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Tajik Children's Ombudsman Concerned Over Teen Suicides
Tajikistan's Children's Ombudsman's Office said in its annual report on June 11 that 69 people younger than 18, including four with psychiatric conditions, committed suicide in the Central Asian country in 2022. Although the number is one-quarter the number of suicides among teenagers in 2021, the situation remains worrisome, the report concludes. Four people were brought to justice for actions that led to a child's suicide, it said. There have been many cases of young women killing themselves and their children because of domestic violence in Tajikistan in recent years. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Tajik Service, click here.
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- By RFE/RL's Azerbaijani Service,
- Vusala Alibayli,
- Rovshan Gambarov and
- Will Tizard
Azerbaijan Official: Passenger Plane Crash Caused By 'External Interference'
The crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines passenger plane in Kazakhstan on December 25 was caused by "external interference," according to a transport minister. Rasad Nabiyev, Azerbaijan Minister of Digital Development and Transport, said in an interview that the plane lost control after flying over an area of Russia where anti-aircraft systems are frequently in use. At least 38 of the 67 passengers were killed as it crash-landed near Aktau.
- By RFE/RL
NATO Vows To Bolster Baltic Presence Amid Suspected Undersea Sabotage
NATO has said it would bolster its presence in the Baltic Sea after undersea power lines and Internet cables were damaged by suspected sabotage believed to be carried out by vessels belonging to Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet.”
Estonia also announced on December 27 that it had begun a naval operation to guard a crucial electricity line in the Baltic Sea in coordination with allies as tensions mounted in the region.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said in a social media post following discussions with Finnish President Alexander Stubb that "NATO will enhance its military presence in the Baltic Sea."
Both Finland and Estonia have coastlines on the Baltic Sea.
When asked for details about planned actions, NATO officials told AP that the alliance “remains vigilant and is working to provide further support, including by enhancing our military presence” in the region.
"We have agreed with Estonia, and we have also communicated to NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, that our wish is to have a stronger NATO presence," Stubb told a news conference.
Stubb added that investigators did not want to jump to conclusions, but a day earlier he had said that "it is necessary to be able to prevent the risks posed by ships belonging to the Russian 'shadow fleet.'"
The "shadow fleet" is a reference to old, uninsured oil vessels typically used to bypass Western sanctions on Russia and maintain a source of revenue.
European government and the United States have accused Russia of intensifying "hybrid attacks" following reports of damage to Baltic Sea communications cables, although they have not yet directly tied Moscow to the damage.
NATO stepped up monitoring critical infrastructure in the Baltic following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and the destruction of the Nord Stream natural gas pipeline seven months later.
Chinese-linked ships have also been suspected of sabotaging undersea infrastructure over recent years.
Sweden -- NATO's newest member, which also has a coastline on the Baltic Sea -- said its coast guard had stepped up surveillance of sea traffic and had deployed aircraft and vessels in concert with regional allies.
The European Commission on December 26 said a cargo ship suspected of having deliberately damaged power and Internet cables in the Baltic Sea was part of Russia's "shadow fleet."
The poor condition of these ships has also raised concerns about environmental disasters.
Finnish authorities on December 26 boarded and took command of the Cook Islands-registered Eagle S oil tanker in the Baltic Sea as part of its investigation into the damages, saying it likely belong to the "shadow fleet."
Investigators have said the damage could have been caused by the ship intentionally dragging its anchor.
The Kremlin said it had no connection to the ship seized by Finland. It has regularly denied that it is involved in any of the many incidents involving Baltic Sea region infrastructure assets.
With reporting by AP, Reuters, and dpa
U.S. Sanctions Georgia's Ivanishvili For 'Undermining' Democracy
The United States said it has slapped fresh sanctions on Russia-friendly billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, a former prime minister and the founder of the ruling Georgian Dream party, for undermining Georgia's democracy for the "benefit of the Russian Federation."
"Under Ivanishvili’s leadership, Georgian Dream has advanced the interests of the Kremlin by derailing Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic trajectory -- in direct contradiction to what was envisioned by the Georgian people and the Georgian Constitution,” U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement on December 27.
Blinken added that “Ivanishvili and Georgian Dream’s actions have eroded democratic institutions, enabled human rights abuses, and curbed the exercise of fundamental freedoms in Georgia.”
“We strongly condemn Georgian Dream’s actions under Ivanishvili’s leadership, including its ongoing and violent repression of Georgian citizens, protesters, members of the media, human rights activists, and opposition figures.”
The new measures will block transactions involving entities owned by Ivanishvili, the statement said.
According to Bloomberg News, Ivanishvili's fortune is estimated at $7.5 billion, much of it coming through metals and telecom assets in Russia during the 1990s.
Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze called the U.S. action "blackmail" and said it was Ivanishvili's "reward" for protecting Georgia's national interest.
However, opposition leader Giorgi Vashadze of the Unity National Movement hailed the U.S. decision, according to Georgia's Interpress news agency.
"I welcome this step from the United States and believe that we are quickly moving toward victory and will celebrate Georgia without Ivanishvili, who is the bringer of chaos and misery to this country," he was quoted as saying.
In a previous action, the United States on December 12 said it would "prohibit visa issuance to those who are responsible for, or complicit in, undermining democracy in Georgia."
That move affected some 20 people, "including individuals serving as government ministers and in parliament, law enforcement and security officials, and private citizens," it said in a statement, without naming the individuals.
Georgia, once a closer U.S. ally, has angered Washington and the European Union with its perceived tilt toward Russia and its violent crackdown on dissent in the Caucasus nation.
The sanctions come at a crucial time, as Georgia’s fate hangs in the balance -- whether it will intensify its tilt toward Moscow, return to the pro-Europe path, or remain in an environment of unrest and uncertainty.
Police in Tbilisi have clashed with pro-West protesters over the past several weeks, detaining dozens and injuring scores of people who accuse the government of the Georgian Dream party of moving the country away from the European Union and closer to Moscow.
The political crisis erupted after Georgian Dream claimed victory in October parliamentary elections that the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) said was marred by instances of vote-buying, double-voting, physical violence, and intimidation.
The rallies intensified after a government decision last month to delay negotiations on Georgia joining the EU.
The New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) on December 24 called for Georgian security forces to be investigated for the “brutal police violence” against largely peaceful protesters who have taken to the streets for huge anti-government demonstrations.
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili – who has spilt with the government and backed the protesters -- on December 22 called on Georgian Dream to set a date for new parliamentary elections by December 29.
"Next week at this time I will be president," Zurabishvili restated on December 27.
U.S. Republican House member Joe Wilson wrote on X that he welcomed the new sanctions and added that he had invited Zurabishvili -- "as the only legitimate leader in Georgia" -- to Donald Trump's presidential inauguration on January 20
"I am in awe of her courage in the face of the assault by Ivanishvili and his friends" in China and Iran, Wilson added, without mentioning Russia.
Earlier this month, an electoral college dominated by Georgian Dream chose Mikheil Kavelashvili, a 53-year-old former soccer player and right-wing populist, as Georgia's next president.
His inauguration is supposed to take place on December 29, though the 72-year-old Zurabishvili, whose term ends this year, has said she will not step down, setting up a potentially explosive showdown.
Georgia received EU candidate status in December 2023, but ties with Brussels have been tense in recent months following the adoption in May of a controversial "foreign agent" law pushed through parliament by Georgian Dream, which has been in power since 2012.
Montenegro To Extradite 'Crypto King' To U.S. After Long Legal Battle
PODGORICA -- After a multinational back-and-forth legal battle, Montenegro on December 27 said it would extradite South Korean cryptocurrency entrepreneur Hyeong Do Kwon -- the so-called Crypto King -- to the United States.
Do Kwon is sought by both the United States and South Korea and also faces possible legal action in Singapore.
Montenegrin courts have previously issued at least eight often-contradictory decisions regarding Do Kwon's fate.
In September, the Montenegrin Supreme Court ruled that Do Kwon could be sent to either the United States or South Korea and that the final decision on which country would be up to Justice Minister Bojan Bozovic.
On December 24, Do Kwon lost his final appeal against extradition with Montenegro's Constitutional Court.
In the latest ruling, the Justice Ministry said the U.S. request had met the threshold for removal and, as a result Bozovic "issued a decision approving the extradition."
The ministry said the criteria included the gravity of the criminal acts, the order of submission of the extradition requests, and the citizenship of the person in question.
The former CEO and co-founder of the cryptocurrency company Terraform Labs is wanted by U.S. and South Korean authorities for his alleged role in capital market and securities fraud involving assets worth some $40 billion.
Do Kwon was arrested with business partner Chang Joon in March 2023 at Podgorica airport while attempting to fly to Dubai using on allegedly forged passports.
They each received a four-month prison sentence on the forged-passport charge.
Chang, who was wanted only by South Korea, was extradited to that country on February 5.
After serving his sentence, Do Kwon was sent to a shelter for foreigners near Podgorica, where he awaited extradition.
Do Kwon in October claimed that the South Korean charges were illegitimate and "politically motivated."
Despite the legal struggle, Do Kwon's trial in absentia took place in the United States, where a New York jury on April 5 found him and Terraform labs liable on civil fraud charges, agreeing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that they had misled investors.
Terraform Labs agreed to pay about $4.5 billion in a civil settlement with the SEC following the court's ruling. Do Kwon was ordered to pay $204 million.
Following the verdict, a Terraform spokesperson said, "We continue to maintain that the SEC does not have the legal authority to bring this case at all" and that the company was weighing its options.
- By RFE/RL
Italian Podcaster Detained In Tehran For 'Journalistic Activities'
Italy’s Foreign Ministry said journalist Cecilia Sala, who was in Iran to carry out "journalistic activities," has been detained by Tehran police authorities.
The ministry said in a statement on December 27 that Sala, who has a podcast called Stories that covers life in places around the world, was detained on December 19.
It gave no reason for the detention, but said in a statement that the ambassador from Italy's embassy in Tehran had paid a consular visit "to verify the conditions and state of detention of Sala."
"The family was informed of the results of the consular visit. Previously, Sala had the opportunity to make two phone calls with her relatives," it said.
Sala posted a podcast from Tehran on December 17 about patriarchy in the Iranian capital.
Iran is routinely accused of arresting dual nationals and Western citizens on false charges to use them to pressure Western countries.
Earlier this month, Reza Valizadeh, a dual U.S.-Iranian citizen and former journalist for RFE/RL's Radio Farda, was handed a 10-year sentence by Tehran's Revolutionary Court on charges of "collaborating with a hostile government."
Valizadeh resigned from Radio Farda in November 2022 after a decade of work. He returned to Iran in early 2024 to visit his family but was arrested on September 22.
His two court sessions, held on November 20 and December 7, reportedly lacked a prosecution representative, with the judge assuming that role.
Sources close to the journalist claim he fell into a "security trap" despite receiving unofficial assurances from Iranian security officials that he would not face legal troubles upon returning to Iran.
Iran is among the most repressive countries in terms of freedom of the press. Reporters Without Borders ranked Iran 176th out of 180 countries in its 2024 World Press Freedom Index.
The Paris-based media watchdog says Iran is now also one of the world’s biggest jailers of journalists.
Azerbaijani Lawmaker Says 'Strong Possibility' Russia Shot Down Passenger Jet
An Azerbaijani lawmaker said there is a "very strong" possibility that the crash of a passenger jet earlier this week was caused by Russian air-defense systems on alert for Ukrainian drone attacks.
Speculation has mounted that the Azerbaijan Airlines plane, which was headed from Baku to Grozny, the capital of Russia’s Chechnya region, may have been hit by an air-defense missile before crossing the Caspian Sea and crashing near Aqtau, Kazakhstan, killing 38 passengers and crew.
Lawmaker Hikmat Babaoghlu told RFE/RL's Azerbaijani Service in an interview on December 27 that such an explanation is most likely "closest to the truth."
"This is only a possibility, but a very strong one, and the observations and conclusions drawn so far support the idea that the plane being shot down is the closest to the truth," he said.
"In this specific case, the incident involves Azerbaijan's airliner being damaged within the territory of the Russian Federation, with the event causing the crash occurring there. Therefore, there is no doubt that responsibility falls on the Russian Federation. If these assumptions are correct, accountability also undoubtedly rests with Russia," he added.
Kazakh experts arrived on December 27 to examine the crash site and black box of the ill-fated passenger jet, as speculation -- and evidence -- mounted suggesting that a Russian air-defense missile may have inadvertently struck the craft.
Even as the probe intensifies, countries with victims aboard the plane -- Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Kyrgyzstan -- continue to mourn their dead and treat the injured from the crash of the Embraer 190 aircraft.
Since the crash, uncertainty has rocked the aviation industry throughout the Caucasus.
An Azerbaijan Airlines flight bound for the Russian spa town of Mineranlye Vody took off from Baku on December 27 but then abruptly headed back after receiving a flight information notice that Russian airspace it was due to fly through was closed.
Azerbaijan Airlines later said it is suspending
flights to several Russian cities, including Mineralnye Vody, Sochi, Volgograd, Ufa, Samara, Grozny, and Makhachkala.
Speculation has swirled around the tragedy, with some experts pointing to holes seen in the plane's tail section as a possible sign that it could have come under fire from Russian air-defense systems engaged in thwarting Ukrainian drone attacks.
White House spokesman John Kirby told reporters on December 27 that the United States has seen signs suggesting that the jet could have been hit by Russian air defense systems.
U.S. experts "have seen some early indications that would certainly point to the possibility that this jet was brought down by Russian air defense systems," he said.
Kirby added that Washington has “offered our assistance…should they need it" to the ongoing investigation being conducted by Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan.
Evidence, yet to be corroborated by authorities, includes footage from inside the plane before the crash, images of the hole-pocked tail section after the crash, a survivor's comments, and accounts indicating there was a suspected drone attack around the time the plane apparently tried to land in Grozny.
Reuters quoted an Azerbaijani source familiar with the investigation as saying results indicated the plane was hit by a Pantsir-S air-defense system, a self-propelled antiaircraft gun and missile system designed by Russia.
It was not immediately clear where the black box would be examined. The process can be highly technical, and not all countries have the resources to undertake such work.
Gulag Aslanli, a leader of Azerbaijan's opposition Musavat party, told RFE/RL that an international commission was needed to investigate the incident.
"Russia cannot be allowed there," he said. "If the black box is going to be taken to Russia and examined there, I will look at its outcome with suspicion."
Officials said it typically takes about two weeks to fully assess a black box, although various conditions can alter that time frame.
Commenting on unconfirmed reports that the plane may have been shot down by a missile, Kazakh Senate Speaker Maulen Ashimbaev said it was "not possible" to say what may have damaged the aircraft until the investigation is finished.
"Real experts are looking at all this, and they will make their conclusions. Neither Kazakhstan, Russia, nor Azerbaijan, of course, is interested in hiding information, so it will be brought to the public," Ashimbaev said.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov made a similar comment, reiterating Moscow's previous stance on the deadly incident.
"An investigation is under way, and until the conclusions of the investigation, we do not consider we have the right to make any comments and we will not do so," Peskov told reporters on December 27.
Russia's Interfax news agency quoted Russian officials as saying the plane, commissioned in 2013, had passed a maintenance check in October and that the pilot had "vast experience" with more than 15,000 flying hours.
Azerbaijan Airlines President Samir Rzayev also told reporters the plane had been fully serviced in October and that there was no sign of technical malfunction.
But he said it was too early to determine a cause: "The plane has been found with a black box. After detailed research, all aspects will be clear."
The airline suspended flights along the route of the crash pending completion of the investigation.
Azerbaijan's Prosecutor-General's Office said that "all possible scenarios are being examined."
As the first seven survivors arrived back in the country on December 26, Azerbaijan observed a national day of mourning. Burials of four of those who lost their lives were conducted during the day, with additional funerals expected in the coming hours and days.
Officials in Baku said the wounded arrived on a special flight arranged by Azerbaijan's Emergency Affairs Ministry and that the injured, many with severe burn wounds, were accompanied by medical professionals.
Ayhan Solomon, Azerbaijan’s chief consul in Aqtau, told reporters that 26 of those killed were Azerbaijani citizens.
He said 16 Azerbaijani citizens survived. “Of those, 10 to 12 are in good condition and others remain critically stable,” he added.
Azerbaijan Airlines' supervisory board said on December 26 that the families of those killed will be compensated with 40,000 manats ($23,460), while those injured would receive 20,000 manats ($11,730).
Along with the 42 Azerbaijani citizens, those aboard Flight J2-8243 were listed as 16 Russian nationals, six from Kazakhstan, and three Kyrgyz citizens, officials said.
The survivors include nine Russian citizens, who were flown to Moscow on December 26 by the Russian Emergency Situations Ministry. Three of the Russian survivors were in critical condition, according to Russian health authorities.
Zelenskiy Says ‘Several’ Wounded North Korean Troops Have Died After Capture
KYIV -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said “several” North Korean soldiers – badly wounded in fighting alongside Russian forces – have died after being captured by Ukrainian troops on the battlefield and he accused Moscow of having little regard for their survival.
Zelenskiy, echoing earlier remarks by U.S. officials, said soldiers sent to Russia by Pyongyang are suffering major losses in fighting in Russia's Kursk region.
The Ukrainian leader accused Moscow and North Korean “enforcers” of leaving the soldiers unprotected in battle and even executing fighters to prevent them from being captured alive.
He did not provide evidence to back up the claims and they could not independently be verified.
The North Korean military has suffered “many losses. A great deal. And we can see that the Russian military and the North Korean enforcers have no interest in the survival of these Koreans at all,” he said in a video address on December 27.
“Everything is arranged in a way that makes it impossible for us to capture the Koreans as prisoners – their own people are executing them. There are such cases. And the Russians send them into assaults with minimal protection.”
He said Ukrainian soldiers had managed to take some prisoners. "But they were very seriously wounded and could not be saved.”
The remarks came after South Korea’s National Intelligence Service said that a North Korean fighter had died of wounds suffered before his capture by Ukrainian special operations troops in the Kursk region.
"We have confirmed through an allied intelligence agency that a North Korean soldier who was captured on the 26th died a little while ago due to serious injuries," the news release said.
On December 26, the Ukrainian news outlet Militarnyi said a soldier believed to be North Korean had been captured by Ukrainian Special Operations Forces in the Kursk region.
A photo of a captured soldier, who is believed to have been injured, also was previously shared on Telegram. The photo has not been independently verified.
Details about the soldier's condition and status are not known.
Last month Pyongyang ratified a "comprehensive strategic partnership" agreement with Russia, cementing a deal that paved the way for its soldiers to fight on Russian soil against Ukraine.
Western sources estimate that 12,000 North Korean troops are in the Kursk region, parts of which are occupied by Ukrainian forces amid ongoing pitched battles.
U.S. Response
White House spokesman John Kirby told reporters on December 27 that North Korean forces are suffering heavy casualties on the front lines, adding that some 1,000 of their troops have been killed or wounded in the Kursk region over the past week.
"It is clear that Russian and North Korean military leaders are treating these troops as expendable and ordering them on hopeless assaults against Ukrainian defenses," Kirby said.
Kirby said also U.S. President Joe Biden would likely approve another package of military aid for Kyiv in the coming days as he bids to bolster Ukraine’s forces before leaving office on January 20.
U.S. officials later told reporters that a new package of military assistance worth $1.25 billion is scheduled to be announced on December 30.
North Korean Losses
Zelenskiy on December 23 said more than 3,000 troops, or about a quarter of the North Korean special forces sent to Russia, had been killed or injured, though he couched his statement by saying the data was preliminary.
South Korea’s National Intelligence Service reported on a lower figure, saying on December 19 that about 1,100 North Korean special forces have been killed or injured in Russia since entering the fray against Ukraine.
On December 15, Skhemy (Schemes), an investigative unit of RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, received photos from Ukrainian military sources purportedly showing the bodies of dead soldiers in Kursk, including what was said to be North Korean fighters.
RFE/RL has not been able to independently verify the claims. Russia has not commented on the report.
North Korean military support is coming at a critical time in the war. Russia is seeking to overpower an undermanned and under-resourced Ukrainian infantry and gain territory before its own manpower and resources become constrained.
Russia has lost more than 600,000 soldiers in the nearly three-year war, the Pentagon said in early October. It has burned through so much war material that it is struggling to replace its artillery and missile needs amid sweeping Western sanctions.
Now nearly two-thirds of the mortars and shells Russia launches at Ukraine come from North Korea, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing Andriy Kovalenko, a Ukrainian Army officer. And every third ballistic missile was made in North Korea, Ukrainian officials said.
- By RFE/RL
Ship Suspected Of Damaging Cables Off Finland Part Of Russia's 'Shadow Fleet,' EU Says
The European Commission said a cargo ship suspected of having deliberately damaged power and Internet cables in the Baltic Sea is part of Russia's so-called "shadow fleet," prompting the EU to threaten new sanctions against Moscow.
"We strongly condemn any deliberate destruction of Europe’s critical infrastructure," the commission said in a statement on December 26.
"The suspected vessel is part of Russia’s shadow fleet, which threatens security and the environment, while funding Russia’s war budget. We will propose further measures, including sanctions, to target this fleet," the statement added.
The statement added that "in response to these incidents, we are strengthening efforts to protect undersea cables, including enhanced information exchange, new detection technologies, as well as in undersea repair capabilities, and international cooperation."
The remarks come after two fiber-optic cables owned by Finnish operator Elisa linking Finland and Estonia were broken on December 25. A third link between the two countries -- owned by China's Citic -- was damaged, authorities said.
An Internet cable running between Finland and Germany belonging to Finnish group Cinia was also believed to have been severed, according to officials.
Investigators said the damage could have been caused by the ship intentionally dragging its anchor.
Finnish authorities on December 26 boarded and took command of the Cook Islands-registered Eagle S oil tanker in the Baltic Sea as part of the investigation.
The Finnish customs service said the Eagle S is believed to belong to Russia's so-called “shadow fleet” of old, uninsured oil vessels used to bypass Western sanctions and maintain a source of revenue. The poor condition of these ships has also raised concerns about environmental disasters.
Finnish President Alexander Stubb also suggested the cargo has Russian links and that his country is closely monitoring the situation.
"It is necessary to be able to prevent the risks posed by ships belonging to the Russian shadow fleet," Stubb wrote on X.
EU foreign ministers on December 16 adopted a package of sanctions against Moscow targeting tankers transporting Russian oil as the bloc looked to curb the circumvention of previous measures aimed at hindering Kremlin's ability to wage war against Ukraine.
Meanwhile, NATO chief Mark Rutte said on December 26 that the alliance is ready to help Finland and Estonia as they launch their probe into the possible "sabotage."
"Spoke with [Estonian Prime Minister] Kristen Michal about reported possible sabotage of Baltic Sea cables,” he wrote on X.
“NATO stands in solidarity with Allies and condemns any attacks on critical infrastructure. We are following investigations by Estonia and Finland, and we stand ready to provide further support."
With reporting by AFP and dpa
Putin Says Slovak PM Ready To Offer 'Platform' For Possible Ukraine Talks
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on December 26 that Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico is ready to offer a “platform” for possible peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv to end the war in Ukraine. Putin told the media Fico said during a recent meeting that "if there are any negotiations, [the Slovaks] would be happy to provide their country as a platform." Most terms suggested so far by Putin have been deemed unacceptable to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Fico is one of the few European leaders Putin has stayed friendly with since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, prompting criticism of the Slovak leader by Zelenskiy and many Western leaders. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Russian Service, click here.
- By RFE/RL
Iranian President To Visit Moscow For Talks In January
Iranian President Masud Pezeshkian is scheduled to travel to Russia on January 17, state-controlled media in Iran and Russia reported on December 26. Quoting Iranian Ambassador to Moscow Kazem Jalali, Iran's Tasnim news agency said that “the president will visit Russia on January 17 and a cooperation agreement between the two countries will be signed during the visit." Russia and Iran both are under severe financial sanctions imposed by Western nations and have stepped up bilateral cooperation on many fronts in recent years. The West has accused Iran of providing weapons to Russia for use against Ukraine. Tehran has denied the allegations despite evidence widespread use of Iranian-made drones in the war.
Bosnia's Security Minister Arrested On Corruption Charges
SARAJEVO -- Bosnia-Herzegovina’s security minister has been arrested on charges of money-laundering, abuse of office, and accepting bribes, the Balkan nation’s prosecutor’s office said.
The minister, Nenad Nesic, was among seven people arrested on similar charges, the office said on December 26.
The charges stem from an investigation by the Bosnian state prosecutor and the Interior Ministry of Bosnia's ethnic-Serb entity, Republika Srpska, into suspected corruption at the Roads of RS (Putevi RS) public company, where Nesic was general manager from 2016 to 2020.
The company's current general manager, Milan Dakic, was also among those arrested, prosecutors said. The company did not immediately comment.
Nesic, 46, has been Bosnia’s security minister since 2022.
When asked by reporters about the case as he was entering an East Sarajevo police station, Nesic said only that "I continue to fight for Republika Srpska," according to Reuters.
Nesic is president of the Democratic People's Alliance (DNS), which is in a coalition with Milorad Dodik's Alliance of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD).
Dodik, who is president of Republika Srpska, claimed on social media that this was an "unacceptable procedure" and a "persecution of cadres" from the Bosnian government.
The pro-Russia Dodik is under sanctions imposed by the United States and Britain for his efforts to undermine the Dayton agreements that ended the 1992-95 Bosnian war.
He is currently facing trial himself on charges he failed to comply with the decisions of international High Representative Christian Schmidt.
Ethnic Serb lawmakers this week said Dodik's trial was political and based on illegal decisions by the high representative. They claimed that the court was unconstitutional because it was set up by Schmidt and not by the Dayton agreement.
Since the Dayton peace accords were put into effect, the country has consisted of a Bosniak-Croat federation and the mostly ethnic Serb Republika Srpska under a weak central government, where Nesic holds the security portfolio.
With reporting by Reuters
- By RFE/RL
Israel Strikes Huthis At Yemen Airport, Prompting Iranian Condemnation
Israel carried out large-scale air strikes on the main airport in Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, on December 26 as it steps up attacks on the Iranian-backed Huthi rebels in what Tehran called a “violation” of peace and security.
Huthi rebels said three people were killed and 14 were injured or missing following the Israeli attacks on the airport and other sites in Yemen, including port facilities.
"Fighter jets conducted intelligence-based strikes on military targets belonging to the Huthi terrorist regime on the western coast and inland Yemen," the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said.
The attacks followed recent rocket launches by the Huthi fighters against the Tel Aviv area, although little damage was reported.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry condemned the Israeli strikes on Yemen, calling them "aggressions" that it claimed were "a clear violation of international peace and security."
It said they represented "an undeniable crime against the heroic and noble people of Yemen," who had "not spared any effort to support the oppressed people of Palestine."
The Israeli military has said air strikes in Yemen are targeting Huthi sites that have been used to receive Iranian weapons, which are then often transported to other Tehran-linked groups in the Mideast -- mainly Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Hamas has been designated a terrorist group by the United States and the European Union, while Hezbollah has also been deemed a terrorist group by Washington. The EU blacklists its military arm but not its political wing. The U.S. State Department designated the Huthis as a terrorist group at the start of this year.
Hamas and Hezbollah have been severely weakened following massive Israeli military strikes on their respective sites in Gaza and Lebanon, and most of their leaders have been killed in Israel's military response to Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the strikes would continue against the Huthi rebels, who have also targeted shipping in the Red Sea, claiming they are in solidarity of Hamas fighters in Gaza.
"We are determined to cut this branch of terrorism from the Iranian axis of evil. We will continue until the job is done," Netanyahu said in a video statement.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus -- head of the World Health Organization who was at the Sanaa airport during the Israeli attack -- said he was safe but that "one of our plane's crew members was injured.”
With reporting by Reuters, dpa, and AFP
Pakistan Military Court Jails 60 Imran Khan Supporters Over Violent Protests
A Pakistani military court has sentenced 60 people to prison terms ranging between two and 10 years over violent protests that erupted after the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan in 2023, the army’s media wing said on December 26.
The defendants, who included a relative of Khan as well as two retired military officers, were sentenced in connection with attacks on military facilities. Twenty-five other people were sentenced on the same charges on December 21.
They have the right to appeal the sentences, the military’s media wing said in a statement.
Protests erupted across Pakistan in May 2023 when Khan was arrested during his court appearance on corruption charges that he and his supporters deny.
Thousands of Khan’s supporters ransacked military facilities and stormed government buildings. Several people were killed, and dozens were injured in the unrest.
At least 1,400 protesters, including leaders of Khan’s Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) party were arrested following the riots. But only 105 of those detained faced military trials.
PTI condemned the sentencing, and said the court had violated the defendants’ rights.
The United States expressed deep concern about the sentences, while Britain said that trying civilians in military courts "lacks transparency, independent scrutiny, and undermines the right to a fair trial.”
The European Union said the sentences are "inconsistent with the obligations that Pakistan has undertaken under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.”
Aviation Experts Due To Arrive At Kazakh Crash Site To Examine Black Box
Kazakh experts are due to arrive on December 27 to examine the crash site and black box of the ill-fated Azerbaijan Airlines passenger jet, as speculation – and evidence – mounted suggesting that a Russian air defense missile may have inadvertently struck the craft.
Even as the probe intensifies, countries with victims aboard the plane – Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Kyrgyzstan -- continue to mourn their dead and treat the injured among the 67 passengers and crew who were aboard when the Embraer 190 aircraft fell from the sky on December 25.
The plane went down on a scheduled flight from the Azerbaijani capital, Baku, to Grozny in Russia's Chechnya region after it was diverted and attempted an emergency landing near the city of Aqtau in western Kazakhstan, killing 38 and injuring 29, many with severe burns suffered in the flaming crash.
Speculation swirled around the tragedy, with some experts pointing to holes seen in the plane’s tail section as a possible sign that it could have come under fire from Russian air defense systems engaged in thwarting Ukrainian drone attacks.
A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told news agencies that indications suggest a Russian antiaircraft system struck the airliner, although the official provided no details.
Canada expressed concerns about reports that Russian air defenses may have caused the crash.
"We call on Russia to allow for an open and transparent investigation into the incident and to accept its findings," the Canadian Global Affairs office said on X.
Evidence, yet to be corroborated by authorities, includes footage from inside the plane before the crash, images of the planes hole-pocked tail section after the crash, a survivor’s comments, and accounts indicating that there was a suspected drone attack around the time the plane apparently tried to land in Grozny.
Reuters quoted an Azerbaijani source familiar with the investigation as saying results indicated the plane was hit by a Pantsir-S air defense system, a self-propelled antiaircraft gun and missile system designed by Russia.
It was not immediately clear where the black box would be examined. The process can be highly technical, and not all countries have the resources to undertake such work.
Gulag Aslanli, a leader of Azerbaijan's opposition Musavat movement, told RFE/RL that an international commission was needed to investigate the incident.
"Russia cannot be allowed there," he said. "If the black box is going to be taken to Russia and examined there, I will look at its outcome with suspicion."
Talgat Lastaev, Kazakhstan's vice minister of transport, told RFE/RL that experts are scheduled to arrive at the site on December 27 to assess the next steps regarding the black box.
Officials said it typically takes about two weeks to fully assess a black box, although various conditions can alter that time frame.
Commenting on unconfirmed reports that the plane may have been shot down by a missile, Kazakh Senate Speaker Maulen Ashimbaev said it was “not possible” to say what may have damaged the aircraft until the investigation is finished.
"Real experts are looking at all this and they will make their conclusions. Neither Kazakhstan, Russia, nor Azerbaijan, of course, is interested in hiding information, it will be brought to the public," Ashimbaev said.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov made a similar comment, saying: "We need to await the end of the investigation.” It was “wrong” to speculate before the investigators gave their findings, Peskov added.
Russia's Interfax news agency quoted officials as saying the plane, commissioned in 2013, had passed a maintenance check in October and that the pilot had "vast experience," with more than 15,000 flying hours.
Azerbaijan Airlines President Samir Rzayev also told reporters the plane had been fully serviced in October and that there was no sign of technical malfunction.
But he said it was too early to determine a cause: "The plane has been found with a black box. After detailed research, all aspects will be clear."
The airline suspended flights along the route of the crash pending completion of the investigation.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev also said it was too early to determine a cause but at one point had suggested bad weather could have contributed to the crash.
The office of Azerbaijan’s Prosecutor General said that "all possible scenarios are being examined."
As the first seven survivors arrived back in the country on December 26, Azerbaijan observed a national day of mourning. Burials of four of those who lost their lives were conducted during the day, with additional funerals expected in the coming hours and days.
National flags were flown at half-mast across Azerbaijan, and signals were sounded from vehicles, ships, and trains as the nation observed a moment of silence at noon to honor the victims of the plane crash.
Officials in Baku said the wounded arrived on a special flight arranged by Azerbaijan's Emergency Affairs Ministry and that the injured were accompanied by medical professionals.
There was no immediate word on the condition of the injured, who were among 29 survivors from the crash, many of whom suffered severe burn wounds.
Ayhan Solomon, Azerbaijan’s chief consul in Aqtau, told reporters that 26 of those killed were Azerbaijani citizens.
He said initial reports indicate that 16 Azerbaijani citizens survived. “Of those, 10 to 12 are in good condition and others remain critically stable,” he added.
Azerbaijan Airlines' supervisory board said on December 26 that the families of those killed will be compensated with 40,000 manats ($23,460), while those injured would receive 20,000 manats ($11,730).
Along with the 42 Azerbaijani citizens, those aboard Flight J2-8243 were listed as 16 Russian nationals, six from Kazakhstan, and three Kyrgyz citizens, officials said.
The survivors include nine Russian citizens, who were flown to Moscow on December 26 by the Russian Emergency Situations Ministry. Three of the Russian survivors were in critical condition, according to Russian health authorities.
Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister Qanat Bozymbaev -- who is in charge of a special government commission to investigate the incident -- said many of those who died in the crash were not immediately identifiable due to massive burns suffered.
Bozymbaev said the 29 survivors had injuries ranging from moderate to severe, with many also suffering from major burns.
According to Kazakhstan’s Health Ministry, the injured included at least two children and 11 people had been placed in intensive care.
- By RFE/RL's Azerbaijani Service,
- Vusala Alibayli and
- Will Tizard
Crew Struggled To Save Plane That Crashed In Kazakhstan
Experts say they believe the flight crew of an Azerbaijan Airlines jet that crashed on December 25 was struggling to control the plane in its last moments. No official cause has been given yet for the crash, which claimed dozens of lives. Meanwhile, families and friends of passengers on the plane expressed fears and shared stories about loved ones hours after the disaster. Speaking to RFE/RL at Baku airport, Vugar Ismayilov said passenger Habib Ismayilov was traveling on Flight J2-8243 bound for Grozny for work and "didn't really want to go."
U.S., EU Slam Bosnian Serb Efforts To Block Bosnia-Herzegovina's EU Integration
The United States and European Union on December 25 condemned plans by ethnic-Serb leaders in Bosnia-Herzegovina to block efforts for closer European integration for the Western Balkan nation.
Lawmakers in the country’s ethnic-Serb entity, Republika Srpska, late on December 24 ordered Serb representatives in state institutions to block decision-making actions and law changes needed for the country's further integration into the EU.
In response, the embassies of the United States, Britain, France, Germany, and Italy, along with the EU delegation in Bosnia, in a joint statement condemned the Serb parliament's acts as "a serious threat to the country's constitutional order."
"At a time when formal opening of EU accession negotiations has never been so close, a return to political blockades would have negative consequences for all citizens, a majority of whom support EU accession," the statement said.
The Republika Srpska parliament announced the actions in response to the trial of regional leader Milorad Dodik, who is under U.S. and British sanctions for actions that Western governments allege are aimed at the eventual secession of Republika Srpska from Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Dodik is on trial in a long-delayed, ongoing process on charges he failed to comply with the decisions of the High Representative in Bosnia. He faces up to five years in prison and a ban on participating in politics if convicted.
Ethnic Serb lawmakers said Dodik's trial was political and based on illegal decisions by international High Representative Christian Schmidt. They claimed that the court was unconstitutional because it was set up by Schmidt and not by the Dayton agreement.
Since the Dayton peace accords that ended the 1992-95 Bosnian War, the country has consisted of a Bosniak-Croat federation and the mostly ethnic Serb Republika Srpska under a weak central government.
Dodik, who is friendly with Russian President Vladimir Putin, has often made somewhat contradictory comments about his entity's place in Bosnia.
He has denied it has ever pursued a policy of secession or disputed the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Bosnia under the Dayton agreement.
He has said, however, that Republika Srpska "has the right to a political fight for its status” under the Dayton accords.
He has also called for the “disassociation” of Republika Srpska from Bosnia -- which Washington called “secession by another name.”
Kosovo Panel Overturns Commission, Clears Serbian List Party For February Vote
PRISTINA -- A special panel in Kosovo overturned a decision by the election commission that had barred the country's largest ethnic-Serbian party from participating in upcoming elections due to its strong links with Belgrade.
"The Central Election Commission (CEC) is ordered to certify the political entity Serbian List and the candidates of this political entity...for the elections for the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo to be held on February 9, 2025," the Electoral Complaints and Appeals Panel (ECAP) said on December 25.
The ruling stated that the party had fulfilled all obligations required regarding the political filings and was therefore entitled to be certified.
On December 23, the CEC said when it announced its decision not to certify Serbian List that its main reason was the party's nationalistic stance and close ties to Serbia.
Some commission members noted that Serbian List leader Zlatan Elek has never referred to Kosovo as independent and continues to call it Serbia's autonomous province of Kosovo.
The CEC also said that Serbian List has close ties with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and other Serb leaders who also refuse to recognize Kosovo's independence.
Serbia has close ties to Russia and has refused to join international sanctions on Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine, although Vucic has attempted to balance relations with the West and has continued to press Belgrade's desires to join the European Union.
Elek on December 24 said he planned to appeal the order and said he was confident it would be overturned.
The Serbian List -- which described the CEC decision as an attempt "to eliminate" it from the electoral process -- welcomed the latest ruling.
The party said the CEC is now obliged to act on the PZAP decision but added it remains to be seen whether the commission will "continue to violate its own law and regulations and act on direct political pressure from the authorities in Pristina."
The February parliamentary elections are expected to be a key test for Prime Minister Albin Kurti, whose party came to power in 2021 in a landslide in the Western-backed Balkan nation.
Prior to the ECAP ruling, political analyst Albert Krasniqi of the Demokraci+ NGO told RFE/RL that the CEC decision is part of the preelection campaign being conducted by Kurti’s Self-Determination party (Vetevendosje).
He forecast that Serbian List would appeal the decision and predicted it would be successful in getting it reversed.
“All this noise will last at most four days, and I am sure that the ECAP will reverse this decision of the CEC and will oblige the CEC to certify Serbian List,” Krasniqi said.
Kosovo proclaimed independence from Serbia in 2008. Belgrade still considers Kosovo a province of Serbia and has a major influence on the ethnic Serbian minority living there.
State Of Emergency Declared In Russia's Krasnodar Region As Massive Oil Spill Spreads
Authorities declared a region-wide state of emergency in Russia's Krasnodar region, warning that oil was still washing up on the coastline following a December 15 incident involving two Volgoneft tankers carrying thousands of tons of low-quality heavy fuel oil. "Initially, according to the calculations of scientists and specialists, the bulk of fuel oil should have remained at the bottom of the Black Sea, which would allow it to be collected in water. But the weather dictates its own conditions -- the air warms up and oil products rise to the top. As a result, they are brought to our beaches," regional Governor Veniamin Kondratyev said on December 25. Dozens of kilometers of Black Sea coastline in the southern Russian region have been covered in heavy fuel after the two oil tankers were badly damaged during a storm in the Kerch Strait. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Russian Service, click here.
- By Todd Prince
North Korean Troops Take Pounding As Kim Reportedly Doubles Down
If North Korea’s elite troops were expecting an easy campaign against Ukrainian forces entrenched in Russia’s Kursk region, they faced a harsh reality on the ground.
About 1,100 North Korean special forces have been killed or injured in Russia since entering the fray against Ukraine a few weeks ago, South Korea’s National Intelligence Service reported on December 19. A general was reportedly among those killed.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on December 23 put the figure even higher, at more than 3,000, or about a quarter of the North Korean special forces sent to Russia, though he couched his statement by saying the data was preliminary. RFE/RL could not confirm either of the reported numbers.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, though, doesn’t seem to be fazed by the rapid losses. The authoritarian leader is reportedly doubling down in his support of Russian President Vladimir Putin, in exchange for critical supplies of oil, cash, and military technology.
Zelenskiy said on December 23 that North Korea may send more troops and weapons to the front. The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff seconded that forecast, saying Pyongyang is preparing to rotate or supply additional forces to Russia.
North Korean military support is coming at a critical time in the war. Russia is seeking to overpower an undermanned and under-resourced Ukrainian infantry and gain territory before its own manpower and resources become constrained.
Russia has lost more than 600,000 soldiers in the nearly three-year war, the Pentagon said in early October. It has burned through so much war material that it is struggling to replace its artillery and missile needs amid sweeping Western sanctions.
Now nearly two-thirds of the mortars and shells Russia launches at Ukraine come from North Korea, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing Andriy Kovalenko, a Ukrainian Army officer. And every third ballistic missile was made in North Korea, Ukrainian officials said.
Pyongyang is ramping up arms production to meet Russia’s growing need, experts said.
Trench Warfare
Russian troops are now gaining ground in Ukraine’s east at the fastest pace since the start of the war. Kyiv carried out a surprise incursion into the Kursk region in August, seizing a swath of Russian territory in the hope of drawing enemy forces away from eastern Ukraine. That hasn’t materialized, thanks in part to the supply of North Korean troops.
The arrival of the North Korean troops in Russia in October was initially seen as an act of desperation on the part of Putin, who has had to significantly bump up salaries to attract new recruits.
However, The New York Times reported on December 23, citing U.S. officials, that it was North Korea who approached Russia with the offer of troops and Putin accepted. It is unclear when Kim made the offer.
Putin traveled to Pyongyang to meet Kim in June. During the summit, the two leaders agreed on a strategic treaty that includes a mutual defense provision. Putin signed the treaty into law in November.
The supply of troops to Russia can help Kim evade sweeping sanctions on technology and materials for military use. North Korea was hit with international sanctions after conducting its first nuclear test in 2006.
Pyongyang hasn’t been engaged in a hot war in decades. Thus, its miliary brass and troops – which number more than 1 million -- have no combat experience. The deployment in Russia's war with Ukraine is a way for Kim and his military to acquire some.
However, Kim’s troops are ill-prepared for the type of trench warfare with widespread use of drones and missiles they are facing in Kursk, experts say.
Hyunseung Lee, a North Korean who spent 3 1/2 years with an artillery and reconnaissance battalion in the early 2000s before defecting, told RFE/RL last month that Kim’s troops "don't really train with that equipment."
He said they cannot master drones and the high-tech equipment in such a short period of time.
Videos circulating on social media show Ukrainian kamikaze drones striking and killing North Korean soldiers in Kursk’s snow-covered fields.
Commenting on the videos in a December 19 tweet, Lee called it a “sad predictable outcome.”
Modern warfare technology is not the only issue leading to large-scale deaths of North Koreans, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW). The Washington-based research firm said North Korean soldiers were struggling to communicate and coordinate with Russian forces due to language barriers.
Perhaps more importantly, North Koreans are now conducting the initial attack in open territory on Ukrainian positions, ISW said. Some military experts cynically call such fighting tactics “meat assaults” because they result in a large loss of life among the attackers.
Yevhen Yerin, a spokesman for the Ukrainian military intelligence service, told the AFP news agency on December 24 that Russia’s use of North Korean troops has not had a major impact on the battlefield.
“It is not such a significant number of personnel," he said, adding that they use tactics that are "primitive, linked, frankly speaking, more to the times of the Second World War."
Authorities Seek Answers After Deadly Crash Of Azerbaijani Passenger Jet In Kazakhstan
The cockpit recorder has been recovered intact as authorities stepped up their investigation following the crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines passenger jet in Kazakhstan that killed at least 38 of the 67 people aboard on December 25.
Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister Qanat Bozymbaev said many of the 38 people who died aboard the Azerbaijan Airlines scheduled flight from Baku to Grozny in Russia's Chechnya region were not immediately identifiable due to massive burns suffered.
He added the 29 survivors had injuries ranging from moderate to severe, many also suffering from major burns in the crash.
Kazakhstan’s Health Ministry said the injured included at least two children and that 11 people had been placed in intensive care. Some discrepancies remained over casualty figures provided by various authorities.
The cause of the crash was not immediately known amid unconfirmed reports of heavy fog or a possible bird strike. Azerbaijani and Kazakh authorities have launched an investigation, and officials said the airliner's cockpit recorder had been recovered.
Bozymbaev and Kazakh law-enforcement authorities would conduct the probe of the crash, although he did not suggest any foul play at this time.
In Baku, the prosecutor's office said that "all possible scenarios are being examined."
Azerbaijan Airlines said it was suspending all its flights from Baku to the Chechnya region, pending an investigation of the tragedy.
Russia's Interfax news agency quoted officials as saying the plane, commissioned in 2013, had passed a maintenance check in October and that the pilot had "vast experience," with more than 15,000 flying hours.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, who cut short his visit for an informal summit of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) in Russia, said it was too early to determine a cause but suggested bad weather could have contributed to the crash.
“The information provided to me is that the plane changed course between Baku and Grozny due to worsening weather conditions and detoured to the Aqtau airport [before] it crashed,” he said.
Video showed the plane crashing along the coast of the Caspian Sea short of the airport.
In a dramatic account of the incident, Elmira, a witness on the ground, told RFE/RL's Kazakh Service that she was on a company bus near Aqtau with other work colleagues when they saw a plane break up above them and that several people attempted to aid victims following the crash.
"We rushed toward the scene, pulling people out from the tail section, which had separated," she said.
"The nose of the plane was on fire. We rescued those alive from the back -- they were severely injured and crying."
She said a young girl cried out, "Save my mom! My mom is there!" Others also pleaded for help, she added.
"Ambulances arrived soon after, and we handed the injured over... I am in shock now and cannot get these scenes out of my mind."
At the Heydar Aliyev International Airport in Baku, the families of the passengers of Flight J2-8243 gathered in a designated area, anxiously waiting for news about the fate of their loved ones.
Vugar Ismayilov, whose friend Habib Ismayilov, was on board the plane, told RFE/RL that he hadn’t yet received any news about Habib.
Ismayilov said that Habib, a 25-year-old native of the Aghdash region in central Azerbaijan, had been reluctant to go on this trip, which would take him to Daghestan via Grozny.
“I dropped my friend off at the airport this morning. He was going to Daghestan for work, and it was his first time traveling to Daghestan,” Ismayilov said. “He didn’t really want to go on this trip. He went there because of work.”
Nezaket Bayramova, whose sister Jamila Bisloyeva was among the passengers of the ill-fated aircraft, told the Turan Information Agency that she had no information about her sibling’s situation.
"We called the hotline that was set up [for the relatives], they took our information and said they would inform us. But there is still no news," Bayramova said.
"I don't know anything. From what I heard, a bird hit the plane. I don't know anything else,” she said.
There was a heavy police presence at the Baku airport, where ambulances and emergency crews could also be seen in the vicinity.
Kazakhstan's Emergencies Ministry said in a statement that rescue teams were at the location of the crash and that fire services had put out a blaze at the site.
Videos from the scene of the crash showed the aircraft lying upside down on the ground with part of its fuselage ripped away from the wings and the rest of the plane.
Azerbaijan Airlines said the Embraer 190 aircraft, with flight number J2-8243, had been flying from Baku to Grozny, the capital of Chechnya, but was forced to make an emergency landing approximately three kilometers from Aqtau.
The airline said it would keep members of the public updated and changed its social media banners to solid black.
A spokesperson for Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency said that preliminary information showed that the pilot had decided to divert to Aqtau after a bird strike on the plane led to “an emergency situation on board.”
Media reports said earlier that the plane had been rerouted due to fog in Grozny.
Kazakh President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev has set up a special commission -- led by Deputy Prime Minister Bozymbaev -- to investigate the incident.
Toqaev also instructed authorities to send a group of medics from the capital, Astana, to Aqtau to help treat the survivors.
At Aliyev’s instruction, representatives of the Azerbaijani government left for Aqtau, the Azerbaijani Press Agency reported.
The delegation includes the ministers for digital aviation, transport and emergency situations, the deputy health minister, the deputy prosecutor-general, and the deputy director of the State Civil Aviation Agency among others, the news agency added.
Officials said crew members were all Azerbaijani citizens.
Including the crew, there were 42 citizens of Azerbaijan aboard, six from Kazakhstan, three from Kyrgyzstan, and 16 Russian nationals, officials said.
More Than 40 Killed In Pakistani Strikes Inside Afghanistan, Taliban Claims
Pakistani air strikes killed 46 civilians in eastern Afghanistan, the Taliban-led government in Kabul said on December 25, while Islamabad claimed it targeted suspected militant hideouts in border areas.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told RFE/RL that there were many women and children among the victims of the December 24 strikes, which hit four locations in the Barmal district of Paktika Province.
There was no immediate comment from Pakistani authorities on the strike inside Afghanistan.
However, the Pakistani Army said security forces killed 13 insurgents in an overnight intelligence-based operation in South Waziristan, a Pakistani district that borders Paktika.
RFE/RL cannot independently verify the claims.
The strikes are likely to further spike tensions between the two neighbors.
Pakistan says that militants from the Islamist group Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) are hiding across the border in Afghanistan, and Islamabad has repeatedly asked the Afghan Taliban to take action against them. But the Afghan Taliban say the TTP are in Pakistan.
The latest Pakistani air strikes come just days after TTP militants carried out a raid near the northwestern border with Afghanistan that killed 16 security officers and wounded eight others.
The attack occurred when militants opened fire at a security checkpoint in South Waziristan in the early hours of December 21.
The TTP, which seeks to impose Shari'a law in Pakistan, claimed responsibility for the attack and said it killed 35 Pakistani security officers. RFE/RL could not independently confirm the number of dead. Neither side said how many militants were killed during the attack.
There has been a steady increase in TTP attacks in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province since the Taliban returned to power in Kabul in August 2021.
Ukraine Recovers After 'Inhumane' Christmas Day Attacks; Biden Vows New Weapons 'Surge'
KYIV -- "Massive" Russian attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure showed no letup as night fell on Christmas Day following what President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called an “inhumane” assault by the Kremlin’s forces – leaving hundreds of thousands in the bitter cold without heating and causing blackouts in the capital, Kyiv.
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"Today, [Russian President Vladimir] Putin deliberately chose Christmas to attack,” Zelenskiy said on December 25, adding that Moscow continues to “fight for a blackout” throughout the country.
“What could be more inhumane? More than 70 missiles, including ballistic missiles, and more than a hundred attack drones."
The Russian Defense Ministry, meanwhile, claimed its forces had conducted a "massive strike" on critical energy sites that were supporting Ukraine’s "military-industrial complex."
"The aim of the strike was achieved. All facilities have been hit," the ministry said in a statement.
In Washington, U.S. President Joe Biden, who will leave office on January 20, offered new support and further aid for Ukraine in the face of the Christmas Day attacks.
“In the early hours of Christmas, Russia launched waves of missiles and drones against Ukrainian cities and critical energy infrastructure," Biden said in a statement.
"The purpose of this outrageous attack was to cut off the Ukrainian people’s access to heat and electricity during winter and to jeopardize the safety of its grid."
He added that "the United States and the international community must continue to stand with Ukraine until it triumphs over Russia’s aggression."
"I have directed the Department of Defense to continue its surge of weapons deliveries to Ukraine, and the United States will continue to work tirelessly to strengthen Ukraine’s position in its defense against Russian forces," he said.
Regional governors reported that six people were injured in the northeastern city of Kharkiv and one person was killed in the Dnipropetrovsk area, as residents struggled to recover amid the freezing cold.
Governor Oleh Syniehubov also reported "damages to civilian nonresidential infrastructure” in the regional capital of Kharkiv .
Kharkiv came “under a massive missile attack,” Mayor Ihor Terekhov said on the Telegram social media platform.
“A series of explosions was heard in the city and there are still ballistic missiles heading toward the city," Terekhov wrote early on December 25.
Ukrainian authorities reported that there was no letup in drone attacks into the evening of December 25, with areas around Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, and Chernihiv being targeted.
In Ukraine, where a majority of Christians identify as Orthodox Christians, this was the second Christmas that was officially designated by the government to be observed not on January 7, but on December 25, in line with Roman Catholic and many Western Christian traditions.
In Russia, home to the largest number of Orthodox Christians, believers still celebrate Christmas on January 7.
From outside the country, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer also condemned what he called an "ongoing assault on Ukraine's energy infrastructure."
"I pay tribute to the resilience of the Ukrainian people, and the leadership of President Zelenskiy, in the face of further drone and missile attacks from Putin's bloody and brutal war machine with no respite even at Christmas," Starmer said in a statement.
Pope Francis, in his Christmas address, made an urgent plea for "all people, all peoples, and nations [to] silence the weapons and overcome divisions."
"Let there be silence of the weapons in martyred Ukraine," Francis said while calling for negotiations to "achieve a just and lasting peace" in the war-torn country.
Ukrainian Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko said that Russia was “again massively attacking the energy sector” on December 25.
"The transmission system operator is taking the necessary measures to limit consumption to minimize the negative consequences for the energy system,” Halushchenko wrote on Telegram.
Dnipropetrovsk Governor Serhiy Lysak reported that the province had been under a “major attack since the morning,” with Russian forces “trying to destroy the region's power system.”
Air raid sirens rang out across Ukraine in the early morning, while the country’s air force reported that Russian Kalibr cruise missiles had been launched from the Black Sea.
Since the start of the war in February 2022, Russia has repeatedly attacked Ukraine’s energy sector, severely damaging the country’s power grid and causing frequent outages.
In a similar attack on December 13, more than 90 missiles and more than 200 drones were used -- but 81 of the missiles were shot down, according to Zelenskiy.
Inside Russia, authorities said the Ukrainian military attacked the city of Lgov in the Kursk region, hitting a residential building and killing four people.
It wasn't immediately clear if the damage was caused by drones or shelling.
Russian officials also reported Ukrainian drone attacks in the Belgorod region and Voronezh regions.
The reports could not immediately be verified.
Serbian List Set To Appeal Kosovar Election Commission's Decision Barring It From February Election
The president of the largest ethnic-Serbian party in Kosovo on December 24 said that he will file an appeal with the Election Complaints and Appeals Panel (ECAP) over a decision by the Central Election Commission (CEC) barring the party’s from the February 9 elections due to its strong links with Belgrade.
Zlatan Elek told a news conference that he expects the decision of the CEC against Serbian List (Srpska Lista) to be annulled.
Elek used harsh words against Prime Minister Albin Kurti, saying he wanted to "eliminate" Serbian List from the race.
"This is institutional and legal violence against the Serbian people, against the Srpska List, because Kurti does not want to see Srpska List MPs in the Kosovo Parliament, but wants obedient Serbs in that parliament," said Elek.
The CEC said on December 23 when it announced its decision not to certify Serbian List that its main reason was its nationalist stance and close ties to Serbia.
Some commission members noted that Elek has never referred to Kosovo as independent and continues to call it Serbia's autonomous province of Kosovo.
The CEC also said that Serbian List has close ties with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and other Serb leaders who also refuse to recognize Kosovo's independence.
Kurti, speaking his own news conference on December 24, accused Serbian List of being under the command of Belgrade.
"The Serbian List is unfortunately representing the wide scope and high degree of Serbia's interference in Kosovo's internal affairs," Kurti said.
Kurti has previously criticized Serbian List regarding its relationship with Vucic and fugitive former Kosovar Serb politician Milan Radoicic. Kosovar officials have accused Radoicic of being the ringleader of an ambush near the Serbian Orthodox Banjska Monastery complex in September 2023 that killed a policeman and injured another.
Radoicic, who has taken responsibility for the armed attack, remains in Serbia, which refuses to extradite him. Kosovo has characterized the assault on the monastery as a terrorist attack and accused of being responsible for it.
Belgrade has denied involvement and has said the attack was not terrorism.
Kurti underlined that the Serbian List has never distanced itself from the attack nor condemned it.
"Radoicic continues to be the de-facto head of Srpska Lista," Kurti said. "In my view, the Serb List is not an expression of the political organization of Serbs in Kosovo, but rather Belgrade's dictate to the Serbs of Kosovo by placing Radoicic as the leader of that party."
Kosovar President Vjosa Osmani also said that the Serbian List is engaged in terrorist acts, acts of aggression, and violations of the constitutional order, according to her office in responses to RFE/RL’s inquiries.
"Every decision made by the CEC must be respected, as part of the commitment to the rule of law and preserving institutional integrity," Osmani said, according to her office.
Petar Petkovic, head of the Office for Kosovo in the Serbian government, said that Osmani's "shameful" statement only confirms that the CEC's decision was political and made on Kurti's orders.
“[Osmani] and Kurti know neither about democracy nor the rule of law. With this stance, Pristina is showing that the Serbian List and the unity of Serbs are a thorn in its side. Therefore, the Serbian List must win," Petkovic stated on X.
Meanwhile, the international community has warned against the process of certifying political entities becoming politically motivated.
The U.S. Embassy in Pristina assessed that "it is necessary for voters, not political bodies, to decide who represents them."
German Ambassador to Kosovo Joern Rohde said that equal application of the law for all is necessary and the certification process should not be politicized.
Similar reactions have been expressed by the European Union and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.
The Kosovo Democratic Institute said the CEC's decision was "contrary to the law and other applicable regulations." Eugen Cakolli of the institute said if the Serbian List appeals to the ECAP, it will be certified and the CEC's decision will be annulled.
With reporting by AFP
Pakistan Launches Air Strikes On Suspected Militant Hideouts In Afghanistan
Pakistani military jets on December 24 conducted air strikes inside Afghanistan, targeting suspected hideouts of the Islamist militant group Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
The TTP positions targeted were in the Murgha area of the Bermal district in Afghanistan's Paktika Province, according to sources. The area borders the Angoor Adda town in Pakistan's volatile South Waziristan tribal district.
Pakistani jets carried out strikes against one target in the Murgha area and two more areas of the Bermal district.
There has been no official comment from Pakistan, but some accounts on X believed to be related to Pakistani intelligence confirmed the strikes and claimed casualties among the TTP militants.
An Afghan Taliban leader, speaking to RFE/RL on condition of anonymity, confirmed the strikes but added that it is too early to report on casualties.
The Afghan Taliban leader said an Afghan government official confirmed to him that there were strikes in three places in Paktika Province but it was not yet known who was targeted.
Pakistani security sources say the hideouts of the TTP were hit and dozens of militants were killed.
But a TTP official who spoke with RFE/RL said a camp of Pakistani displaced persons was bombed and civilians killed.
Pakistan says that TTP militants are hiding across the border in Afghanistan, and Islamabad has repeatedly asked the Afghan Taliban to take action against them. But the Afghan Taliban say the TTP are in Pakistan.
The air strikes on December 24 come just days after TTP militants carried out a raid near the northwestern border with Afghanistan that killed 16 security officers.
The attack occurred when militants opened fire at a security checkpoint in South Waziristan in the early hours of December 21. Laddha Police Deputy Superintendent Hidayat Ullah told RFE/RL that, in addition to the 16 killed, eight officers were wounded.
The TTP, which seeks to impose Shari'a law in Pakistan, claimed responsibility for the attack and said it killed 35 Pakistani security officers. RFE/RL could not independently confirm the number of dead. Neither side said how many militants were killed during the attack.
The year already had been one of the deadliest for the region.
There has been a steady increase in TTP attacks in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province since the Taliban regained control of Kabul in August 2021.
The Pakistan Center for Conflict and Security Studies said in its most recent report that more than 240 people were killed in "terrorist incidents" in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in November.
The death toll included 68 security officers, the highest in a single month this year.
Meanwhile, the Army Public Relations Directorate (ISPR) claims to have killed dozens of suspected militants in operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa this month.
The governments of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Pakistan say they are committed to wiping out the TTP.
Iran's Cyberspace Council Votes To Lift Ban On WhatsApp, Google Play
Iran’s council on safeguarding the Internet has voted to lift bans on the WhatsApp messenger and the Google Play apps, state media reported.
The Supreme Cyberspace Council voted unanimously in favor of lifting restrictions on some foreign-owned applications, including WhatsApp and Google Play, during a meeting on December 24, state news agency IRNA said.
"Today, we took the first step toward lifting Internet restrictions with unanimity and consensus," Communications Minister Sattar Hashemi said on X.
It was not immediately clear when the decision would come into force. The Supreme Cyberspace Council holds its meetings behind closed doors and its members' votes are not made public.
IRNA reported that the members of the council voted to lift restrictions while at the same time "emphasizing the importance of rule-of-law governance in cyberspace."
The two apps were restricted in 2022 following the Woman, Life, Freedom protests that were severely suppressed.
The Supreme Cyberspace Council, which was established by order of Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has also emphasized "supporting domestic platforms."
On the eve of the council’s meeting, Mehr News Agency published a document indicating that, based on a Supreme Cyberspace Council plan, an "advertising support package" is to be allocated to domestic messaging services.
The document states that the “first phase” of the council’s plan will include “building infrastructure” for domestic content platforms.
While the bans on WhatsApp and Google Play were lifted by the council, other popular social media platforms including Facebook, X, Telegram, and YouTube remain blocked in Iran.
Critics of the restrictions have argued that the controls have been costly for the country.
"The restrictions have achieved nothing but anger and added costs to people's lives," social and political activist Ali Rabiei said on X on December 24.
Vice President Mohammad Javad Zarif added that President Masud Pezeshkian believes in removing restrictions and does not consider the bans to be in the interest of the people and the country.
“All experts also believe that this issue is not beneficial to the country's security," Zarif said on December 24.
Others, however, warned against lifting the restrictions.
The reformist Shargh daily reported on December 24 that 136 lawmakers in Iran's 290-member parliament sent a letter to the council saying the move would be a "gift” to Iran's enemies.
The lawmakers called for allowing access to restricted online platforms only "if they are committed to the values of Islamic society and comply with the laws of" Iran.
With reporting by AFP and Reuters
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