COVID-19 REPORTING
With Families Under Lockdown, Domestic Violence In Russia, Ukraine Surges
Activists say victims face an untenable situation as they are forced into self-isolation with their abusers. (video)
Moscow Implements Pass System
A new system enacted to slow the spread of the coronavirus went into force on April 15 in Moscow, requiring that persons obtain a QR code from city authorities for any city trips. Traffic jams have been recorded at checkpoints set up around the city to check passes. Huge lines formed at metro stations where outraged passengers waited for permission to get to work. (Russian Service)
Russia Exports COVID-19 To China As Expats Return
Russia was recently named by Bloomberg as a new “supplier” of coronavirus to China. The Chinese Foreign Ministry says as many as 100,000 Chinese citizens are trying to leave Russia for their homeland, transiting through the Far Eastern Russian city of Vladivostok and outside of official checkpoints since Beijing suspended border crossings on April 9. Authorities in China’s Heilongjiang province, bordering Russia, claimed to have recently registered 79 Covid-19 cases among citizens returning from Russia. (in Russian, Current Time TV)
For Russia's HIV-Positive Population, The Coronavirus Crisis Is Making Things Worse
Just because Russia is struggling to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic does not mean that anyone has canceled the country's other epidemics. Said a consultant with the nongovernmental SPID. Tsentr (AIDS.Center), "All the things that are happening now have done nothing to reduce the number of people who need our help."
As COVID-19 Hits Russia, Soviet-Era Psychic Healer Returns
Last week, Russians of a certain age saw a familiar face return to their screens. Anatoly Kashpirovsky, a self-styled psychic healer who entranced TV audiences as the Soviet Union was coming apart three decades ago, is back as an octogenarian YouTuber offering solace as the coronavirus spreads.
Cutouts Join Belarusian Fans In Europe's Only Active Soccer League
Over 1,000 spectators attended a Belarusian soccer match, despite calls from fan groups to stay away during the coronavirus outbreak. Cardboard cutouts were used to fill empty seats. Belarus is the only country in Europe still playing public matches amid the pandemic, which the country’s president has called a “psychosis.”
Georgian Government Locks Down Four Major Cities
Georgia's government has taken the decision to lock down four main cities for 10 days -- Tbilisi, Rustavi, Batumi, and Kutaisi -- to control the spread of the coronavirus, after 30 more people tested positive in one day.
Kyrgyzstan Asks China For Debt Relief Amid Economic Strain Of Coronavirus
Kyrgyzstan has asked China for debt relief as it struggles with the economic shocks of the coronavirus pandemic. President Sooronbai Jeenbekov's office said on April 14 that the request was made "considering the negative impact of the infection on the macroeconomic situation."
Tajikistan Cites Coronavirus To Limit Courtroom Access At Sharifov Trial
A Tajik court has begun the trial of journalist Daler Sharifov on extremism charges that international media-freedom watchdogs have called "absurd." Sharifov, who writes about domestic politics and religious issues, was arrested on January 28 on charges of inciting ethnic, racial, and religious hatred. Although a judge has said the trial is open to the public, authorities are citing World Health Organization guidelines against large gatherings to limit the number of people allowed into the courtroom.
OTHER NEWS
OSCE Special Representative Confirms Agreement On New Donbas Prisoner Exchange
OSCE Special Representative Heidi Grau has confirmed that the Trilateral Contact Group on Humanitarian Affairs in Donbas has agreed on details of a new prisoner exchange. An April 14 statement says that the exchange will take place “before Orthodox Easter,” which is celebrated on April 19. (Ukrainian Service)
Top Ukrainian Security Official Detained For Alleged Collaboration With Russia's FSB
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) says General Valeriy Shaytanov has been detained on suspicion of collaborating with Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB). Shaytanov is suspected of high treason and terrorism dating back go 2014, including allegedly planning to murder Adam Osmayev, the leader of Chechen volunteers who fought on the Ukrainian side against Russia-backed separatists in Ukraine's east.
Germany Arrests Four Tajik Nationals Suspected Of Plotting Terrorist Attack
Germany has arrested four suspected members of the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group alleged to be planning an attack on American military facilities. Prosecutors said the suspects -- all from Tajikistan -- were arrested early on April 15 at various locations in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia.
CPJ Calls For Release Of Editor Held In Daghestan On 'Terrorism' Charges
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has called on authorities in the Russian republic of Daghestan to release journalist Abdulmumin Gadzhiev and drop all charges against him. Gadzhiev, the religious affairs editor of the independent weekly Chernovik, was detained on June 14 on charges of financing terrorism.
Kazakhstan Protests Chinese Article Questioning Its Territorial Integrity
Kazakhstan’s Foreign Ministry has officially protested an article published on a Chinese website titled 'Why Is Kazakhstan Eager To Get Back to China?'" The article's author wrote that Kazakhstan is located on territories that historically belong to China.
INFOGRAPHIC: Violence Against Women: What Do Russians Think?