VISUAL REPORTS
Ukrainian President Boots Official Out Of Meeting On Live TV
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has kicked a regional government official with a criminal record out of a meeting broadcast live on television. After telling Yaroslav Hodunok, a Boryspil city council secretary and parliamentary candidate, "Get out of here, rogue!” he added, "In English -- exit.”
Moscow Sisters' Patricide Case Casts Light On Domestic Abuse
A murder case against three sisters who killed their abusive father in Moscow has sparked a nationwide debate over Russia's treatment of domestic violence.
Breaking The Ice: How A Refugee Became NHL's First Belarusian Hockey Player
Former NHL hockey player John Miszuk returned to his birthplace in Naliboki, Belarus, which belonged to Poland when his family was driven out during World War II. He spent part of his childhood in forced labor and refugee camps in Germany, before emigrating to Canada and starting his remarkable journey to the NHL.
OTHER NEWS
No Progress Reported At Helsinki Talks Between Top U.S., Russian Diplomats
After meeting with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov in Helsinki, U.S. Undersecretary for Political Affairs David Hale stressed in a July 10 statement "that while the United States seeks to narrow differences and foster cooperation with Russia on a number of global challenges, Russia's negative actions continue to be a barrier for progress in our bilateral relationship."
Navalny Released From Jail After Serving 10 Days
Russian opposition politician and anti-corruption blogger Aleksei Navalny has been released from jail after serving the 10 days he was sentenced to for attending an unsanctioned protest. He called his incarceration illegal, and vowed to support independent candidates seeking to run in September elections to the Moscow City Duma.
'New Greatness' Trial Takes Turn After Witness Changes Testimony
A trial of members of a Moscow youth activist group accused of extremism has taken an unexpected turn after a key witness recanted his testimony, telling a Moscow court that he had been forced by investigators to lie.
Russian Pension Fund Official Detained On Suspicion Of Bribery
Russian media reports that Alexei Ivanov, deputy head of the Russian Pension Fund, has been detained on suspicion of accepting a bribe. In August 2018, Russian anti-corruption crusader Alexei Navalny published an investigation of fund head Anton Drozdov that revealed family assets in excess of his official income. (in Russian, Current Time TV)
Chechen Activist Said Detained In Sweden At Russia's Request
Mansur Sadulayev, a self-exiled Chechen human rights activist, has reportedly been detained in Sweden at the request of Russian authorities. Sadulayev, who has been living in Sweden since 2017, is known as a supporter of Chechnya's independence from Russia and a harsh online critic of the region’s leader, Ramzan Kadyrov.
Number Of Russian Political Prisoners 'Twice What It Was In U.S.S.R.'
Prominent Russian opposition activist Vladimir Kara-Murza says the number of political prisoners in Russia is twice what it was in the Soviet Union in 1976. He said the Moscow-based Memorial Human Rights Center has estimated 297 political prisoners currently in Russia.
Infant Death Leads To Scrutiny Of Crisis In Russian Health Care
Prosecutors describe it as cold-blooded, premeditated murder, claiming a doctor deliberately killed a premature baby with a deadly dose of magnesium sulfate. Her colleagues are crying foul, dismissing the charge as absurd, and as a symptom of dire problems in Russian health care.
Russian Ship Enters Waters Reserved For Sea Breeze Military Drills
The Ukrainian Navy has reported that on July 10 the Russian ship Smetlivyy entered waters closed to allow ships participating in the international Sea Breeze 2019 military exercises to practice artillery shooting. A Ukrainian frigate approached the vessel which, according to the Ukrainian Navy, was “pretending to have problems with radio connection.” (Ukrainian Service)
Zelenskiy Opens ‘Green Corridor’ In Chernobyl Zone
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has decreed a “green corridor for tourists” in the Chernobyl exclusion zone, tweeting that it will become “one of the growth points of the new Ukraine.” He said the zone is currently “still a symbol of corruption,” where security officials take bribes from tourists, steal metal, and exploit natural resources. (in Russian, Current Time TV)
Former President Poroshenko Summoned For Questioning
Ukraine’s State Bureau of Investigations has reported that former President Petro Poroshenko has been called in for questioning on July 17. Andriy Portnov, a prominent attorney, has said that Poroshenko will be questioned in connection with a ship-building and armament company that he sold in September 2018. (Ukrainian Service)
Jailed Kazakh Activists Start Hunger Strike
Two Kazakh activists, Qanat Turdaliev and Anuar Daniyarov, jailed for taking part in a July 6 protest against newly elected President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev, have launched a hunger strike demanding their immediate release.
Kyrgyzstan’s Atambaev Again Refuses To Obey Subpoena
Former Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambaev has refused for the second time to obey a subpoena for questioning at the Interior Ministry in Bishkek in an unspecified criminal investigation, opening the way for authorities to detain him for interrogation.
Uzbek Top Court Refuses To Exonerate 'Longest-Held Political Prisoner'
Former lawmaker Samandar Qoqonov, 75, who was released from prison in late 2016 after spending almost 24 years behind bars, told RFE/RL that the Supreme Court ruled on July 10 that "all charges” in the case against him “had been proven," and therefore he cannot be exonerated.
Azerbaijani Cancer Patient Dies In Pretrial Detention
Aydin Qurbanov, a man held in pretrial detention in Azerbaijan for nearly a year after mass disturbances in the city of Ganca, has died in custody from cancer. Authorities in Baku refused to allow his release so that he could die at home in the presence of his family.
Power In Armenia 'Gradually Restored' After Massive Outages
Armenia's Ministry of Local Government and Infrastructure has blamed massive power outages that hit the country on a voltage drop in the national power grid. The ministry also said a working group will investigate the source of the problem.
INFOGRAPHIC: Uranium Enrichment: How Does It Work?
PRESSROOM: RFE/RL Appoints Jamie Fly As President