VISUAL REPORTS
Dozens Detained During Rally For Political Prisoners In Kazakhstan
Dozens of people have been detained by police at two rallies in Kazakhstan calling for the release of political prisoners in the Central Asian state.
‘Immortal Regiment’ March In Moscow
Authorities estimate that 1 million people took part in the May 9 march of the “Immortal Regiment” in Moscow, a memorial demonstration launched in 2013 to remember those who took part in WW11. (Russian Service)
PHOTOGALLERY: Armenia Parties Through The Day (And Night)
After the election of opposition leader Nikol Pashinian on May 8, Armenians in the capital, Yerevan, celebrated on the street and inside the city's bars.
OTHER NEWS
Columbus Nova: Meet The Russia-Linked Firm That Hired Trump's Lawyer
Political donations, family ties to a Russian billionaire hit by U.S. sanctions, and a foray into the world of video games: these are a few of the reasons the New York-based investment firm Columbus Nova has faced media and public scrutiny in recent months.
Uzbek President To Meet Trump At White House Later This Month
Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoev is scheduled to hold talks with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington on May 16, the White House spokesperson has said.
Separatists Parade In Ukraine Puts Banned Heavy Weapons On Display
Russia-backed separatists who control the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk held a Victory Day parade on May 9 displaying over 45 pieces of heavy weaponry, despite a ban on that type of celebration in Ukraine stipulated as part of a 2015 peace deal.
Russian Duma Considers Fines For Bringing Minors To Unsanctioned Rallies
Russian lawmakers have proposed legislation that would levy fines on persons who are found to have “involved” minors in unsanctioned rallies. Violators would be subject to penalties of up to $805 and 100 hours of mandatory work, or 15 days of administrative arrest. The maximum fine for officials is $1,611 and that for legal entities is $8,057. (in Russian, Current Time TV)
European Court Advances Four Ukrainian Cases Against Russia to Grand Chamber
The European Court of Human Rights announced on May 9 that is has forwarded four complaints from Ukraine against Russia about the annexation of Crimea and military operations in the Donbas region to the Grand Chamber for review. (Russian Service)
Did The Soviet Government Abandon Its WWII Prisoners?
A study of Red Army prisoners undertaken by historian Konstantin Bogoslavsky estimates that 4 - 6 million Red Army soldiers were taken prisoner during World War II. About two-thirds of those captured by the Germans, more than 3 million troops in all, had died by the time Allied forces captured Berlin in May 1945.
Armenia's Pashinian Calls For Inclusion Of Karabakh Leaders In Peace Talks
A day after being chosen Armenia’s new prime minister, Nikol Pashinian has called for the de facto authorities in Nagorno-Karabakh, a region in Azerbaijan under the control of ethnic Armenian forces, to become a party in internationally mediated talks to resolve the longstanding conflict between Yerevan and Baku.
Hundreds Protest Gun Attack On Journalist In Montenegro
Hundreds protested in the Montenegrin capital, Podgorica, on May 9 after Olivera Lakic, a prominent crime and corruption reporter, was shot in the latest attack on a journalist in the Balkan country.
Serbia Bars Kosovo Karate Team
A Kosovar karate team has been barred from Serbia in a dispute over symbols of the independent former province, preventing the athletes from competing in a European Championship event this week.
Tajik Quake Reverberates In Kabul, Islamabad
A strong earthquake has struck a remote region of Tajikistan, with tremors felt in the capitals of Afghanistan and Pakistan. The U.S. Geological Survey said the 6.2-magnitude quake was centered in a mountainous border region near Afghanistan, at a depth of 112 kilometers.
MOST READ/RUSSIA: In The Mixed Hell Of Novorossiya
RFE/RL spoke to Ukrainian film director Sergei Loznitsa, known for the award-winning 2014 documentary, Maidan, about his latest movie, Donbass, which is currently screening at the Cannes film festival. Loznitsa says his new movie portrays what happened in a region that rejected Ukraine’s 2014 revolution and was plunged into a war invented in Moscow. He said he wanted to convey the “complete destruction of a society.” (over 85k views on Russian Service website)
IRAN: Iranians Say U.S. Exit ‘Will Not Bring Anything Good’
RFE/RL’s Radio Farda provides a sampling of voices, mostly via Telegram, from Iran.
IRAN: What Now? Iran’s Options After U.S. Pulls Out Of Iran Nuclear Deal
Once the knee-jerk condemnations are over, the Islamic republic has a difficult choice to make. And the stakes are high.