VISUAL REPORTS
Video Shows Foreign Cyclists In Tajikistan Before Deadly Attack
A video provided to RFE/RL shows part of a group of foreign cyclists a day before they were targeted in a deadly attack on a highway in southern Tajikistan. Four died and three were injured when they were run down by a car and stabbed while riding through the Pamir Mountains on July 29.
Armies From 13 Countries Launch Drills In Georgia
Military exercises dubbed Noble Partner 2018 kicked off at Georgia’s Vaziani base near Tbilisi on August 1, with the participation of NATO allies as well as non-NATO members Georgia, Ukraine, Armenia, and Azerbaijan.
Ethnic Kazakh Who Testified About Chinese 'Reeducation Camps' Won't Be Deported
A court in Kazakhstan has convicted ethnic Kazakh Chinese citizen Sairagul Sauytbay of illegal border crossing, but ordered her release and said she will not be deported to China, where she feared she would face "the most extreme" punishment.
Horrendous Conditions For 25,000 Inmates Of Kyiv’s Lukyanivska Prison
Ukraine’s Lukyanivska prison, a relic dating from 1863, is being upgraded for the first time since the breakup of the Soviet Union. Some cells hold between 10-12 people, forcing inmates to sleep in turns. (Current Time TV)
OTHER NEWS
What Are Russian Military Contractors Doing In The Central African Republic?
The three Russian journalists killed in the Central African Republic (CAR) this week had arrived in the war-torn country to investigate the reported presence there of a shadowy Russian paramilitary force whose units are said to have fought in Ukraine and Syria. CAR officials say the journalists were ambushed and killed by unidentified assailants.
Ukrainians Arrested In Alleged Massive U.S. Hacking Effort
Three Ukrainian men believed to be associated with the hacking group FIN7 have been arrested for allegedly hacking more than 100 U.S. companies and stealing millions of customer records, U.S. officials say.
U.S. Senate Approves Bill Enabling President To Waive Russian Military Sanctions
The U.S. Senate has approved legislation allowing the president to waive penalties against countries that purchase weapons from sanctioned Russian defense companies if they are seeking closer ties with Washington.
Siberian Prison Guards Accused Of Torturing Inmates
A Russian nongovernmental rights group says it has filed an official complaint over the alleged torture of inmates at a penal colony in the Siberian region of Zabaikalye. The move comes in the wake of a scandal over a video showing guards severely beating an inmate at a prison northeast of Moscow.
Wife Of Slain Journalist Pavel Sheremet Suing Ukraine’s Prosecutor General
Olena Pritula, a prominent Ukrainian editor and the common-law wife of slain journalist Pavel Sheremet, has filed a lawsuit claiming inaction against Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko in the case of the explosion in a car that killed her husband in 2016. Pritula has petitioned to be recognized as a victim and to classify the blast as a terrorist attack. (Ukrainian Service)
Protesters In Ukraine Demand Probe Into Acid Attack Against Activist
Dozens of protesters gathered in Ukraine's southern city of Kherson on August 1 to demand a thorough investigation into a recent acid attack against a local activist.
Ukraine Moves To End To Analogue Broadcasts
Ukraine has begun the switch to digital broadcasting, suspending analogue broadcasts in the Kyiv and Kirovohrad regions effective August 1. The government plans to complete the conversion nationwide by May 2019, exclusive of Crimea and territories bordering the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, where analogue broadcasting will continue. (Ukrainian Service)
Kocharian's Arrest: 'Velvet' Victory Or Vendetta?
Robert Kocharian became the first former head of state of an ex-Soviet republic to be jailed after a court in the Armenian capital, Yerevan, on July 27 ordered him to be held in pretrial detention. Kocharian, who served as Armenian president from 1998-2008, has been charged with "overthrowing Armenia's constitutional order."
BLOGGING CENTRAL ASIA: Tajiks Accuse Familiar Foe Despite IS Claim To Cyclist Attack
POLL: United Russia Party Rating Hits Seven-Year Low
Russia’s Public Opinion Research Center finds that only 37.1 percent of respondents say they would vote for the United Russia party if elections were to be held next Sunday, the party’s lowest approval rating since public disfavor with Russia’s Duma elections eroded its support in 2011. (Russian Service)
REMEMBERING VOINOVICH: Writer Urges Russia To Stop Looking Backward
In an interview with RFE/RL conducted almost exactly one year ago, famed satirist and former Soviet dissident Vladimir Voinovich opined that Russian politics had turned to face the past instead of building toward a vision of the future, threatening a dead end for the country.