in the run-up to elections," O'Flaherty
said in a post on X on August 12, adding that he was "deeply concerned" by the
amendments adopted by Bulgarian lawmakers on August 7 that would ban the
"propaganda, promotion, or incitement" in the education system of "ideas and
views related to nontraditional sexual orientation." Activists have called on
Radev to veto the law, but he has not yet commented on his intentions. To read
the original story by RFE/RL's Bulgarian Service, click here.

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August 13, 2024
 * By RFE/RL's Radio Farda


FIVE IRANIAN WOMEN'S RIGHTS ACTIVISTS SENTENCED TO 20 YEARS IN PRISON


Rozita Rajaei (left) and Nina Golestani (combo photo)


Five Iranian women's rights activists were sentenced cumulatively to more than
20 years in prison, sources told RFE/RL. Nina Golestani, Anahita Hejazi, Anahita
Dostdar, Rosita Rajaei, and Nagin Adalatkhah were arrested in the northern city
of Rasht in November alongside other women activists. They were sentenced to
three years and six months each for "assembly and collusion" and seven months
and 16 days each for "propaganda against the regime." Rasht witnessed widespread
protests during the "Women, Life, Freedom" demonstrations following the death in
police custody of Mahsa Amini in September 2022, who was arrested for allegedly
wearing her head scarf improperly. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Radio
Farda, click here.

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August 13, 2024
 * By RFE/RL


RUSSIA FINES TELEGRAM OVER FAILURE TO REMOVE UNSPECIFIED 'BANNED' CONTENT




A Moscow court has ordered the Telegram messaging app to pay a 4 million-ruble
($44,130) fine for failure to delete "banned information." The Taganka district
court in the Russian capital pronounced its ruling on August 13 without saying
what information Telegram failed to delete. The information about the court
ruling appeared on the Telegram channel of the press service of Moscow's courts
of common jurisdiction.

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August 13, 2024
 * By RFE/RL's Siberia.Realities


RUSSIAN FILM DIRECTOR IN EXILE'S PRISON SENTENCE REDUCED IN RETRIAL


Russian playwright, screenwriter, film director Ivan Vyrypayev (file photo)


Russian film director Ivan Vyrypayev has been retried and sentenced to 7 1/2
years in prison in absentia on the charge of "discrediting the Russian armed
forces." The Basmanny district court in Moscow pronounced the ruling on August
13. Vyrypayev was initially sentenced to eight years in prison on the same
charge in December 2023, but that court ruling was canceled earlier this year.
Vyrypayev has publicly condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine and he renounced
his Russian citizenship in May 2022 and obtained a Polish passport. To read the
original story by RFE/RL's Siberia.Realities, click here.

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August 13, 2024
 * By RFE/RL's Russian Service


RUSSIAN WOMAN JAILED FOR KILLING PRO-KREMLIN BLOGGER HOSPITALIZED


Darya Trepova appears in court in St. Petersburg in January.


Russia's Pervy Otdel rights group said on August 13 that Darya Trepova, who was
sentenced to 27 years in prison for her role in the killing of pro-Kremlin
blogger Vladlen Tatarsky (aka Maksim Fomin), was transferred to a prison
hospital for unspecified reasons. The rights group's statement was based on
information provided by Trepova's husband. Trepova was sentenced in January on
charges of terrorism and document forgery. She was arrested after a souvenir she
presented to Tatarsky at an event in St. Petersburg in April 2023 exploded and
killed the fervent proponent of Russia's aggression against Ukraine. To read the
original story by RFE/RL's Russian Service, click here.

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August 13, 2024
 * By RFE/RL


IRAN REJECTS WESTERN CALLS TO STAND DOWN IN THREAT AGAINST ISRAEL


Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani (file photo)


Iran on August 13 rejected Western calls to renounce its threat to retaliate
against Israel following the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, the political
leader of the EU- and U.S.-designated Palestinian terrorist group Hamas.

Haniyeh was killed along with his personal bodyguard in Tehran on July 31 as he
visited the Iranian capital for the swearing-in of President Masud Pezeshkian.

Israel hasn't confirmed or denied carrying out the attack.

Iran, Hamas's main backer, blames Israel for the killing of Haniyeh and has
vowed revenge, raising fears of a wider war in the region.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani said in a statement that "such
a request lacks political logic, flies in the face of the principles and rules
of international law, and constitutes public and practical support" for Israel.

His statement came after the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany,
and Italy called on Iran on August 12 to "stand down its ongoing threats of a
military attack against Israel."

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz also held
phone calls with Pezeshkian the same day.

SEE ALSO:

PROSPECT OF IRAN-ISRAEL WAR BRINGS REGION TO 'MOST DANGEROUS MOMENT' IN YEARS

Starmer asked Pezeshkian to refrain from attacking Israel and said that war was
not in anyone's interest, his office said. Starmer told Pezeshkian he was deeply
concerned by the situation in the Middle East and called on all parties to
de-escalate to avoid further regional confrontation.

"There was a serious risk of miscalculation and now was the time for calm and
careful consideration," Starmer was quoted as saying, adding that he had
underlined his commitment to an immediate cease-fire, the release of all
hostages, and increasing humanitarian aid to Gaza.

Following the call with Starmer, the Iranian president was quoted by the
official IRNA news agency as saying that war anywhere in the world was in no
one's interest but that states had the right to "punitive responses against an
aggressor."

Scholz also called on Pezeshkian to prevent further military escalation in the
Middle East. "The spiral of violence in the Middle East must now be broken,"
Scholz told Pezeshkian, according to a German government statement.

The United States on August 12 said it agreed with intelligence assessments that
Iran and/or its proxies in the Middle East could "attack Israel as early as this
week." U.S. national security spokesman John Kirby told reporters that President
Joe Biden had spoken to leaders of key Western allies to discuss the situation.

SEE ALSO:

U.S. SAYS IRAN ATTACK ON ISRAEL COULD COME 'THIS WEEK,' WARNS TEHRAN TO 'STAND
DOWN'

Western diplomats have scrambled to avert a major conflagration in the Middle
East, where tensions were already high due to the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

Israel's air and ground offensive has killed more than 38,900 people in the Gaza
Strip, according to health officials from Hamas.

Israel launched its action after Hamas fighters surged across the border into
southern Israel on October 7, killing some 1,200 people and taking more than 250
people hostage.

WITH REPORTING BY REUTERS, AFP, AND DPA

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August 13, 2024
 * By RFE/RL's Radio Azadi


THREE AFGHAN CIVILIANS REPORTED KILLED IN CLASH BETWEEN AFGHAN, PAKISTANI TROOPS


Vehicles wait to pass through the Torkham border crossing earlier this month


Three Afghan civilians were killed during a clash between Afghan and Pakistani
border troops near the Torkham border crossing, a spokesman for the de facto
Taliban government in Kabul said on August 13. The clash occurred late on August
12, with Pakistani troops opening fire on Afghan forces, a spokesman for the
Taliban Interior Ministry said, adding that a woman and two children were killed
in the incident. Pakistan has not commented on the incident. To read the
original story by RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi, click here.

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Updated August 13, 2024
 * By Current Time


RUSSIAN BORDER DISTRICT NEARLY ENTIRELY EVACUATED AS UKRAINE PRESSES ASSAULT


Russian police and military personnel stand guard at a checkpoint on the
Belgorod city outskirts on August 12 after a tight security regime was imposed
in the region due to an incursion by Ukrainian troops.


Nearly the entire civilian population of the Krasnoyaruzh district of Russia's
Belgorod region has been evacuated, the region's governor reported, as Ukrainian
forces continued to make headway in the neighboring Kursk region.

"More than 11,000 people have left," Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov wrote on
Telegram early on August 13. "At present, about 1,000 people are in temporary
housing."

The district's prewar population was about 14,000 people.




The governor announced the evacuation of the district on August 12 and closed
off access to the area. The district head, Andrei Miskov, said the 500 people
remaining in the area were mostly officials, emergency workers, and key
specialists.


LIVE BRIEFING: RUSSIA'S INVASION OF UKRAINE



RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the latest developments on Russia's
full-scale invasion, Kyiv's counteroffensive, Western military aid, global
reaction, and the plight of civilians. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war
in Ukraine, click here.

The Krasnoyaruzh district borders Ukraine to the west and the Kursk region's
embattled Belov district to north.

Ukrainian forces posted a video on August 12 that has been geolocated to the
center of the Kursk region town of Sudzha. The exact date of the video is
unclear, but Ukrainian soldiers can be heard saying that they had not yet
encountered any Russian forces.

Russian military vloggers have reported that Sudzha, about 10 kilometers from
the border with a prewar population of more than 5,000 people, was under
Ukrainian control.

Russia's Defense Ministry said that 12 Ukrainian drones had been "destroyed"
overnight over the Kursk region and one each over the Belgorod and Voronezh
regions.

Across the border in Ukraine's Sumy region, the Russian military carried out
overnight strikes that damaged civilian energy infrastructure and several
private cars, the region's military administration reported.

One civilian was reportedly wounded.

Ukraine’s General Staff announced restrictions on the movement of civilians in
the Sumy region within 20 kilometers of the border with Russia, citing the
"increasing intensity of hostilities."

In a statement on August 12, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Moscow
had used the border region to launch some 2,100 attacks on Ukraine's Sumy region
since July 1.

Ukrainian forces launched a surprise incursion into the Kursk region on August 6
and have occupied about 1,000 square kilometers and numerous population centers.

Kursk region Governor Aleksei Smirnov reported to President Vladimir Putin on
August 12 that 28 settlements were "under enemy control."

"The depth of the penetration into the territory of the Kursk region is 12
kilometers, the width of the front is 40 kilometers," he said.

It is not possible to verify battlefield claims, although some reports have
suggested deeper incursions by Ukrainian forces.

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August 12, 2024
 * By Reuters and
 * AP


FBI SAYS IT IS INVESTIGATING HACK OF TRUMP CAMPAIGN BLAMED ON IRAN


Microsoft on August 9 issued a report saying Iranian hackers attempted to breach
the account of an official with one of the presidential campaigns. (file photo)


The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation said on August 12 that it was
investigating a hack of Donald Trump's presidential campaign. The Trump campaign
has blamed Iran for the hack, which the Iranian government has denied. "We can
confirm the FBI is investigating this matter,” the law enforcement agency said
in a brief statement. On August 9, Microsoft issued a report stating that
Iranian hackers tried to penetrate the account of an official with one of the
presidential campaigns. Trump’s campaign on August 10 said it had been the
victim of a foreign hack after the campaign received questions from news
organizations about a vetting document on Senator J.D. Vance -- Trump's nominee
for vice president -- that had been sent to the outlets.

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August 12, 2024
 * By RFE/RL


U.S. SAYS IRAN ATTACK ON ISRAEL COULD COME 'THIS WEEK,' WARNS TEHRAN TO 'STAND
DOWN'


White House national security spokesman John Kirby (file photo)


The United States on August 12 said it agrees with intelligence assessments that
Iran and/or its proxies in the Middle East could “attack Israel as early as this
week” and it urged Tehran to “stand down” with regard its ongoing threats.

U.S. national security spokesman John Kirby told reporters that President Joe
Biden had spoken to leaders of key Western allies to discuss the situation and
said Washington takes seriously reports that Iran could soon attack Israel in
retaliation for the killing of Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of the EU-
and U.S.-designated Palestinian terrorist group Hamas, in Tehran on July 31.

Iran blames Israel for the killing of Haniyeh and has vowed revenge, raising
fears of a wider war in the region.

“We have to be prepared for what could be a significant set of attacks, which is
why, again, we have increased our force posture capabilities in the region even
in just the last few days,” Kirby said.

“We've got significant force capabilities in the region. We've changed some of
that posture in just the last few days. The president is confident that we have
the capability available to us to help defend Israel,” Kirby added.

SEE ALSO:

PROSPECT OF IRAN-ISRAEL WAR BRINGS REGION TO 'MOST DANGEROUS MOMENT' IN YEARS

The Pentagon has bolstered its forces in the Middle East amid the mounting
tensions as Washington reiterated its support for long-standing ally Israel.

In a joint statement later with Britain, France, Germany, and Italy, the White
House said: “We expressed our support for the defense of Israel against Iranian
aggression and against attacks by Iran-backed terrorist groups."

“We called on Iran to stand down its ongoing threats of a military attack
against Israel and discussed the serious consequences for regional security
should such an attack take place,” the statement added.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer urged
Iranian President Masud Pezeshkian in separate phone calls to avoid escalation
of military tensions in the region, their offices said. Washington does not have
diplomatic relations with Tehran.

Following the call with Scholz, the Iranian president was quoted by the official
IRNA news agency as saying that, "while Iran welcomes the expansion of
interactions with all countries and stresses the need for resolving problems
through negotiations, it will not give in to pressure, sanctions, bullying, and
aggression."

"Rather," he added, "it considers it a right to respond to aggressors based on
international rules."

The Western allies' joint statement also said they “expressed our full support
for ongoing efforts to de-escalate tensions and reach a cease-fire and hostage
release deal in Gaza."

It said the group endorsed the joint call by Biden, Egyptian President Abdel
Fattah al-Sisi, and Amir Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani of Qatar “to renew talks later
this week with an aim to concluding the deal as soon as possible, and stressed
there is no further time to lose.”

“All parties must live up to their responsibilities. In addition, unfettered
delivery and distribution of aid is needed,” it said.

Israel's air and ground offensive has killed more than 38,900 people in the Gaza
Strip, according to health officials from Hamas.

Israel launched its action after Hamas extremists surged across the border into
southern Israel on October 7, killing some 1,200 people and taking more than 250
people hostage.

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August 12, 2024
 * By AP


BULGARIA SEIZES HEROIN AT BLACK SEA PORT WORTH $38 MILLION EN ROUTE FROM
KYRGYZSTAN, GEORGIA


Bulgarian authorities the heroin at the port of Burgas on April 12. (file
photo).


Bulgarian authorities seized some 436 kilograms of heroin at the Black Sea port
of Burgas, the district prosecutor’s office said on August 12. The heroin was
stashed in 434 packages hidden inside officially declared cargo in a trailer.
The drug haul's value is estimated at nearly $38 million. The trailer had
arrived at the end of July on a land route from Kyrgyzstan to the Georgian Black
Sea port of Batumi, from where it crossed to Burgas. From Bulgaria, it was
supposed to continue to Alexandroupolis in Greece. Bulgaria, which lies on a
drug route from the Middle East to Western Europe, has taken major steps in
recent years to combat drug trafficking.

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August 12, 2024
 * By RFE/RL


U.S. WARNS TEHRAN AGAIN AGAINST SENDING BALLISTIC MISSILES TO RUSSIA


An Iranian Qadr H long-range ballistic surface-to-surface missile is fired
during a training maneuver by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps. (file
photo


Washington has warned Tehran of “swift and severe” consequences if reports that
it is planning to send hundreds of ballistic missiles to Russia are confirmed.

We are prepared to deliver a swift and severe response if Iran were to move
forward with the transfer of ballistic missiles, which would, in our view,
represent a dramatic escalation in Iran's support for Russia's war of aggression
against Ukraine," State Department spokesman Vedant Patel told reporters on
August 12.

The warning matches one issued by the United States earlier this year after
Reuters -- citing six unidentified sources -- reported that Iran had shipped a
“large number” of powerful surface-to-surface ballistic weapons to Russia.

The United States and the European Union have imposed sanctions on Iran's
ballistic missile program over concerns Tehran could send such weapons to its
Middle East allies and proxies and to Russia for use in Ukraine.

Russia has suffered from weapons shortages as its full-scale invasion of Ukraine
– launched in February 2022 – has dragged on with heavy losses of troops and
military hardware, leaving it to look to allies such as Iran and North Korea to
replenish its arms stock.

SEE ALSO:

U.S. ANNOUNCES NEW SANCTIONS ON TEHRAN AFTER IRANIAN PRESIDENT SWORN IN

On February 22, the U.S. administration also warned Iran of a "swift and severe"
response from the international community if Tehran provided ballistic missiles
to Russia,

National-security spokesman John Kirby said at the time that Washington had yet
to confirm the missiles had been transferred by Iran to Russia, but he said the
move appeared likely.

"In this press reporting, the Iranians are clearly indicating that they will
ship ballistic missiles to Russia, and we have no reason to believe they will
not follow through," Kirby said.

Tehran has been providing Russia with unmanned aerial vehicles or drones, guided
aerial bombs, and artillery ammunition, according to U.S. and Ukrainian
officials following widespread evidence of Iran-made Shahed drones causing
damage and casualties in Ukraine, leading to additional Western sanctions.

"Iranian officials also continue to deny providing any UAVs [unmanned arial
systems] to Russia when evidence is plain for the world to see that Russia has
used these UAVs in relentless attacks against the civilian population in
Ukraine, against civilian infrastructure," Patel told reporters.

Newly elected Iranian President Masud Pezeshkian, considered by many to be a
reformist leader, has spoken of hopes of improving relations with the West, but
Patel expressed skepticism.

"This duplicity is only the latest reminder to the international community that
the Iranian regime lacks in credibility," he said.

In January, the State Department issued a similar warning against North Korea in
a joint statement with the European Union and dozens of others countries,
including many in Asia.

“The transfer of these weapons increases the suffering of the Ukrainian people,
supports Russia’s war of aggression, and undermines the global non-proliferation
regime,” it said on January 9.

WITH REPORTING BY AFP AND REUTERS

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August 12, 2024
 * By Current Time


RUSSIAN ACTIVIST GETS SUSPENDED SENTENCE FOR SENDING $21.50 TO NAVALNY
FOUNDATION


Gleb Kalinychev (file photo)


A court in the Russian city of Nizhny Novgorod on August 12 handed a suspended
four-year prison term to activist Gleb Kalinychev for sending 1,899 rubles
($21.50) to late opposition leader Aleksei Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation
(FBK) in 2021-22. Kalinychev was arrested in September on a charge of financing
extremist activities. He pleaded not guilty. Russia declared all of Navalny's
organizations extremist and banned them in 2021, after which many Navalny
supporters fled Russia. Some former Navalny associates and supporters have since
been handed lengthy prison terms on extremism charges. Navalny died in a remote
Russian prison on February 16. To read the original story by Current Time, click
here.

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August 12, 2024
 * By Current Time


LUKASHENKA PROPOSES CRIMINAL LIABILITY FOR VIOLENCE, THREATS TARGETING
EX-PRESIDENTS


Alyaksandr Lukashenka (file photo)


Authoritarian ruler Alyaksandr Lukashenka, who has run Belarus with an iron
first for 30 years, has proposed amendments to the country's Criminal Code that
would allow punishment for violence and threats against current and former
presidents. The proposal published on the state website on August 12 establishes
up to eight years in prison for violence and threats against presidents in
office and former presidents of Belarus. Currently, the Criminal Code has
articles that allow for sentences of up to several years for threats to an
official or insults or slander against a president. To read the original story
by Current Time, click here.

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August 12, 2024
 * By RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal


PAKISTAN MILITARY ARRESTS FORMER INTELLIGENCE CHIEF HAMEED, INITIATES COURT
MARTIAL PROCEEDINGS


Faiz Hameed, the former head of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI)


The former chief of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), the military's
powerful spy agency, Lieutenant General Faiz Hameed, has been arrested and had
court martial proceedings initiated against him, the military said in a
statement on August 12. The statement added that Hameed's arrest was ordered by
the Supreme Court in connection with a housing-scheme scandal, and multiple
violations of the Pakistan Army Act after his retirement. Hameed served as ISI
chief from June 2019 through October 2021. It is the first time in Pakistan's
history that court-martial proceedings have been initiated against a former ISI
chief.

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August 12, 2024
 * By RFE/RL


AFGHAN TALIBAN CREATED WORLD'S MOST SERIOUS WOMEN'S RIGHTS CRISIS, HRW SAYS


An Afghan woman in a burqa walks along a street.


The Taliban has created "the world's most serious women's rights crisis" since
returning to power in Afghanistan in August 2021, Human Rights Watch (HRW) says.

Under the Taliban rule, Afghanistan has become the only country where girls are
banned from going to school beyond the sixth grade, HRW said in a press release
on August 11.

The Taliban has also "undermined women's right to freedom of movement, banned
them from many forms of employment, dismantled protections for women and girls
experiencing gender-based violence, created barriers to them accessing health
care, and barred them from playing sports, and even visiting parks."

The pressures on Afghan women come as their country is also experiencing a major
humanitarian crisis, with aid severely underfunded and thousands of Afghan
refugees forced back into Afghanistan from Pakistan.

Women and girls are among the most seriously affected by this humanitarian
crisis, HRW said.

The situation has been described by the United Nations special rapporteur on
Afghanistan, Richard Bennett, as "an institutionalized system of discrimination,
segregation, disrespect for human dignity, and exclusion of women and girls,"
HRW said.

"Under the Taliban's abusive rule, Afghan women and girls are living their worst
nightmares," HRW's Fereshta Abbasi said.

Abbasi urged all governments to "support efforts to hold the Taliban leadership
and all those responsible for serious crimes in Afghanistan to account."

Abbasi said countries engaging with the Taliban-led government in Kabul should
consistently remind it that its "abuses against women and girls and all Afghans
violate Afghanistan's obligations under international law."

More than half of Afghanistan's population -- 23 million people -- face food
insecurity, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian
Affairs.

Restrictions that the Taliban authorities have imposed on women and girls have
impeded access to health care, jeopardizing their right to health, HRW noted.

The Taliban's bans on girls' education inevitably leads to future shortages of
female health workers, HRW said.

The rights group called on donor countries to find ways to mitigate the ongoing
humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan without reinforcing the Taliban's repressive
policies against women and girls.

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August 12, 2024
 * By Current Time


RUSSIAN GETS 10 YEARS IN PRISON FOR KILLING WAR CRITIC


Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, on Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula


A court in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, the capital of Russia's Kamchatka region in
the Far East, on August 12 sentenced a local man to 10 years in prison for
beating to death another man who had criticized Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Media reports identified the convicted man as Aleksei Yarmolovich, 32.
Investigators say Yarmolovich and his victim were drinking alcohol together when
Yarmolovich attacked the man and hit him with a dumbbell after he started
praising the Ukrainian armed forces and condemning Russia's aggression against
its neighbor. The court rejected Yarmolovich’s claim of self-defense and found
him guilty of murder. To read the original story by Current Time, click here.

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August 12, 2024
 * By RFE/RL's North.Realities


LEADER OF UZBEK DIASPORA IN RUSSIA JAILED FOR 4 YEARS OVER SOCIAL-MEDIA POST


Usman Baratov (file photo)


A Moscow court on August 12 sentenced Usman Baratov, a leader of the Uzbek
diaspora in Russia, to four years in prison on a charge of inciting hatred
online. Baratov pleaded not guilty to the charge, which stemmed from a post on
social media in December related to an abrupt increase of the price of eggs in
Russia. Baratov's post contained a photo of an unattractive hen with a caption
saying, "No bloody eggs for you! Bring back the roosters from the front line!"
Baratov was arrested amid an outcry by pro-Kremlin bloggers who said the post
humiliated the wives of Russian men mobilized to fight in Ukraine. To read the
original story by RFE/RL's North.Realities, click here.

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August 12, 2024
 * By RFE/RL's Radio Farda


IRAN'S ZARIF RESIGNS AS VICE PRESIDENT JUST DAYS AFTER APPOINTMENT


Mohammad Javad Zarif (left) was chosen by Iranian President Masud Pezeshkian to
be his deputy.


Former Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif announced on August 12 he
had resigned from his new position as vice president last week. In a post on X,
Zarif cited several reasons for his resignation, including facing pressure after
his appointment because his children hold U.S. citizenship. The resignation
comes less than two weeks after newly elected reformist President Masud
Pezeshkian chose Zarif as his deputy. Zarif, who negotiated the landmark 2015
nuclear deal with major world powers, said he plans to return to academia and
focus less on domestic politics. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Radio
Farda, click here.

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August 12, 2024
 * By RFE/RL's Tatar-Bashkir Service


WARRANT ISSUED FOR TATAR POLITICAL ANALYST IN EXILE


Ruslan Aisin is known as an expert on ethnic and religious issues in Russia.
(file photo)


A court in Russia's Tatarstan region on August 12 issued an arrest warrant for
political analyst Ruslan Aisin on charges of violating the "foreign agent"
legislation and for rehabilitating Nazism. It is not clear what exactly Aisin is
accused of. He told RFE/RL earlier that the case against him amounted to
"recognition of our contribution to the fight against this despotic regime." He
said that "laws in a totalitarian country are criminal to start with." Aisin is
known as an expert on ethnic and religious issues in Russia. He left Russia
shortly after Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, which he
has openly condemned. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Tatar-Bashkir
Service, click here.

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August 12, 2024
 * By RFE/RL's Kazakh Service


IMPRISONED KAZAKH JOURNALIST MUKHAMMEDKARIM LAUNCHES ANOTHER HUNGER STRIKE


Duman Mukhammedkarim was briefly released from detention in May 2023.


Kazakh journalist Duman Mukhammedkarim, who was sentenced to seven years in
prison on August 2 for financing an extremist group and participating in a
banned group's activities, charges he and his supporters reject as politically
motivated, has begun a new hunger strike. Mukhammedkarim's lawyer, Ghalym
Nurpeisov, told RFE/RL on August 12 that his client started the hunger strike to
protest his imprisonment a day earlier. Last month, Mukhammedkarim was
transferred to a hospital after his health dramatically deteriorated following
several hunger strikes to protest the secrecy of his trial. Human rights groups
have recognized him as a political prisoner. To read the original story by
RFE/RL's Kazakh Service, click here.

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Load more


EDITORS' PICKS

 * KREMLIN-ALIGNED RUSSIAN MEDIA MINIMIZE UKRAINE'S KURSK INCURSION, ATTEMPT TO
   CHECK PANIC

 * ANALYSIS: IN 'RUTHLESS' SINWAR, IRAN GOT ITS MAN TO LEAD HAMAS

 * KAZAKH PLAN TO JOIN CHINESE-LED MOON BASE WOULD STRENGTHEN SPACE PARTNERSHIP

 * RUSSIA STEPS UP EVACUATIONS IN KURSK REGION, SAYS UKRAINE IN CONTROL OF
   DOZENS OF SETTLEMENTS

 * BULGARIA'S MOST POWERFUL OLIGARCH, DELYAN PEEVSKI, MAY BE LOSING HIS GRIP ON
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