Schemes: Corruption In Details -- The Press -- The Courts
VISUAL REPORTS
Israel Will Seek To ‘Destroy’ Any Iranian Military Presence In Syria
Speaking to RFE/RL’s Radio Farda and Current Time, Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman said, "We don't want to see Iran turning Syria into its outpost against Israel.” He said Israel was in constant dialogue with Moscow, and that "It's [in the] Russian interest to keep stability in Syria," adding that Iran's activities were jeopardizing Moscow's efforts.
Kids Evacuated After Crimea Chemical Leak
Russian authorities maintain there is no public health risk, but have evacuated children from part of Crimea following a chemical leak that may be linked to widespread medical and ecological symptoms first reported on August 23.
Kazakh Students Defy Head-Scarf Ban
Dozens of students in the Kazakh village of Ferdausi are protesting ban on Islamic head scarves.
OTHER NEWS
British Security Minister Says Putin ‘Ultimately Responsible’ For Skripal Poisoning
Ben Wallace said on September 6 that Russian President Vladimir Putin "controls, funds, and directs" Russian military intelligence, known as the GRU, which Britain has accused of using the Novichok nerve agent against former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, in March.
Russia, Iran Hit Back At U.S. Efforts To Pressure Tehran At UN Security Council
Following the U.S. announcement that President Donald Trump will chair a UN Security Council meeting on Iran this month, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Washington was "mistaken" if it believes it can use the forum to sway other council members after it pulled out of the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran and reimposed sanctions against the country.
U.S., EU Say Ukraine Ruling Endangers Press Freedom, Corruption Fight
The United States, the European Union, and international media watchdogs have expressed concern over a Ukrainian court ruling that grants authorities access to the cellphone data of an RFE/RL investigative reporter spanning a period of 17 months.
Sentsov White House Petition Reaches Threshold For Statement
A petition posted to the White House website calling for the release of Ukrainian filmmaker Oleh Sentsov, who is imprisoned on charges of treason in Russia, has gathered 100,500 signatures. A White House policy says that petitions receiving 100,000 or more will receive official comment. (Ukrainian Service)
Moscow Court Upholds Navalny's 30-Day Jail Sentence
An appeals court has upheld the 30-day jail sentence handed down to opposition activist Aleksei Navalny for what Russian authorities say were violations of the law on public gatherings and protests.
How Russia Greets And Mistreats Gay Men Seeking Asylum
An immigration officer's abusive comments to an asylum-seeker are the subject of a formal complaint to Russian authorities by the applicant's lawyer on behalf of a rare subset of individuals seeking refuge in Russia: gay men.
Detained Crimean Activist On Hunger Strike Denied Medical Attention
A lawyer for Crimean activist Volodymyr Balukh, who has been on a hunger strike in prison in Simferopol since March 19, says Balukh has severe liver pain and is being pressured by “degrading methods,” and said the detention facility provides neither medical nor psychological care. (in Russian, Current Time TV)
Kremlin-Sponsored Media Forum Held In Tbilisi Amid Protests
Dozens of activists from a civic group called Russia Is An Occupier rallied on September 5 in front of the Vere Palace Hotel in Tbilisi, where a Kremlin-sponsored media forum was taking place.
U.S. Envoy Backs Armenian Probe Of 2008 Election Violence
U.S. Ambassador to Armenia Richard Mills has said the United States would like to see a “thorough and fair investigation" into who is responsible for violence that followed Armenia's March 2008 presidential election.
Estonia Arrests Army Officer, His Father On Suspicion Of Spying For Russia
An Estonian Army officer and his father have been arrested on suspicion of treason and spying for Russia, authorities say.
Bosnian War Veterans Clash With Police In Sarajevo
Police in the Bosnian capital have clashed with several hundred veterans of the country's 1992-95 war who are protesting for more rights and a unified register of all demobilized fighters.