Yulia Alyoshina, the first Russian transgender politician, announced on May 16 that she had decided to change gender again and return to using her former name, Roman. The ex-chief of the Civic Initiative political party's branch in the Siberian region of Altai said the idea to restore her former gender came to her during Lent after she prayed for her ancestors. Born in 1990 as Roman Alyoshin, she changed her gender to female in 2020. After the Supreme Court labelled the "international LGBT movement" extremist, Alyoshina quit politics. To read the original story by Current Time, click here.

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico remains in intensive care in serious condition and will stay in a hospital in the central city of Banksa Bystrica at least until May 20 before he may be moved to Bratislava, according to local media and government officials. Fico, who was shot four times on May 15, is able to speak a little, officials said, and his state of health has improved since the attack, when his injuries were considered life-threatening. Local media reported on May 17 that a medical council would assess Fico on May 20 to decide whether he could be medically evacuated to the capital.

A 19-year-old from the North Caucasus region of Chechnya has fled Russia after leaving home to escape domestic violence, Aleksandr Ionov, a member of Russia's Public Monitoring Commission and Human Rights Council, said on May 17. The Marem human rights group said Lia Zaurbekova left Chechnya for Moscow on May 13, fearing for her life after she was physically and psychologically abused at home. Her family tracked her down in Moscow and tried to forcibly take her back to Chechnya but was unable to do so after Zaurbekova called the police and a lawyer. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Caucasus.Realities, click here.

Aleksandr Sungurov, a Russian political analyst and professor at the Higher School of Economics, has fled Russia after pro-Kremlin film director Nikita Mikhalkov accused him of anti-Russian activities, one of Sungurov's students said on May 17. Mikhalkov said recently on his television show that the Sungurov-organized Strategia (The Strategy) foundation received financial support from abroad and must be labeled a "foreign agent." Sungurov has led Strategia, a liberal and analytical center in St. Petersburg, since 1994. He has also worked as an expert on the Council of Europe and the European Union. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Russian Service, click here.

A Moscow court on May 17 issued an arrest warrant for Zalina Marshenkulova, an activist journalist in exile, on a charge of justifying terrorism. The charge stems from Marshenkulova's online post last year in which she called the death of pro-Kremlin blogger Vladlen Tatarsky, who was killed in a blast in a restaurant in St. Petersburg, "appropriate." Marshenkulova, a native of Russia's mostly Muslim Kabardino-Balkaria region, has a Telegram channel called Women's Power, with around 30,000 subscribers. Last month, the Interior Ministry added her to its wanted list. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Caucasus.Realities, click here.

The European Union has joined the United States and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in urging Iran to abandon suggestions that it might develop nuclear weapons.

"We continue to call Iran to reverse its nuclear trajectory and show concrete steps, such as urgently improve cooperation with the IAEA," EU spokesman Peter Stano told RFE/RL in written comments on May 16.

The Islamic republic has long claimed that its nuclear program is strictly for civilian purposes, but a growing number of officials in recent weeks have openly suggested that Iran might review its nuclear doctrine if it deems it necessary.

A landmark deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) between Iran and world powers in 2015 restricted Tehran's nuclear program in exchange for relief from sanctions.

However, Iran expanded its program and restricted IAEA inspections of its nuclear sites after then-President Donald Trump withdrew the United Staes from the deal and reimposed sanctions in 2018.

The EU, which is the coordinator of the JCPOA's Joint Commission, mediated several rounds of indirect talks between Tehran and Washington from 2021 to 2022.

The 27-member bloc presented a final draft of an agreement to revive the deal in August 2022, but talks broke down soon after as Tehran and Washington accused each other of making excessive demands.

"Our goal has always been to stop Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, through a diplomatic solution," Stano said, adding that the EU's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, and his team continue efforts to revive the Iran deal.

SEE ALSO:

Going Nuclear: Iran's New Rhetorical Deterrence

Iran has particularly upped the rhetoric since last month, when it launched an unprecedented missile and drone attack against its archfoe Israel in response to a deadly air strike on its embassy compound in Syria that killed several members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC).

An IRGC general at the time warned that an attack on Iran's nuclear sites could lead to a rethinking of its policy on nuclear weapons.

Kamal Kharazi, a senior adviser to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and a former foreign minister, repeated the threat earlier this week.

"We do not want nuclear weapons and the supreme leader's fatwa is to that effect. But if the enemy threatens you, what do you do?" he said.

The fatwa refers to a religious decree by Khamenei in which he said the Islamic republic considers the use of nuclear weapons to be "haram" and Iran would not pursue one.

The fatwa has long been cited by the Iranian authorities as evidence that Iran would never weaponize its nuclear program. Experts, however, question how effective of a barrier the fatwa really is.

Farzan Sabet, a senior research associate at the Geneva Graduate Institute, said, "The nuclear fatwa does not pose an insurmountable religious or legal obstacle inside Iran for the system there to pursue nuclear weapons or potentially build them."

Despite the public comments by Iranian officials, the Foreign Ministry has insisted that there has been no change in the country's nuclear doctrine.

Stano said that it "is imperative to show utmost restraint" given the heightened tensions in the Middle East.

"Further escalation in the region -- also in the form of statements about the nuclear posture, even if not reflecting the official position of the country -- is in no one's interest," he added.

In response to in Iran's new rhetoric, the United States has said it "will not allow" Tehran to obtain nuclear weapons.

Separately, IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi has called on Iran to "stop" suggestions that it might review its nuclear posture.

Russian physicist Anatoly Maslov reiterated his innocence in his final statement on May 17 at his treason trial before the court renders its verdict. A day earlier, the prosecution asked the court to convict the scientist and sentence him to 17 years in prison. The 77-year-old Maslov was arrested in June 2022. A leading expert in the field of fluid gas and a professor at the Aerohydrodynamics Department at Novosibirsk State Technical University, he is accused of passing classified information to Germany. At least 12 scientists have been arrested in Russia on treason charges since 2018, mostly for activities considered a normal part of scientific work such as publishing papers internationally, collaborating with colleagues from around the world, and attending conferences outside of Russia. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Siberia.Realities, click here.

Senior Georgian Orthodox clerics and conservative religious groups on May 17 are marking a new holiday known as Family Purity Day with a march along Tbilisi's central Rustaveli Avenue, the scene of weeks of protests against a divisive "foreign agent" bill that was passed by parliament earlier this week.

Family Purity Day was established by Georgia's conservative Orthodox Church in 2014 in response to the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT), which is marked every year on May 17 to raise awareness of LGBT rights violations around the world.

To avoid confrontation, no rallies against the "foreign agent" law are scheduled during the march for Family Purity Day.

The event, which is marked by an official day off this year, is backed by the ruling Georgian Dream party, which pushed a bill curtailing LGBT rights in March, just weeks before it reintroduced in parliament the "foreign agent" bill seen as modelled on a similar draconian Russian law.

The anti-LGBT Georgian Dream bill bans transgender surgery, child adoption by same-sex couples, indicating sex that is other than male and female in official documents, and organizing public events propagating same-sex relations.

Both pieces of legislation are seen as attempts by Georgian Dream, founded by Russian-friendly billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, to cement its grip on power ahead of elections scheduled for October.

Parliament speaker Shalva Papuashvili posted a congratulatory message on social media on May 17, while many officials have announced their participation.

The official attention given to the event appears to be an attempt to tamp down the impact of weeks of massive protests against the contentious "foreign agent" bill approved by parliament earlier this week as police violently cracked down on demonstrators.

SEE ALSO:

Clashes Erupt Inside, Outside Georgia's Parliament Over 'Foreign Agent' Law's Approval

Pro-Western President Salome Zurabishvili, who has been at odds with Georgian Dream, has called the legislation "unacceptable" and "not consistent" with the country's path toward integration into Euro-Atlantic institutions.

Zurabishvili has vowed to veto the law, a move for which she has 10 days following the May 14 vote of approval in parliament. But Georgian Dream's parliamentary majority will allow it to easily override the presidential veto.

The law has been condemned by the United States, the European Union, and rights watchdogs, who have pointed to its similarity with legislation used by President Vladimir Putin to crush dissent in Russia and stifle independent institutions, prompting Georgians to refer to the measure as "the Russian law."

SEE ALSO:

Interview: Georgian Dream Is 'Isolated' And The 'Foreign Agent' Law Is Just 'A Way To Maintain Power'

Zurabishvili has warned that Georgia's survival as a state is in danger because of the legislation, which requires media outlets, NGOs, and other nonprofits to register as "pursuing the interests of a foreign power" if more than 20 percent of their funding comes from abroad.

"It's unacceptable because it reflects a turn of the Georgian attitudes towards the civil society, towards the media and towards the recommendations of the European Commission that are not consistent with what is our declared policy of going towards a European integration,” Zurabishvili told the Associated Press in an interview on May 16.

On May 15, protesters marched along with the foreign ministers of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Iceland in a gesture of solidarity with Georgians' Western aspirations.

An RFE/RL source in Brussels said European Council President Charles Michel held talks with Zurabishvilil and Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, where he stressed that the Georgian people must determine their own future. Michel told Kobakhidze to search for a way out of the political turbulence, the source said.

Kobakhidze has accused the protesters of "following the agenda of the political minority" and charged that they were showing a "great irresponsibility" toward their country.

The Georgian Dream-controlled security forces have repeatedly cracked down violently on protesters in recent weeks using water cannons, tear gas, and rubber bullets.

SEE ALSO:

'Rubber Bullets And Beatings': Victims, Eyewitnesses Talk Of Violence Against Georgian Protesters

Activist Davit Katsarava, who had been violently detained outside parliament and had sustained serious injuries to his face on May 14, recalled his ordeal in an interview with RFE/RL from his hospital bed.

"They cuffed my hands behind my back and called in a minivan that was parked nearby. I was brought to the minivan and I heard one of them order others: 'Make a [human] ring.' About 10 men beat me mercilessly," a bedridden Katsarava, whose face still bore visible traces of serious injuries, told RFE/RL.

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis voiced concern about the violence employed to crack down on protesters.

"It's truly worrying what we see happening in the street when it comes to intimidations and brutality," he said in an interview with RFE/RL in Tbilisi.

"This has to stop," he said.

The turbulence has begun to affect the country's economy, forcing the central bank on May 16 to intervene on the local market to support the lari, the national currency, which had dropped almost 5 percent during the day to a near two-year low amid fears of a prolonged political crisis over the law.

Moldovan lawmakers have set October 20 as the date for both a presidential election and a referendum on the country joining the European Union. Pro-Western President Maia Sandu, whose first presidential term ends on December 24, has announced her intention to run for reelection. Moscow-friendly socialist and communist parliamentary opposition leaders have said they are currently holding talks on proposing a common presidential candidate. Sandu, who defeated pro-Russian Igor Dodon in November 2020, has since turned Moldova, one of Europe's poorest countries, on a firm Western path. Moldova was invited to open accession negotiations with the 27-member EU in June 2022. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Moldovan Service, click here.

BRUSSELS -- The United States hopes that by the upcoming NATO summit in Washington, nearly all 32 alliance members will meet the pledge made 10 years ago to increase defense spending to 2 percent of GDP, said U.S. Ambassador to NATO Julianne Smith.

"By this summer, when we get to the Washington summit, we expect to have roughly two-thirds of the alliance meeting the target," Smith said on May 16 in an interview with RFE/RL.

NATO members Croatia, Albania, Montenegro, and North Macedonia in particular were urged "to work harder to try and hit the 2 percent target" by the time the NATO summit takes place, she said.

"They have all worked tirelessly over the last decade to increase their defense spending, and we salute those efforts," Smith said.

"Those are difficult national decisions to make that are hard when there are demands on the domestic side of the house to spend money on other priorities."

President Joe Biden is hoping to celebrate the largest number of allies at 2 percent than seen over the last decade at the July 9-11 summit, she said.

"So, anything that our friends in the Western Balkans can do to increase that defense spending would be appreciated. And it's not just because of burden sharing, but it's because of the current security environment," Smith said. "There are threats all around us."

She cited the war in Ukraine, Russia's evolving partnership with China, its increased defense production, and the support Russia is receiving from Iran and North Korean.

"There are so many reasons for us all to increase our defense spending. And we really want to get to a situation where every member of this alliance spends 2 percent," she said.

The alliance has come a long way since making the 2014 pledge when only three members spent 2 percent of GDP on defense. That has grown to 18, according to NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg in an interview with RFE/RL in February.

Smith agreed that three other Balkan non-NATO members -- namely Kosovo, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Serbia -- have a special relationship with alliance.

Bosnia is a "full-fledged aspirant" that has openly stated a desire to join, and all 32 ambassadors recently traveled to Bosnia to talk about what more could be done to deepen the partnership, help Bosnia transform and modernize its forces, and work on interoperability.

Serbia has its own sovereign decision to make on whether or not it wants to pursue membership, Smith said.

"Right now, the answer coming from Serbia is no. But they do have a partnership with the alliance where we are able to…train with them [and] work with them on any specific needs that they have when it comes to cybersecurity or work on modernizing their forces. They can determine how they want to work with the alliance."

Kosovo is more complicated, because four NATO countries do not recognize its independence.

"But the United States has a very close partnership with Kosovo, and we are not only supporting the EU-led, facilitated dialog that is working towards normalization between Kosovo and Serbia, but from a U.S. bilateral perspective, we are here to support our friends in Kosovo as they work towards their own Euro-Atlantic aspirations and work to strengthen their forces as well."

Asked about U.S. concerns over about Serbia's purchase of military equipment from China and Russia, Smith said the United States had been very clear.

"They should tread lightly and be cautious about working with [Chinese-]owned companies. We believe there are risks and challenges in doing so, and we also do not believe that this is the time for any country to be deepening its relationship with Russia," she said.

The United States has delivered "frank and open messages" in conversations with Serbia, but also recognizes that it is their own sovereign decision.

She also warned against Russian influence and disinformation, saying the United States encourages its friends in the Western Balkans to stay focused on the values they share with the West and their Euro-Atlantic aspirations.

"Russia is doing its very best to put out, a whole sea of disinformation campaigns that often misrepresent what NATO is about," she said. "They often try to make the claim that NATO is directly engaged in the war in Ukraine, which is preposterous and not true."

Russia puts out falsehoods about what NATO does in the Western Balkan region and refuses to acknowledge that NATO is a defensive alliance, she said.

"It is, in fact Russia that is the aggressor in the case of Ukraine. Russia started this war in Ukraine and of course it could end it tomorrow if it so desires," she said.

Ukrainian air defenses shot down all 20 drones that were launched by Russia at five of its regions overnight, the military said early on May 17. The drones were downed over the Kharkiv, Poltava, Vinnytsya, Odesa and Mykolayiv regions, the Ukrainian Air Force reported. There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage. Separately, the military administrator of the Kharkiv region, Oleh Synyehubov, said five drones were shot down over Kharkiv city, and debris from a drone ignited a fire in one of the city's districts. To read the original stories by RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, click here and here.

At least seven people have died in northeastern Iran amid severe flooding and heavy rainfall in the city of Mashhad, with local authorities warning the death toll may rise as rescue operations continue to hunt for individuals yet to be accounted for.

The floods were triggered by an intense rainfall that started earlier this week, inundating streets and sweeping away cars. Videos on social media show multiple vehicles being carried off by rushing waters.

According to local media reports, at least 12 people have been reported missing. The head of the Crisis Management Department of Khorasan Razavi Province, Reza Abbasi, confirmed that searches are ongoing in Torghabeh, Shandiz, Mashhad, and Fariman county.

Abbasi said authorities are working to ensure proper verification from forensic specialists before attributing deaths to the floods.

Of the confirmed casualties, five were from Mashhad and two from the surrounding rural areas of Fariman.

Abbasi urged residents of Mashhad to avoid unnecessary travel as poor weather conditions are expected to persist in the region through to the end of the week, posing risks of further flooding.

The Iranian Meteorological Organization issued a warning on May 16 for potential severe thunderstorms and heavy winds over the coming 24 hours, affecting several provinces including West and East Azerbaijan, Ardabil, and parts of the Alborz mountain range, among others.

This flooding has acted as a grim reminder of deadly floods in April 2019, when heavy rains in Shiraz triggered a major disaster that claimed 22 lives and caused extensive damage.

Experts say climate change has amplified droughts and floods that are plaguing Iran, and that their intensity and frequency threaten food security.

The Iranian Meteorological Organization has estimated that 97 percent of the country is experiencing drought to some degree.

Written by Ardeshir Tayebi based on an original story in Persian by RFE/RL's Radio Farda

A 6 billion-euro ($6.5 billion) development plan for the Western Balkans is a clear signal of the European Union's commitment to the economic and democratic transformation of the Western Balkans, Montenegrin Prime Minister Milojko Spajic said on May 16 at a summit of the region's six leaders.

The European Union approved the plan -- 2 billion euros in grants and 4 billion euros in loan guarantees -- in November to help the countries of the Western Balkans accelerate reforms and economic growth.

The plan envisaged by the EU is meant to speed up both the region's economic growth and its integration with the EU norms and legislation that would eventually bring membership in the bloc.

European Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement Oliver Varhelji said at the last summit of Western Balkan leaders that the development plan could double the region's economic output over the next decade if timely reforms are implemented.

The "growth plan is no longer a draft, it is a reality we have started to implement," Varhelji said at a news conference at the summit on May 16 in Kotor, Montenegro.

"Because of the development plan and the intensity of aid from the economic and investment plan, the reform agenda, and additional financial aid until 2027, the Balkans will be ready...or could make itself ready to join the EU," said Varhelji.

SEE ALSO:

EU Envoy Urges Faster Reform Pace In Western Balkans, Touts 6 Billion Euro Development Plan

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and Eurasia James O'Brien, who also took part in the summit, said the priorities of the plan are to reduce costs, facilitate market movement, and create jobs.

O'Brien added that access to the Single European Payment Area (SEPA), an EU payment initiative aimed at simplification of bank transfers in euros, would reduce the cost of transfers by as much as 7 percent.

"This will reduce the cost of borrowing, which will allow businesses to expand," O'Brien said.

Borjana Kristo, president of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia-Herzegovina, said that there is consensus in her country that the main foreign policy goal is the path to joining European Union, while Kosovar Prime Minister Albin Kurti confirmed his commitment to reforms that need to be implemented under the plan.

Kurti also called on Serbia to prosecute those responsible for last year's deadly attack by armed Serbs on Kosovar police officers in the village of Banjska in northern Kosovo.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said that the growth plan will bring good results to the region. Belgrade is the single-largest recipient of the plan.

"We appreciate and are grateful for the money, but more important than the money are the structural reforms that we have to implement, and we appreciate that very much."

He also said he is convinced that the countries of the region will not enter the EU before Ukraine.

"My intelligence tells me that it will be like that," he said, adding that he knows that the EU is "very popular in your countries," but "not so much in mine."

With reporting by Reuters

The United States announced sanctions on May 16 on two Russian individuals and three Russian companies for facilitating arms transfers between Russia and North Korea, including ballistic missiles for use in Ukraine. It is the latest round of sanctions imposed by the U.S. Treasury and State departments to disrupt and expose arms transfers between the two countries, a Treasury Department statement said. "Today's action reflects our commitment to disrupt [North Korea's] deepening military cooperation with Russia," said Brian Nelson, undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence. Pyongyang has been providing ballistic missiles and munitions to Russia and seeking military assistance in return, the statement said.

TBILISI -- Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said his visit to Tbilisi this week was meant to show support for demonstrators opposed to Georgia's "foreign agent" bill and to warn against a "fateful decision" that could derail all the work the country has done toward becoming an EU member.

Landsbergis, who spoke with RFE/RL's Georgian Service on May 15, said he hopes his visit to Georgia shows the Caucasus nation that it faces a choice between one path leading to the European Union and another that "brings you closer to Russia."

What he heard "loud and clear" from Georgians during his visit was that "it's obviously clear that Georgia belongs to Europe," he said. And he heard nothing that made him think this was a "forced" or "ambiguous, short-term decision."

But he said he wanted to visit Georgia to "ring the bell and raise a red flag," that if the "foreign agent" bill -- approved earlier this week by parliament -- becomes law, Georgia's EU membership bid may hang in the balance.

"We hear the Georgian people when we think about Georgia, so losing that is a very big decision," he said.

SEE ALSO:

Georgian President Calls 'Foreign Agent' Law 'Unacceptable'

Tens of thousands of Georgians have been demonstrating against the "foreign agent" bill, which is backed by the ruling Georgian Dream party and was passed by parliament on May 14. The demonstrations, which have at times been met with violence from security officers, have opposed Georgia shifting away from a pro-Western course.

The legislation requires media outlets, NGOs, and other nonprofits to register as "pursuing the interests of a foreign power" if more than 20 percent of their funding comes from abroad.

Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili has pledged to veto the bill in the coming days, however the dominant position of Georgian Dream and its partners in parliament is strong enough to override a presidential veto.

Landsbergis said requiring NGOs and other organizations that have operations in Georgia to be labeled as foreign agents because they "raise questions that you don't like" is not democratic and is not in compliance with the European standards.

He added that if it's transparency the Georgian government seeks by pursuing the law, there are "European ways" to achieve these goals, and the European Commission and partner countries such as Lithuania can help Georgia understand how to implement them.

Landsbergis, who met with Zurabishvili during his visit, said he expressed concern over the violence that authorities have used against demonstrators, saying this also conflicts the goal of pursuing a European path.

"It's truly worrying what we see happening in the street when it comes to intimidations and brutality," he said. "This has to stop."

Peaceful protest has to be allowed and protected, he added, "so that people can have a voice in the matters that are important to them."

Landsbergis said the authorities had used "concerted" intimidation against the demonstrators and this means they have been planned and organized. He said he and the other ministers raised questions about the violence in their talks with government officials and said they expected the incidents would be investigated.

"We brought it up in every meeting that we had," he said.

Security officers in Astana on May 16 detained Kazakh activist Aidar Syzdyqov on unspecified charges. Syzdyqov's wife, Aigul Toqpaeva, shared a video showing Syzdyqov being taken away by Spetsnaz officers. Toqpaeva said she went to a police station hoping to find her husband there, but had to rush home after her neighbors said police were searching her apartment. Later, officers leaving her residential building tried to take her telephone to prevent her from filming them. They told her they were from the anti-drugs directorate. Syzdyqov is an activist of the unregistered opposition Algha, Qazaqstan (Forward, Kazakhstan) party. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Kazakh Service, click here.

Russia's Foreign Ministry said in a statement on May 16 that it summoned a representative of the British Embassy in Moscow to inform them that the United Kingdom's defense attache, A. T. Coghill, had been declared persona non grata and must leave the country within a week. The ministry said the move was a response to a British decision on May 8 to expel Russia's defense attache. British Interior Minister James Cleverly said at the time that London's move was made in response to Moscow's "malign activity."

The Russian Prosecutor-General's Office said on May 16 it had labeled the independent news outlet SOTA an "undesirable organization" amid an ongoing crackdown on free media. The office said SOTA's materials aim "to destabilize social and political situation in Russia...damage the spiritual and moral basis of Russian society...and...discredit Russian armed forces." The "undesirable organization" law, adopted in 2015, targets NGOs and media outlets that receive funding from foreign sources. Russian officials have used the designation, which was expanded in 2021, to marginalize dozens of foreign organizations. Russia in February labeled Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty an "undesirable organization." To read the original story by RFE/RL's Russian Service, click here.

A Moscow court on May 16 extended the pretrial detention of four Tajik nationals suspected of carrying out a terrorist attack on the Crocus City Hall concert venue in March that left more than 140 people dead. The Basmanny district court ruled that Saidakram Rajabalizoda, Dalerjon Mirzoev, Muhammadsobir Faizov, and Shamsiddin Fariduni must stay in custody until at least August 22. Hours later, the court extended the pretrial detentions of four other Tajik citizens accused of assisting in the attack. Several other Tajik nationals and a Kyrgyz-born Russian citizen were arrested for their alleged involvement in the attack. To read the original story on RFE/RL's Russian Service, click here.

Kyrgyzstan's State Committee for National Security (UKMK) said on May 16 that it detained 28 Pakistani nationals a day earlier for "working illegally" in a sewing shop in Bishkek. According to the UKMK, their foreigners' entry visas had expired. Those in custody were sent to a detention center for the Interior Ministry's anti-extremism and migration service. On May 15, Bishkek police shut down delivery services conducted by more than 400 foreign students on motorcycles and scooters, citing traffic safety concerns. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service, click here.

Fugitive oligarch Ilan Shor has obtained Russian citizenship and identity documents, Moldovan authorities confirmed on May 16, a move that runs counter to current legislation in the tiny country wedged between Ukraine and Romania.

Shor, who was sentenced to 15 years in June last year for his role in a $1 billion bank fraud and other illicit schemes, has been under both U.S. and European Union sanctions for his attempts to destabilize Moldova, one of Europe's poorest nations.

Shor, who founded the pro-Moscow Shor Party, fled Moldova following pro-Western President Maia Sandu's election in 2020 and has been reportedly hiding in Israel, whose citizenship he also possesses.

Shor was granted Russian citizenship and obtained a passport in January, according to information obtained by Moldovan authorities, police spokeswoman Diana Fetco said. Fetco said Russian authorities failed to officially notify Chisinau that Shor had become a Russian citizen.

Viorel Tentiu, the chief of the Moldovan brach of Interpol, told local media that Shor got Russian citizenship at the beginning of this year and now has three passports -- Moldovan, Israeli, and Russian -- although Moldovan legislation only allows dual citizenship.

The Shor Party was declared unconstitutional by Moldova's Constitutional Court and dissolved in June last after it organized months of antigovernment protests in Chisinau with the aim of toppling Sandu and her reformist government. Shor orchestrated the protests from abroad, addressing the rallies via video ink.

U.S.-educated Sandu has been working to shake off Moscow's decades-long influence on the former Soviet republic and bring the country closer to the European Union. Moldova received an invitation to open accession negotiations with the 27-member bloc in June 2022.

Separately, nine lawmakers formerly affiliated with the banned Shor Party announced in Parliament on May 16 that they have established a new parliamentary group called Victorie-Pobeda whose main aim is to unite the opposition against Sandu when she stands for re-election in October.

Following the announcement, speaker Igor Grosu ordered an "assessment" of the legality of the new group, which was reportedly formed on April 21 in Moscow.

A court in Kazakhstan has fined two activists from the Feminita movement that defends women's rights for taking part in an unsanctioned rally in Almaty to protest against a 24-year prison sentence handed to former Economy Minister Quandyq Bishimbaev for violently beating his wife to death last year. Gulbaqyt Otebai and Gulzada Serzhan were ordered each to pay a 184,000 tenge ($415) fine for organizing and taking part in an unsanctioned public event. Both women had pleaded not guilty. Otebai and Serzhan were among several activists of Feminita who marched to demand a life sentence for Bishimbaev. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Kazakh Service, click here.

Dozens of residents of the town of Qulsary in Kazakhstan's western region of Atyrau have demanded immediate and higher compensation to allow them to rebuild their lives after devastating floods caused by abrupt warm weather in late March that led to massive snowmelt.

Protesters gathered in front of the town's administrative building told RFE/RL on May 16 that they spent the previous night at the site, adding that the number of the protesters during the night was much higher.

The protesters have set up three tents at the site and say they plan to stay there until their demands are met by local administrators.

Police officers have monitored the protest, which has remained peaceful.

The protesters are demanding the government calculate compensation at 400,000 tenges ($903) per square meter, while the officials say the calculations will be made by 200,000-240,000 tenges per square meter.

• RFE/RL's Russian Service
• RFE/RL's Kazakh Service
• RFE/RL's Tajik Service

As the worst flooding in living memory persists, floodwaters continue to wreak havoc across Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Russia, prompting the mass evacuation of more than 125,000 people.

Officials also said earlier that only those whose houses were damaged, but not fully destroyed, will receive cash for repair works, while those whose houses were fully destroyed will receive newly built homes.

Funds for the program will go directly to construction companies, a system the protesters rejected saying they want all financial compensation to be given directly to them.

"We demand cash. If they give us money, we will decide ourselves if we want to build new houses at sites we choose or buy new houses," one of the protesters told RFE/RL.

About 3,000 private homes were either damaged or destroyed by the floods. Officials condemned some 570 houses affected by the floods, saying they are beyond repair.

In recent weeks, several regions in Kazakhstan’s north and adjacent Russian regions have faced devastating floods caused by abrupt warm weather that led to a massive snowmelt.

Qulsary, with some 66,000 residents, was the worst-hit area in Kazakhstan.

A Russian rights movement said on May 16 that police detained activist Olga Suvorova in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk while she was visiting a doctor following surgery and took her to a psychiatric clinic against her will for unknown reasons. According to the Myagkaya Sila (Soft Power) movement, police detained Suvorova to prevent her from participating in a gathering of the Rassvet (Dawn) political party led by would-be presidential candidate Yekaterina Duntsova, whose registration for the March presidential election was rejected by election officials. Suvorova is an active member of Duntsova’s party. She has faced police pressure in the past. To read the original story by RFE/RL's North.Realities, click here.

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, who was critically injured in an assassination attempt, has regained consciousness and is in "serious but stable condition" a day after being shot several times by a "lone wolf" gunman in an attack that has sent shock waves across the country and Europe as a whole.

Deputy Prime Minister Robert Kalinak told reporters on May 16 that it is still too early to say whether the 59-year-old Slovak leader would recover from the attack because of "the extent of the injuries caused by four gunshot wounds."

But some positive signs could be seen, President-elect Peter Pellegrini told reporters after visiting Fico.

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"He is able to speak but only a few sentences and then he is really tired because he is on some medication," Pellegrini, a key ally of the prime minister, added.

Hospital officials in the central Slovak city of Banska Bystrica said the 59-year-old populist leader underwent five hours of surgery performed by two teams of doctors late on May 15 on multiple gunshot wounds that left Fico fighting for his life.

"During the night doctors managed to stabilize the patient's condition," Deputy Prime Minister Robert Kalinak told reporters gathered at the hospital where Fico was being treated.

"Unfortunately, his condition is still very serious as the injuries are complicated," Kalinak, who is also the defense minister and a close ally of Fico in his Smer-SD party, said, adding the attack had a "political motive."

WATCH: 'An Attack On Democracy': Leaders Condemn Shooting Of Slovak PM Fico

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'An Attack On Democracy': Leaders Condemn Shooting Of Slovak PM Fico

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Local media reported on May 16 that police have charged Fico's suspected attacker, who was subdued by security officers within seconds of the shooting, with attempted murder. The suspect's name has not been released, but reports said he is a 71-year-old man.

"This is a lone wolf who had radicalized himself recently after the presidential election (in April)," Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok said, adding that an initial investigation showed there was “a clear political motivation” behind the attack on Fico.

The shooting has rattled the nation of around 5 million people in the heart of Central Europe, and comes after a particularly bruising and polarizing election campaign last year that propelled Fico to the prime minister's office for the fourth time.

"When I first found out this information, I was really surprised and really sad about this because I think that this is not the resolution," a woman told RFE/RL in Bratislava on May 16. "People shouldn’t act like this and this conflict I hope will end and people will accept each other."

Another woman said that situation is "really horrible for everyone involved, for our country, for its head, and for his family mainly."

President Zuzana Caputova called on May 16 for an end to a "vicious circle of hatred" sweeping Slovakia.

"Let's step out of the vicious circle of hatred and mutual accusations. What happened yesterday was an individual act, but the tense atmosphere of hatred has been our collective work," she said in a statement.

Fico was shot several times from close range as he walked to greet a small crowd following a government meeting in the town of Handlova, nearly 200 kilometer northeast of the capital, Bratislava.

Video from the scene showed Fico approach the crowd of mainly elderly people when several shots rang out. He then slumped backward to the ground. Secret service officers quickly rushed to his aid and carried him to a car that sped off toward a local medical facility before he was airlifted to a hospital in Banska Bystrica.

Deputy Prime Minister Tomas Taraba later told the BBC in an interview late on May 15 that "fortunately, as far as I know the operation went well -- and I guess in the end he will survive...he's not in a life threatening situation at this moment."

"He was heavily injured -- one bullet went thought the stomach and the second one hit the joint -- immediately he was transported to the hospital and then to the operation," Taraba said.

Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok told reporters that an initial investigation showed there was “a clear political motivation” behind the attack on Fico.

The shooting has been condemned by leaders around the world who expressed shock that a peaceful democracy like Slovakia would be the place of such a crime.

"This is terrible for everyone involved. For the country, for its head, for his family mainly," a woman in Bratislava told RFE/RL.

The shooting also has been condemned by leaders around the world who expressed shock that a peaceful democracy like Slovakia would be the place of such a crime.

"Such acts of violence have no place in our society and undermine democracy, our most precious common good. My thoughts are with PM Fico, his family," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said the "news of the cowardly assassination attempt on Slovakian Prime Minister Fico shocks me deeply. Violence must have no place in European politics."

U.S. President Joe Biden said he was alarmed by the reports of the attack on Fico. He said he and his wife, first lady Jill Biden, were praying for a swift recovery, "and our thoughts are with his family and the people of Slovakia."

Biden also said in a statement that he condemned "this horrific act of violence" and said the U.S. Embassy "is in close touch with the government of Slovakia and ready to assist.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy denounced the attack, saying that every effort should be made to ensure that violence does not become the norm in any country.

A populist who has taken several extreme policy positions over the years, Fico has been a critic of military support for Ukraine in its battle to repel Russian troops.

His coalition government halted Slovak shipments of weapons for Kyiv and opposes sanctions against Moscow for the Ukraine invasion. Fico has also said he would veto any move to invite Ukraine to join the NATO military alliance.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin called the assassination attempt "a despicable crime" in a message to Caputova.

Analysts said the attack on Fico pointed to the deep political polarization in Slovakia that has emerged over the past year. They added that the EU member was not alone in experiencing such divisiveness, with many countries across Europe being in a similar situation.

Since the election, Fico’s government, which includes the far-right nationalist SNS party, has taken several decisions that have sparked protests and accusations from the opposition that the prime minister was eroding democratic institutions to tighten his grip on power.

Slovakia's largest opposition party had planned a protest against government reforms to the public broadcaster later on May 15, but canceled the event due to the shooting.

The rally was called because last month Fico’s cabinet backed a Culture Ministry proposal to abolish the existing Radio and Television of Slovakia and replace it with a new body, Slovak Television and Radio.

The new entity’s director-general is to be chosen by a council comprised of members appointed by the cabinet and the Fico-controlled parliament.

Last year, parliament approved a plan to close the special prosecutor’s office that oversaw sensitive corruption cases and serious crimes, raising concerns in the EU that Fico was eroding the rule of law in the country.

Fico said the office had abused its authority.