Ukrainian Rock Star Takes Stage On Anti-Corruption Platform
VISUAL REPORTS
Fear And Denunciation In Chechnya
When people are accused of misdeeds in Chechnya, some of their own relatives publicly denounce them in an apparent bid to save themselves from retribution.
First Pride March Held In Georgia Despite Security Concerns
About two dozen LGBT activists gathered outside Georgia’s Interior Ministry building in Tbilisi for a 30-minute demonstration on July 8 in the country’s first pride parade.
Thousands March To Remember Victims Of Srebrenica Massacre
Thousands marched in Bosnia-Herzegovina to remember the 1995 massacre in the town of Srebrenica, where some 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys were killed by Bosnian Serb troops in the worst mass atrocity on European soil since World War II.
OTHER NEWS
Putin Opposes Call For Sanctions Against Georgia
Russian President Vladimir Putin has rejected a parliamentary call to impose sanctions on Georgia, saying patching up strained relations was more important than reacting to provocations by "scumbags.”
Moscow Court Extends Michael Calvey, Delpal Arrests
A Moscow court has extended the house arrest of American investor Michael Calvey for three months, until October 13, denying his request for bail. The court also prolonged French banker Philippe Delpal’s detention. Calvey and Delpal are partners at the Russia-based private-equity group Baring Vostok, which is accused of defrauding Vostochny Bank. (Russian Service)
Ingushetia's Former Head Named Russian Deputy Defense Minister
Former head of Russia's Ingushetia region Yunus-Bek Yevkurov, who resigned last month after almost 11 years leading the volatile North Caucasus region, has been appointed a deputy defense minister of Russia.
Protesters Detained In Red Square For Challenging Crackdown Against Crimean Tatars
Russian police have detained seven activists who were protesting in Moscow's Red Square against the treatment of Crimean Tatars in Ukraine's Russian-occupied region of Crimea.
Torture Complaints Doubled In Russia In 2018
Russian High Commissioner for Human Rights Tatyana Moskalkova has announced that the number of complaints about ill-treatment and the use of force by law enforcement officials doubled in 2018. She also reported that Russia has paid approximately $12.1 million in fines following rulings by the European Court Of Human Rights over flawed investigations and prolonged arrests. (Russian Service)
Zelenskiy Says 'No Expensive Military Parade' This Year
In a video address on Facebook on July 9, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called the country’s standard Independence Day military parade “pompous and definitely not cheap,” and announced that the 300 million hryvnyas ($11.7 million) typically used to showcase the country's armed forces and firepower will instead be allocated to servicemen as bonuses.
Ukrainian Defense Contractor Violated Ban On Military Cooperation With Russia
The Ukrainian investigative team Bihus Info Project reports that Motor Sich, one of Ukraine’s largest aviation companies, continued to sell engine components to Russia, including for military jets, despite a ban on military and technical cooperation issued by then-President Petro Poroshenko in 2014. (Ukrainian Service)
Belarus To Get Money From China To Pay Off Russian Debts
Belarus has almost completed talks on borrowing $600 million from China to repay debts to Russia. Finance Minister Maksim Yermalovich recently said his country had been seeking to borrow money from a country other than Russia due to mounting differences in bilateral relations.
Bad Bread? Tajik Prisoners' Relatives Suspicious Of 'Food Poisoning' Explanation
Relatives of some of the 14 Tajik inmates who reportedly died after eating spoiled bread are suspicious of the official explanation of their deaths after seeing their bruised and broken bodies.