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- By RFE/RL
Belarusian KGB Says It's Holding Ukrainian Journalist, Claims He's A Spy
The Belarusian Committee for State Security (KGB) says it has arrested a Ukrainian journalist on suspicion of espionage, accusing him of being a military intelligence agent -- a claim immediately rejected by Ukraine.
In a statement on November 20, the KGB said that Pavlo Sharoyko was arrested on October 25.
The statement came three days after the head of Ukraine's National Union of Journalists, Serhiy Tomilenko, identified Sharoyko as a correspondent of UA: Ukrainian Radio, said he was detained in Belarus on October 25, and demanded his release.
The Belarusian KGB statement alleged that Sharoyko was an agent of the Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine's Defense Ministry and had been working under the cover of a journalist.
It claimed that Sharoyko confessed to having created a network of agents in Belarus to gather information "related to Belarus' military and political spheres." Such statements are sometimes extracted under duress, and there is no way to verify the claim.
Ukraine's Defense Ministry rejected the Belarusian KGB's claims in a November 20 statement.
"The Public Relations Service of the Defense Ministry of Ukraine has been authorized to state that...this information is not true," the Main Intelligence Directorate said in a statement.
Sharoyko's detainment was first reported on November 17 by Zurab Alasania, director of the Public Broadcasting Company of Ukraine.
Belarus-based rights group Charter97 quoted Sharoyko's colleagues as saying he had been working on stories related to the search for Pavlo Hryb, a 19-year-old Ukrainian citizen who disappeared in Belarus after being arrested and was later found to have been sent to Russia, where he faces terrorism-related charges.
Also on November 20, the director of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry's Consular Service, Vasyl Kyrylych, told RFE/RL that the ministry had sent a formal note to Belarusian authorities regarding media reports that said another Ukrainian citizen, Oleksandr Skyba, was detained in Belarus on November 16.
The reports said that Skyba, the head of a factory in eastern Ukraine, disappeared during a one-day business trip in Minsk on November 15 and told his wife by phone a day later that he was detained by the Belarusian KGB.
The Ukrainian Embassy "is demanding immediate information regarding the reasons" for Skyba's detainment and wanted to know where and under what conditions he is being held, Kyrylych told RFE/RL. "We received no official information regarding the issue from the Belarusian side."
Relations between Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine -- mostly Slavic former Soviet republics with deep historical and cultural ties -- have been strained since Moscow seized control of Ukraine's Crimea region and threw its support behind armed separatists in eastern Ukraine in 2014.
With reporting by RFE/RL's Belarus and Ukrainian services
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Targeted Activist Calls Failure Of Iranian Assassination Plot 'Pleasing'
Iranian-American human rights activist Masih Alinejad says she derives joy from the failure of alleged plots by the Islamic republic to kidnap and assassinate her.
The U.S. Justice Department on November 8 unsealed criminal charges that include details of a plot allegedly backed by Iran to kill Alinejad and President-elect Donald Trump before the November 5 election. Iran has rejected the allegation.
"When the Islamic republic is defeated, disgraced, and embarrassed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI], it has no choice but to deny," Alinejad, 48, said in comments to RFE/RL's Radio Farda.
Alinejad, who has criticized Iran's laws requiring women to wear a hijab, or head scarf, was the target of a kidnapping plot in 2021. In 2022 a man was also arrested with a rifle outside her home.
“The Islamic republic has been disgraced three times…. The humiliation of [Iranian authorities] is truly pleasing,” she said.
The FBI informed Alinejad of the suspected Iranian plot to kill her shortly before the court documents were unsealed, she said, recalling that she was "shocked" to learn about the details.
Two men arrested by the FBI were planning to target Alinejad at Fairfield University in Connecticut, where she was scheduled to appear.
The Justice Department alleges the two men spent months surveilling Alinejad and earlier this year traveled to the university campus and took photos of the premises.
"It is shocking how brazenly the Islamic republic can savagely plan to assassinate someone in another country," Alinejad said.
Iran has long been accused of targeting dissidents abroad, either to kidnap them or kill them.
Rights groups say exiled opposition activist Ruhollah Zam was abducted in 2019 before being executed in Iran a year later.
In 2020, Tehran said it had arrested Iranian-German citizen Jamshid Sharmahd and later sentenced him to death. Sharmahd's family insists he was kidnapped while through the United Arab Emirates. Iranian authorities claim Sharmahd died in prison last month before being executed.
Alinejad, who is visiting Germany and recently met with President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, said her message to Germany, the United States, and all Western countries is to "protect your borders and democracy instead of protecting me so that the Islamic republic's terrorists can't enter and plot assassinations on Western soil."
She said symbolic gestures by the West in support of Iranian protesters and dissidents "is not enough" to dissuade Iranian authorities from targeting critics abroad. Instead, she argued, severing diplomatic ties and "extensive support" for protesters inside Iran would be more effective.
Written based on an interview by Nasrin Afshar of RFE/RL's Radio Farda
- By RFE/RL
Saudi Armed Forces General Travels to Iran In Rare High-Level Visit
The general chief of staff of Saudi Arabia’s armed forces, Fayyad Al-Ruwaili, met his Iranian counterpart, Mohammad Baqeri, in Tehran during a rare visit on November 10.
Iran’s official IRNA news agency said they discussed the development of defense diplomacy and bilateral cooperation without offering any details.
Iranian media said Baqeri had discussed regional developments and defense cooperation with Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman Al Saud last year.
Ruwaili is only the second high-profile Saudi official to travel to Tehran since Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed to restore diplomatic relations after seven years following Chinese-brokered talks in March 2023. Previously, Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan visited Iran in June 2023.
Sunni-majority Saudi Arabia severed ties with Shi'a-dominated Iran in 2016 after its diplomatic compounds in Tehran and Mashhad were attacked by protesters over Riyadh's execution of Shi'ite cleric Nimr Al-Nimr.
The trip comes days after the election of Donald Trump, whose second term as U.S. president begins in January. He has pledged to bring peace to the Middle East, where U.S. ally Israel is engaged in wars against Iranian-backed groups in Gaza and Lebanon.
Hamidreza Azizi, a fellow at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, said the timing of the trip was significant because it comes as various countries are preparing for a second Trump presidency.
He said the Saudis' decision to send their top military official to Tehran "is a signal that they are committed" to the detente process that started last year and that "they don't want Trump's election to jeopardize the recently improving relations with Iran."
Separately, Iranian President Masud Pezeshkian spoke with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on the phone and discussed expanding bilateral relations, according to Pezeshkian's office.
Trump had good relations with Persian Gulf Arab states in his first tenure in office and worked on normalizing relations between Arab states and Iran's archfoe, Israel.
Saudi Arabia has not normalized relations with Israel but Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, is said to have discussed the possibility of normalization with Saudi Arabia since 2021.
In another sign of warming relations, Saudi Arabia announced last month that it held military drills with Iran in the Sea of Oman.
Turkey Deports 325 Afghan Nationals In 48 Hours
Turkish authorities deported 325 Afghan migrants over the past two days, the Taliban's Refugees and Repatriations Ministry said on November 10. According to the ministry, the International Organization for Migration will provide the equivalent of 150 euros to each of the deported migrants. In recent months, Turkey has intensified raids to detain and expel Afghan migrants, most of them undocumented. About 600 Afghan nationals were detained in police raids in Istanbul in September and were transferred to detention centers. To read the original story by RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi, click here.
- By AP
Taliban To Attend UN Climate Conference For First Time
The Taliban will attend a UN climate conference for the first time since their takeover of Afghanistan in 2021, the country's national environment agency said on November 10. The conference, known as COP29, begins on November 11 in Azerbaijan and is one of the most important multilateral talks to include the Taliban, who do not have official international recognition as the legitimate rulers of Afghanistan. The National Environmental Protection Agency wrote on X that a technical delegation had gone to Baku to participate. Matiul Haq Khalis, the agency’s head, said the delegation would use the conference to strengthen cooperation with the international community on environmental protection and climate change, share Afghanistan’s needs regarding access to existing financial mechanisms related to climate change, and discuss adaptation and mitigation efforts.
- By Reuters
UN Nuclear Watchdog Chief To Visit Iran On November 13
UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi will visit Iran on November 13 and start consultations with Iranian officials the following day, state media reported on November 10. The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said last week that he might head to Iran in the coming days to discuss its disputed nuclear program and that he expected to work cooperatively with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. Long-standing issues between Iran, the IAEA, and Western powers include Tehran barring several uranium-enrichment experts from IAEA inspection teams in the country and its failure for years to explain uranium traces found at undeclared sites. Iran has also stepped up nuclear activity since 2019, after then-President Trump abandoned a 2015 deal Iran reached with world powers under which it curbed enrichment -- seen by the West as a disguised effort to develop nuclear weapons capability -- and restored tough U.S. sanctions on the Islamic republic.
Russia Reportedly Suffered Record 1,500 Casualties Daily In October
An average of around 1,500 Russian soldiers were killed or injured per day in October -- Russia's worst month for casualties since the beginning of the invasion, according to Britain's Chief of the Defense Staff Tony Radakin.
"Russia is about to suffer 700,000 people killed or wounded -- the enormous pain and suffering that the Russian nation is having to bear because of [President Vladimir] Putin's ambition," Radakin told the BBC on November 10.
Moscow does not reveal the number of its war casualties.
Radakin claimed Moscow was spending more than 40 percent of public expenditure on defense and security, putting "an enormous strain" on the country.
Meanwhile, the Russian Defense Ministry claimed on November 10 that its forces had captured the town of Voltchenka in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region, where Russian forces have been making advances in recent weeks.
Ukraine launched dozens of drones targeting Moscow, forcing the temporary closure of three of the capital's airports, Russian officials said on November 10.
Rosaviatsia, Russia's federal air transport agency, said the Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo, and Zhukovo airports halted operations for several hours amid the drone strikes, one of Kyiv's largest attacks on Moscow since the war began in February 2022.
The strikes come as Russia fired 145 drones at Ukraine overnight, the most in any single nighttime attack of the conflict so far, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on November 10.
"Last night, Russia launched a record 145 Shaheds and other strike drones against Ukraine," Zelenskiy said on social media, reiterating calls on Kyiv's Western partners to increase supplies to help protect the country's skies.
Ukraine's air force said its air defense downed 62 of the Russian drones launched overnight, while a further 67 had disappeared from radar screens. Other drones had flown into the airspace of Belarus or Moldova, Ukraine's neighbors to the north and west, respectively.
At least two people were injured and buildings were damaged in the attack in southern region of Odesa, Ukrainian officials said.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said Russia had downed 32 Ukrainian drones targeting Moscow overnight and in the morning of November 10.
There was no damage or casualties at the site of the fall of the debris, Sobyanin said, adding emergency services were at the site.
One person was injured in the attack, according to Moscow regional Governor Andrei Vorobyov. Media reports said the strikes caused a fire in the Ramenskoye district, with several houses in flames.
Russia reports the destruction of Ukrainian drones almost daily, but the attacks rarely target the capital.
Ukrainian authorities have maintained their drone attacks on Russia are aimed at infrastructure key to Moscow's war efforts and are in response to Russia's continued attacks on Ukraine.
Since the war began, Ukraine has been subject to nightly Russian air raids targeting critical energy infrastructure, among other things.
Ukrainian drones also targeted Russia’s Bryansk and Kaluga regions overnight, setting several nonresidential buildings on fire, regional governors reported on November 10.
A nonresidential building in Kaluga was on fire as result of Ukraine's drone attack, according to the regional governor Vladislav Shapsha. Kaluga borders the Moscow region to its northeast.
With reporting by Reuters, AFP, AP, and dpa
- By Reuters
Ukraine Commander Says North Korea Troops Prepare To Fight Alongside Russian Troops
Ukraine's top military commander, Oleksandr Syrskiy, said on November 9 that there were reports North Korean troops were preparing for combat alongside Russian forces. "We have numerous reports of North Korean soldiers preparing to participate in combat operations alongside Russian Forces," Syrskyi wrote on Facebook of his conversation with Christopher Cavoli, a senior U.S. general who heads the U.S. European Command. Syrskyi said the situation in front line sectors of the nearly 1,000-day war with Russia remained "difficult and show signs of escalation."
- By Reuters
Iranian Foreign Minister Denies Plot To Kill Trump
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi denied U.S. charges that Tehran was linked to an alleged plot to kill Donald Trump and called on November 9 for confidence-building between the two hostile countries. "A new scenario is fabricated....As a killer does not exist in reality, scriptwriters are brought in to manufacture a third-rate comedy," Araqchi said in a post on X. He was referring to an alleged plot Washington said was ordered by Iran's elite Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps to assassinate Trump, who won the U.S. presidential election on November 5 and takes office in January.
- By AFP
Iran Urges Trump To Change 'Maximum Pressure' Policy
Iran signaled an openness toward Donald Trump on November 9, calling on the U.S. president-elect to adopt new policies toward it after Washington accused Tehran of involvement in a plot to kill him. Vice President for Strategic Affairs Mohammad Javad Zarif urged Trump to reassess the policy of "maximum pressure" he employed against the Islamic republic during his first term. "Trump must show that he is not following the wrong policies of the past," Zarif told reporters. His remarks came after the United States accused Iran of conspiring to assassinate Trump. The Foreign Ministry on November 9 described the American accusations as "totally unfounded."
- By AFP
Burkina Faso Says Russia Partnership 'Suits' Better Than France
Burkina Faso's foreign minister praised cooperation with Russia on November 9 as "suiting" his country better than its historic ties with France. Following a 2022 military coup, Burkina Faso's new leadership broke with Paris and has embraced Russia, which has sent army instructors to help Ouagadougou's fight against an Islamist insurgency. Attending a Russia-Africa summit in the southern Russian city of Sochi, Foreign Minister Karamoko Jean-Marie Traore said Russia was a "partner with whom we can make progress" and that there was "no fear" of becoming militarily dependent on Moscow.
- By AFP
Afghan Women Not Barred From Speaking To Each Other, Says Taliban
Women in Afghanistan are not forbidden from speaking to one another, the Taliban government's morality ministry told AFP on November 9, denying recent media reports of a ban. Afghan media based outside the country and international outlets have in recent weeks reported a ban on women hearing other women's voices, based on an audio recording of the head of the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, Mohammad Khalid Hanafi, about rules of prayer. Ministry spokesman Saiful Islam Khyber said the reports were "brainless" and "illogical," in a voice recording confirmed by AFP.
EU Pledges 'Unwavering' Support For Ukraine As Kyiv Plans Trump Meeting
EU foreign policy chief Josef Borrell assured Ukraine that the war-torn country had Europe’s "unwavering" support, while Kyiv announced during the EU official’s surprise visit that it was organizing a meeting with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump.
It was the first visit by a top EU official to Ukraine since Trump's November 5 victory, which has led to uncertainty in Kyiv about the West's continued commitment to supporting Ukraine as it tries to fend off invading Russian forces.
Borrell's surprise visit also came as Russia continues to heavily target Ukraine with drone and missile strikes and as Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Moscow was open to hearing Trump's proposals on ending the war Russia launched nearly 1,000 days ago. Trump has claimed he could end the war even before he takes office on January 20.
"The clear purpose of this visit is to express European Union support to Ukraine. This support remains unwavering," Borrell told journalists in Kyiv. "This support is absolutely needed for you to continue defending yourself against Russia aggression."
Earlier Borrell, who is set to leave office next month, wrote on X that "the EU's support for Ukraine has been my personal priority throughout my mandate and will remain at the top of the EU's agenda."
Those comments came hours after another deadly attack on civilian infrastructure in Ukraine, this time an apartment building in the Black Sea port city of Odesa. Meanwhile, Ukraine claimed it had struck with drones a Russian munitions plant in Tula.
Trump's election victory has raised concerns in Kyiv, which depends heavily on U.S. and EU support in the face of Russia’s ongoing invasion.
Trump has suggested Kyiv should agree to cede some territory to Moscow in return for peace, a condition Ukrainian President Zelenskiy has rejected.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha told reporters on November 9 that Ukraine is ready to work with the Trump administration.
"Remember that President Zelenskiy was one of the first world leaders...to greet President Trump," he said, referring to Zelenskiy's phone call with Trump on November 6 . "It was a sincere conversation, an exchange of thoughts regarding further cooperation."
Sybiha confirmed alongside Borrell that the Ukrainian government was organizing a meeting between Zelenskiy and Trump. The two last met in September when the Ukrainian president traveled to the United States to present his "victory plan" against Russia.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Ryabkov said in an interview with the Russian state news agency Interfax prior to Borrell's arrival in Kyiv that Moscow and Washington were "exchanging signals" on Ukraine through "closed channels."
He did not say whether the exchanges were with outgoing President Joe Biden's administration or with Trump or members of his incoming administration.
Ryabkov said Moscow was prepared to listen to Trump's proposals regarding ending the war against Ukraine as long as they were "ideas on how to move forward in the area of settlement, and not in the area of further pumping the Kyiv regime with all kinds of aid."
A report by the British daily the Telegraph this week suggested that Trump could propose freezing the current front line, which runs through significant swaths of territory in eastern Ukraine, setting up a buffer zone between Russian and Ukrainian forces.
In exchange, the newspaper reported based on sources close to Trump, Ukraine would agree not to join NATO for 20 years and Washington would provide Kyiv with a large amount of weapons to deter Russia from resuming the war.
On November 9, a long-time Republican strategist who worked on Trump’s campaign told the BBC that the incoming administration would be asking Zelenskiy for a “realistic vision for peace.”
According to the strategist, Bryan Lanza, that vision would not include restoring territory occupied by Russia in eastern Ukraine, nor Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula, which Russia invaded and illegally annexed in 2014.
“If President Zelenskiy comes to the table and says, well we can only have peace if we have Crimea, he shows to us that he's not serious. Crimea is gone," Lanza said.
A spokesperson from the incoming Trump administration later said that Lanza did not speak for Trump and that the president-elect’s transition team is still drafting policies that Trump might adopt in his second term in office.
"Nobody knows exactly what the new administration is going to do," Borrell told an AFP journalist accompanying him on his trip to Kyiv, noting that Biden still has two months left in office. "But we Europeans have to use this opportunity in order to build a stronger and united Europe, and one of the manifestations of being united and being stronger and able to act is our role in supporting Ukraine."
Borrell said it was up to EU countries to decide "when and how to increase" their support if needed. However, he added that at a meeting of EU leaders in Budapest on November 8 "most of the member states were insisting on the same line, [to] continue supporting Ukraine."
Ukrainian troops are fatigued and stretched as Russian invading forces make gradual gains in the east. Meanwhile, Russian drone and missile attacks on civilian infrastructure continue.
Russian drones struck an apartment building in Ukraine's Black Sea port of Odesa late on November 8, triggering a large fire.
The public broadcaster Suspilne and other media outlets posted video on social media showing cars and buildings ablaze and thick smoke billowing skyward.
One person was killed and 13 injured, including children, in the attack, the Odesa Regional Prosecutor's Office said on November 9.
A further 32 Russian drones were shot down over 10 Ukrainian regions, while 18 were "lost," according to Ukraine's air force, likely having been electronically jammed.
Experts say systematic or widespread bombardment of housing, civilian objects, and infrastructure are strictly prohibited by international humanitarian law, criminal law, and human rights law. Russia regularly denies targeting Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure.
Meanwhile, a source in Ukraine's SBU Security Service told RFE/RL’s Ukrainian Service on November 9 that drones had struck the Aleksinsky chemical plant in the Tula region about 200 kilometers south of Moscow.
The plant produces gunpowder, ammunition, and weapons. The targeting of the plant was part of a strategy to target factories that support Moscow's war against Ukraine, the source said.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said earlier that 50 Ukrainian drones were destroyed over Russian regions overnight. The governor of the Tula region said a house there had been damaged by drone debris. He made no mention of the reported strike on the plant.
Deadly Blast Rips Through Pakistani Train Station
The prime minister of Pakistan has denounced a suspected suicide bombing at a train station in a restive part of the country that killed dozens and wounded many more earlier on November 9.
Shehbaz Sharif said in a statement that those who orchestrated the attack in Quetta in southwestern Pakistan "will pay a very heavy price for it," adding that security forces were determined to eliminate "the menace of terrorism."
Police and hospital officials told RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal that 24 people had been killed and 53 injured in the bombing.
The attack happened when nearly 100 passengers were waiting for a train to travel to the garrison city of Rawalpindi from Quetta, the capital of the restive Balochistan province, the city's police chief Mohammad Baloch told RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal.
The separatist group, the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) claimed the attack in a statement, saying a suicide bomber targeted troops present at the railway station. The outlawed BLA has long waged an insurgency seeking independence from Islamabad.
Police said about a dozen security forces were among those killed in the attack.
Video from the site after the attack showed the steel structure of the platform's roof blown apart and luggage strewn far and wide.
Ayesha Faiz, a Quetta police official quoted by AP, said some of the critically wounded passengers had died at a hospital, raising the death toll.
The attack came a little over a week after a powerful bomb attached to a motorcycle exploded near a vehicle carrying police officers assigned to protect polio workers in Balochistan, killing nine people including five nearby children.
The oil- and mineral-rich Balochistan is Pakistan’s largest but also least populated province. It is also a hub for the country's ethnic Baluch minority who have long accused the central authorities of discrimination and exploitation.
The Baloch Liberation Army has waged an over 20-year insurgency against the Pakistani state, carrying out mostly small-scale attacks against government forces as well as foreigners, especially Chinese nationals who are in Pakistan as part of Beijing's multibillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative, which is building major infrastructure projects.
Last month, BLA claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing that targeted a convoy with Chinese nationals outside the Karachi airport, killing two. Since then, Beijing has asked Pakistan to ensure the safety of its citizens working on multiple projects in Balochistan and other parts of the country.
With reporting by AP
Pentagon To Allow U.S. Defense Contractors To Maintain Weapons In Ukraine, Reports Say
The Pentagon is easing restrictions to allow a small number of private U.S. defense contractors to work inside Ukraine, according to reports in U.S. media on November 8. The contractors will help repair and maintain equipment far away from the front lines and will not be taking part in combat, U.S. officials quoted in the reports said. Ukraine has received a number of sophisticated weapons systems as part of the U.S. military assistance provided to the country over the past two years. The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the Pentagon was allowing the contractors to go because some equipment -- including F-16 fighter jets and air-defense systems -- requires high-tech expertise to repair. Using the contractors, they said, will ensure the weapons are fixed quickly so Ukrainian forces can continue to use them in combat. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, click here.
Musk Reportedly Took Part In Call Between Trump And Zelenskiy
Elon Musk was present during a phone conversation between U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, according to media reports citing sources. A senior Ukrainian official who asked to remain anonymous told AFP on November 8 that the information first reported by Axios about the November 7 call was accurate. The billionaire founder of SpaceX and Tesla said during the call that he would continue to support Ukraine through his Starlink satellites. Zelenskiy thanked Musk for the satellite Internet devices, which are used by Ukrainian troops. The Ukrainian president also congratulated Trump on his victory, and Trump said he would support Ukraine but did not go into details. Musk gave millions of dollars to support Trump's presidential campaign and made public appearances with him, but some of his statements about U.S. military support for Ukraine have angered Kyiv.
Russia Expands 'Foreign Agents' Registry With New Additions
In a move that extends Russia's crackdown on dissent, the Justice Ministry on November 8 added several high-profile journalists and entities to its controversial registry of "foreign agents."
The new entries include journalist Dmitry Treshchanin from the independent outlet Mediazona, Chechen opposition blogger Tumso Abdurahmanov, and stand-up comedian Denis Alesin (aka Denis Chuzhoi), as well as the online news platform Govorit neMoskva.
The "foreign agent" label, introduced by Russian authorities in 2012 and expanded in 2020, has been widely criticized for targeting independent journalists, activists, and media outlets. The designation requires those on the list to register with the government, report their activities, and disclose funding sources.
Treshchanin has long been known for his independent reporting on Russian political affairs, including the war in Ukraine. Prior to joining Mediazona, Treshchanin worked for the independent television channels Dozhd and Current Time, outlets that have faced increasing pressure from the Russian government.
His reporting on sensitive issues, including state corruption and human rights violations, has led to consistent harassment and threats.
Abdurahmanov, a prominent opposition figure and vocal critic of the authoritarian leader of Russia's North Caucasus region of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, gained international attention through YouTube videos in which he exposed human rights abuses and corruption in Chechnya.
A native of Chechnya, Abdurahmanov fled the region in the mid-2010s after a conflict with Kadyrov's family and eventually sought asylum in Sweden in 2021.
His reporting on the authoritarian practices of Chechen officials has made him a target of harassment, including a 2020 assassination attempt in his Swedish apartment. Abdurahmanov managed to subdue his attackers, later identifying them as Russian nationals, though the perpetrators' direct ties to the Chechen leadership were not conclusively proven.
Alesin is a popular Russian stand-up comedian, writer, and blogger known for his participation in Russia's Open Mic comedy shows and his satirical YouTube projects. His comedy series, including Klass Naroda (The People’s Class) and Neuverennaya Rossia (Uncertain Russia), have garnered millions of views.
Alesin became a public figure in Russia for his outspoken opposition to the war in Ukraine, issuing an open letter to President Vladimir Putin in 2022 denouncing the invasion. Following the letter, he received threats and ultimately left Russia.
Govorit neMoskva, an online publication focused on regional news from across Russia, provides in-depth coverage of lesser-known stories from the Russian provinces, a source of independent reporting that has increasingly drawn the ire of the Russian authorities.
The inclusion of these individuals and organizations highlights the Kremlin's ongoing efforts to suppress critical voices and curb dissent, particularly as it faces increasing international scrutiny over its actions in Ukraine and the repression of domestic opposition.
Critics of the law argue that it is a thinly veiled attempt to intimidate and silence independent media and activists who challenge the government's narrative.
- By RFE/RL
Court Documents Allege Iranian-Backed Plot To Assassinate Trump, Dissidents
The U.S. Justice Department on November 8 unsealed criminal charges that include details of a plot allegedly backed by Iran to kill President-elect Donald Trump before the November 5 election.
A criminal complaint filed in federal court in New York City alleges that an unnamed official in Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) instructed a contact to develop a plan to surveil and ultimately kill Trump, the Justice Department said in a news release.
Three men, including an Iranian national, were charged in the criminal complaint in connection with their alleged involvement in a separate plot to murder a U.S. citizen of Iranian origin.
Two of the three men -- Carlisle Rivera, 49, and Jonathon Loadholt, 36, both of New York City -- made an initial appearance in court on November 7 and were ordered detained pending trial, the department said.
The third man, identified as Farjad Shakeri, remains at large and is believed to be in Iran.
"The charges announced today expose Iran's continued brazen attempts to target U.S. citizens, including President-elect Donald Trump, other government leaders, and dissidents who criticize the regime in Tehran," FBI Director Christopher Wray said in the news release.
The IRGC "has been conspiring with criminals and hitmen to target and gun down Americans on U.S. soil and that simply won't be tolerated," he added.
Shakeri allegedly recruited Rivera and Loadhold to follow and kill a prominent Iranian-American. The target was not named in the news release or in court documents but appears to be dissident journalist Masih Alinejad.
Alinejad said on X that she was shocked to have learned of the plot from the FBI.
"I also learned that the person assigned to assassinate @realDonaldTrump was also assigned to kill me on U.S. soil," she said on X, calling on Trump to be tough on terrorism. "The Islamic Republic understands only one language: the language of pressure," she said.
Alinejad, who has criticized Iran's laws requiring women to wear a hijab, was the target of a kidnapping plot in 2021, and in 2022 a man was arrested with a rifle outside her home.
The Justice Department said Shakeri was an IRGC "asset" who immigrated to the United States as a child and was deported around 2008 after serving 14 years in prison for robbery.
According to the criminal complaint, Shakeri allegedly disclosed the plot to assassinate Trump in telephone conversations with FBI agents in recent months.
Shakeri spoke with FBI agents because he was hoping to obtain a sentence reduction for a person who is imprisoned in the United States, the court document said.
Shakeri told the FBI he was approached by an IRGC official about organizing the assassination of Trump. He planned to use a network of criminal associates he met in prison, including Loadholt and Rivera, to supply the IRGC with operatives to conduct surveillance and assassinations of IRGC targets, the Justice Department said.
Shakeri promised to pay $100,000 in the murder-for-hire plot described in the document in which Alinejad appears to be the target.
The IRGC also tasked Shakeri with carrying out other assassinations of U.S. and Israeli citizens located in the United States, according to the press release.
"In particular, Shakeri has informed law enforcement that he was tasked on October 7, 2024, with providing a plan to kill President-elect Donald J. Trump," the Justice Department said.
Shakeri was unable to draft a plan within the time span requested by the IRGC official, and the official then told him Iran would pause its plan until after the presidential election because the official believed Trump would lose and it would be easier to assassinate him afterward, the criminal complaint said.
The United States has repeatedly accused Iran of seeking to assassinate U.S. officials in retaliation for the killing of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani, who died in a U.S. military drone strike in Iraq in 2020.
In his first term as president, Trump withdrew the United States from an international nuclear agreement negotiated between Iran and nuclear powers, imposed new sanctions on the country, and classified the IRGC as a terrorist organization.
Shakeri, Rivera, and Loadholt have all been charged with murder-for-hire, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison; conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison; and money-laundering conspiracy, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
Shakeri faces additional charges related to terrorism.
With reporting by AP, Reuters, AFP, and dpa
- By RFE/RL
Russia Summons Canadian Diplomat To Reject Sabotage Accusations
Moscow summoned a Canadian diplomat on November 8 to rebut Western allegations that Russia's secret services had orchestrated a campaign to mail explosive packages to addresses in NATO countries, including Canada.
After a series of fires at DHL depots in Britain and Germany during the summer, Russia was accused of being behind a brazen plot to ship explosive parcels via commercial airliners.
Ottawa expressed its concern earlier this week to Russian officials after Poland and Lithuania announced several arrests as a result of a probe into attempts to send parcels packaged with explosives on cargo flights to the United States and Canada.
"The deputy head of the Canadian diplomatic mission in Moscow was summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry, where he was handed a note in connection with false accusations of allegedly planned 'Russian sabotage' against NATO countries," Russia's Foreign Ministry said in post on Telegram.
Moscow said the Canadian diplomat "was told that these speculations" were being spread in a "coordinated manner, in the context of the hybrid war" being waged against Russia by the West.
Russia blasted the allegations as "false," "unacceptable," and part of a "provocation" being led by the United States, the ministry said.
Canada's Public Safety Ministry said Ottawa was "aware of and deeply concerned with Russia's intensifying campaign, from cyber-incidents and disinformation operations to sabotage activities."
It confirmed the Canadian government had "expressed this concern directly to Russian officials and unequivocally stated that any threat to the safety and security of Canadians is unacceptable."
The ministry added there was "no imminent threat" to the public but said Canada "will continue to monitor the situation very closely."
Canadian Transport Minister Anita Anand told reporters on November 6 that she required "more information" on the alleged plot but said she would taking "additional steps" to ensure the safety of passengers and packages but provided no details.
Many Western intelligence agencies have accused Moscow of involvement in sabotage acts in Europe as well, which they have said are targeted at destabilizing allies of Ukraine.
With reporting by AFP
Russian Pediatrician May Face Prison For Anti-War Comments To Patients
The prosecution has requested a six-year prison sentence for 68-year-old Russian pediatrician Nadezhda Buyanova on charges related to the dissemination of so-called "fake news" about the Russian military.
Buyanova, who has been in pretrial detention since her arrest in February, is accused of making defamatory statements about the Russian Army during a medical appointment.
The case against Buyanova was initiated after a complaint from Anastasia Akinshina, a Moscow mother who brought her 7-year-old son to the pediatrician for a checkup. During the appointment, Buyanova allegedly noticed that the child was acting nervous.
When Akinshina explained that her son was struggling with the trauma of losing his father, a Russian soldier killed in the war in Ukraine, Buyanova is said to have referred to the deceased father as a "legitimate military target" in front of the child.
This remark, according to Akinshina, prompted her to file a complaint with law enforcement.
Buyanova denies making any such statement and insists that she did not discuss the military or the boy's father with Akinshina during the visit. The pediatrician maintains that she is the victim of a false accusation.
Buyanova's defense attorney, Oskar Cherdzhiyev, argued during hearing on November 8, that the pediatrician had committed no crime and that the case was based on slander and a deliberate fabrication.
Cherdzhiyev pointed out that he had been denied access to a search that was conducted at Buyanova's home during which law enforcement officials allegedly committed several procedural violations.
Cherdzhiyev also highlighted contradictions in the child's testimony. The defense attorney pointed out that he was too young to understand or articulate terms like "aggressor country," "legitimate target," or "special military operation" (the official Russian term for the invasion of Ukraine).
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The defense also raised questions about the credibility of the child's testimony, suggesting that it may have been influenced by external parties.
Buyanova was dismissed from her job following the complaint filed by Akinshina. She has consistently denied the allegations and has called for her reinstatement. A court ruled in her favor in July, demanding that she be reinstated to her position at the medical clinic.
The case has drawn attention from human rights groups and the media, particularly due to the growing number of legal actions under Russia's "fake news" law, which has been increasingly used to silence critics of the government and its military actions, especially those related to the war in Ukraine.
Critics argue that the law is part of a broader pattern of repression designed to stifle dissent and control public discourse regarding Russia's actions in Ukraine.
Buyanova's case has also sparked concerns about the politicization of health-care professionals, as the law appears to be increasingly weaponized against those who speak out against government policies or make statements deemed contrary to the state's official narrative.
- By Schemes
Official In Ukrainian President's Office Was Frequent Flier To Russia, Investigation Finds
The last known time Oleh Tatarov flew to Moscow was on April 22, 2019, a day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy won his first term in office.
A little over one year later, Tatarov was a controversial high-ranking member of Zelenskiy's administration in Kyiv.
Tatarov's appointment to serve as deputy head of the presidential office in August 2020 raised eyebrows, with critics pointing out that he was a key police official under former pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych, has been accused of representing pro-Russian figures as a lawyer in Ukraine, and was himself once named as a suspect in a corruption investigation.
Now, a new investigation by the Schemes investigation unit of RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service has uncovered that Tatarov traveled to Russia from Ukraine at least nine times from 2017 to 2019.
The investigation suggests that shortly before his appointment to work in the presidential office, Tatarov, while working as a lawyer, was traveling to an avowed enemy of Ukraine.
The investigation also reveals that Tatarov's trips to Russia came three years after Russia's illegal invasion and annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula and support for anti-Kyiv separatists in eastern Ukraine in February 2014.
Zelenskiy has been in office the entirety of the current war that began with Russia's all-out invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Tatarov, was a deputy head of the Main Investigation Department of the Interior Ministry who was dismissed following the pro-Western Euromaidan protests of November 2013 to February 2014, which he had worked to suppress.
Amid the protests, Schemes later reported, Tatarov was awarded as an "honored lawyer of Ukraine" by former pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych, who fled to Russia in February 2014 after being ousted from power by the Euromaidan protests.
Shortly afterward, Russia occupied Crimea and backed pro-Moscow separatists in eastern Ukraine fighting against Kyiv.
In the ensuing years, Tatarov went on to become a high-profile lawyer who has been accused of representing Vadym Novinskiy, a Russian-born tycoon who made his fortune in Ukraine and was involved with the pro-Russian opposition, and Andriy Portnov, a former deputy head of Yanukovych's office.
As a lawyer, Tatarov also headed the legal department of the Ukrbud construction company.
Three months after becoming deputy head of Zelenskiy's administration in 2020, which drew fierce criticism from Euromaidan activists, the president's office was notified that a deputy head of the office was among three suspects, along with the owner of Ukrbud, in a case looking into allegations of corruption.
Tatarov denied any wrongdoing or involvement in the alleged crimes, and highlighted his role as the head of the anti-corruption body within the president's office. The case was eventually transferred to Ukraine's Security Service and dropped in April 2022.
Tatarov’s position in the presidential administration nevertheless continued to attract scrutiny, and the latest Schemes investigation has raised new questions after it found that Tatarov traveled nine times to Russia from Ukraine after 2014.
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The investigation, published on November 7, determined that Tatarov traveled to Russia three times in 2017, four times in 2018, and twice in 2019 -- once just two weeks before the first round of Ukraine's presidential election, and the second a day after Zelenskiy won the runoff.
Direct air travel between Ukraine and Russia was suspended by Kyiv in 2014, requiring Tatarov to reach Moscow from Kyiv via Belarus. Schemes came to its conclusions based on its analysis of border-crossing data from three countries -- Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia.
The data from Russia and Belarus, a key Moscow ally in the full-scale invasion Russia launched against Ukraine in February 2022, was based on leaked databases obtained by Schemes.
There is no evidence that Tatarov, who was working as a lawyer at the time, broke any laws.
Schemes sent questions to Zelenskiy's office requesting comment on the investigation's findings and asking what the purposes of Tatarov's trips to Russia were and with whom he met.
Neither the president's office nor Tatarov has responded to the requests. However, in comments to BBC Ukraine on November 7, Tatarov denied traveling to Russia or communicating with representatives of Russia.
"It is absolutely unacceptable to spread unreliable data and even hints about the alleged existence of my communication with someone from Russia or trips to its territory. Especially with reference to enemy-controlled sources," Tatarov told BBC Ukraine in written comments.
Kazakh Journalist Mukhammedkarim's Appeal Of Prison Sentence Denied
An Almaty regional court in Kazakhstan upheld the seven-year prison sentence handed to journalist Duman Mukhammedkarim for allegedly "financing an extremist group" and "participating in a banned group's activities," charges he rejects as politically motivated. Mukhammedkarim's lawyer, Ghalym Nurpeiisov, told RFE/RL in an interview on November 8, that the court decision was a violation of the journalist's rights and alleged the case had political motives. Mukhammedkarim's arrest in June 2023 followed an interview he did with exiled opposition politician Mukhtar Ablyazov, whose Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan movement is banned in the country. The closed appeal session prevented supporters from attending, but activists gathered outside the courthouse chanting, “Free Duman!” Mukhammedkarim's defense plans to appeal the ruling further. Human rights groups in Kazakhstan have recognized Mukhammedkarim as a political prisoner. Kazakh authorities insist that there are no political prisoners in the tightly controlled former Soviet republic. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Kazakh Service, click here.
- By Current Time
Ukraine, Russia Exchange Bodies Of Fallen Soldiers
The Ukrainian Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War reported that the bodies of 563 servicemen have been returned to Ukraine, of whom 320 were killed in Donetsk, 89 in Bakhmut, and another 154 had been in morgues on Russian territory. At the same time, the bodies of 37 Russian servicemen have been returned to Russia. The International Committee of the Red Cross, the Security Service of Ukraine, Ukraine's Interior Ministry, and other representatives of security and defense institutions assisted in the exchange, the Coordination Headquarters reported. To read the original story by Current Time, click here.
Dozens More Dead Seals Found Along Caspian Coast In Kazakhstan
Dozens more dead seals have been found on the Kazakh shores of the Caspian Sea, adding to the hundreds already discovered to have died with no clear cause identified. According to Nurlybek Ghaisin, head of the Ural-Caspian fisheries inspection, another 79 dead seals were found on November 7, adding to the more than 500 dead seals found over the past two weeks. Caspian seals, the only marine mammals in the Caspian Sea, have seen their population decline from over a million in the early 20th century to around 70,000 due to pollution and overhunting. Samples from seal carcasses and sea water have been sent to multiple laboratories for analysis, including tests for potential infectious diseases. Preliminary findings reveal that most of the dead seals were young and pregnant, suggesting an early and sudden death. Local residents also reported dead birds and sturgeons along the shore. Results from further testing are expected by the end of November. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Kazakh Service, click here.
Being John Malkovich In Sofia -- Acclaimed Star's Production Disrupted By Nationalists
Bulgaria’s interior minister has accused the theater director behind Hollywood A-lister John Malkovich’s production of a 19th-century comedy in Sofia of wrongdoing amid a crush of nationalist backlash that doomed the play’s opening night on November 7.
Protesters from nationalist groups and Bulgaria’s oldest writers’ union have demanded the expulsion of Malkovich and a ban on the play, which they call "bullshit" and "anti-Bulgarian."
Police made no arrests after hundreds of picketers surrounded the Ivan Vazov National Theater to block public access to the opening night of Arms And The Man, the late Nobel Prize-winning Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw’s breakout work set during the Serbo-Bulgarian War.
But a day later, on November 8, the Sofia district prosecutor’s office announced it was launching a hooliganism case over the disturbances and the city’s mayor, Vasit Terziev, said the picket’s organizers will be fined for failing to stick to the “conditions” of a peaceful protest.
Caretaker Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev said he had ordered the Interior Ministry to provide a “detailed description of the event and how who handled their duties and powers, especially the management staff.”
He added that “fists cannot be an argument in either politics or art.”
Waving Bulgarian flags and displaying banners like “Malkovich…, go home,” members of the unruly crowd shouted “Traitors!” as they jostled and intimidated ticketholders, including physically cornering and assailing veteran actor Vladimir Penev.
Filmmaker Theodore Ushev alleged that he was kicked, punched, doused, and spat on as police declined to provide protection.
On November 8, Interior Minister Atanas Ilkov blamed the theater’s general manager, Vasil Vasilev, for the disturbance, saying he had acted “inappropriately” and “escalated” tensions by emerging from the theater to try to talk to the protesters before Vasilev himself was attacked.
Video showed Vasilev being grabbed and struck multiple times as police tried to escort him into the venue.
There were no indications that the widely awarded stage and screen star Malkovich, 70, who has acted in and staged previous theater productions in Bulgaria, was caught up in the melee outside.
Vasilev cited “unacceptable” and “enormous pressure” to censor the play before the premiere, and stated bluntly, “This was not a peaceful protest.”
The play was eventually performed in front of journalists but no spectators, and it was broadcast live by Bulgarian private television station bTV.
Afterward, bTV quoted Malkovich as saying he had suggested Arms And The Man after being approached to direct another play in Bulgaria. “I think it’s a charming and funny play,” he said.
Minister Ilkov said he “hopes” an audience will get to see the play on November 8.
The production’s critics have included the Union of Bulgarian Writers (SBP), and a handful of right-wing groups. Representatives of at least two political parties, the conservative VMRO-Bulgarian National Movement and the ultranationalist Revival (Vazrazhdane), were among the demonstrators. They demanded Vasilev’s resignation.
Atanas said 60 police officers had been deployed to the premiere in anticipation of possible confrontations, and reinforcements were sent as tensions rose.
The interior minister said there had been no arrests because there was no “data on persons who were presented as violators of public order.”
Ushev and others, including some politicians, have called for Atanas’s resignation in the wake of the failure to maintain order outside the theater.
Defenders including from the center-right We Continue The Change-Democratic Bulgaria coalition called the actions of the crowd “an attack against freedom of speech, art, and free creative spirit.”
At a press conference in late October, Malkovich said the outcry and public attacks on the production were not “a very smart idea.” He dismissed the notion that he had come to Bulgaria to mock the country.
Caretaker Culture Minister Nayden Todorov told bTV he “suspect[s] political interference” in the protest and said there was no place for censorship in art.
Set in wartime Bulgaria in 1885 with a sometimes buffoonish cast of Bulgarian, Swiss, Serbian, and Russian characters, Shaw’s play is widely regarded as a humorous but stinging critique of war and perceived hypocrisy.
Shaw suggested the story was nearly complete before he decided on Bulgaria as the setting.
Tajik Activist Reportedly Taken Into Custody Upon Arrival After German Deportation
Tajik opposition activist Dilmurod Ergashev was reportedly taken into custody by authorities as he disembarked a plane in Dushanbe after being deported by Germany hours earlier.
Sharofiddin Gadoev, leader of the opposition Movement for Reform and Development of Tajikistan, told RFE/RL that Ergashev was met by Tajik security officials, who declined to comment on the situation.
His case has raised concerns among human rights advocates and international observers, given the serious allegations of potential torture and the lack of transparency regarding Ergashev’s condition following his deportation.
Ergashev reportedly attempted to harm himself by slitting his wrists and legs as German police were preparing to escort him to the airport on November 6.
The Insider investigative group reported that Ergashev was hospitalized after the incident, but that the deportation proceeded regardless.
Gadoev said Ergashev’s health condition during the deportation was poor, and that since his arrival in Tajikistan, no further information has been available about his whereabouts or well-being.
RFE/RL's efforts to obtain an official statement from Tajik authorities have been unsuccessful with representatives of the Prosecutor-General's Office and the Interior Ministry failing to respond to inquiries.
Leila Nazgul Seiitbek, head of the Vienna-based organization Freedom for Eurasia, informed RFE/RL on November 7 that her organization has appealed to the European Court of Human Rights, seeking intervention in Ergashev’s case and advocating for his safe return from Tajikistan.
Seiitbek noted that her organization had called on German authorities to halt the deportation, arguing that Ergashev faces a high risk of torture in Tajikistan.
The deportation order was issued by the Administrative Court of the German town of Kleve on October 28, immediately following Ergashev’s detention.
His associates argued that the court disregarded Ergashev’s pending asylum application in another German court, which is still under consideration.
Ergashev is a prominent member of the Group 24 movement.
Group 24 was founded by businessman Umarali Quvatov, who was assassinated in Turkey in 2015. The group has been a vocal critic of the Tajik government and advocates for democratic reforms. Tajik authorities have labeled it "extremist."
In 2024, Ergashev joined the Movement for Reform and Development of Tajikistan movement.
Ergashev had been living in Germany for the past 13 years as his cases wound through German courts.
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