WASHINGTON -- U.S. President Joe Biden has called for the release of all imprisoned journalists, including RFE/RL's Alsu Kurmasheva and Evan Gershkovich of The Wall Street Journal, who have been detained in Russia on charges they, their employers, and their supporters reject as politically motivated.

"Journalism should not be a crime anywhere on Earth," Biden said in a statement marking World Press Freedom Day on May 3.

"In Russia, American journalists Evan Gershkovich and Alsu Kurmasheva have been imprisoned in connection with their work for The Wall Street Journal and for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty," Biden said.

Kurmasheva, a Prague-based journalist with RFE/RL who holds dual U.S. and Russian citizenships, has been held in Russian custody since October 18 on a charge of violating the so-called "foreign agent" law, which critics and rights groups say is used by the Kremlin to crack down on any dissent.

Kurmasheva, who is 47, has also been charged with spreading falsehoods about the Russian military and faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted.

RFE/RL and the U.S. government say the charges are a reprisal for her work as journalist for RFE/RL.

Gershkovich has been held in detention since March last year on spying charges both he and the newspaper vehemently deny, saying the 32-year-old was merely doing his job as an accredited reporter when he was arrested.

Moscow has been accused of detaining Americans to use as bargaining chips to exchange for Russians jailed in the United States.

"On World Press Freedom Day, the United States calls for the immediate and unconditional release of all journalists who have been put behind bars for simply doing their jobs," Biden said, also mentioning Austin Tice, an American freelance journalist kidnapped and held in Syria since 2012.

Biden said the U.S. administration will soon announce concrete steps in response to the wrongful detention of journalists worldwide, calling the repression of press freedom a "grave threat" to America's national security.

"I will authorize measures, including sanctions and visa bans, against those who take abusive actions to silence the press," he said. "Today and every day, we recognize their courage, support their right to do their jobs, and stand with them for press freedom."

Russian military intelligence officer Eduard Ulman, who was sentenced in absentia to 14 years in prison for shooting to death six Chechen civilians in 2002, has been killed in the war in Ukraine. The Novaya Buryatia website quoted Ulman's mother and a former leader of a military veterans' group in Siberia on May 3 as saying the 50-year-old was killed fighting against Ukrainian forces. Ulman and two former subordinates have been on Russia's wanted list since 2007 after prosecutors asked a court to convict them of killing civilians during the second Russia-Chechen war and sentenced them to lengthy prison terms. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Caucasus.Realities, click here.

Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) said on May 3 that its officers had "liquidated" an agent from Ukraine's military intelligence who had allegedly arrived from Lithuania to carry out "terrorist acts" against military and energy objects in the Moscow and Leningrad regions. The FSB did not disclose the identity of the "saboteur" but said he was a Russian citizen born in 1976. According to the FSB, "during arrest, he offered armed resistance with firearms and was liquidated." Ukraine has yet to comment on the report. To read the original statement from the FSB, click here.

Suppression of press freedom rose over the past year in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, where governments with increasingly authoritarian tendencies have followed Russia's example of stifling and punishing free speech, media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said.

Highlighting the situation in in its annual media world ranking, published on May 3, RSF noted the worsening media situation in Belarus, where strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka's regime persecutes reporters under the excuse of fighting “extremism”; Georgia, where the government has been pushing "foreign agent" legislation modeled on a Russian law, despite massive public protests; and in Kyrgyzstan.

"Media censorship has intensified in a spectacular mimicry of Russian repressive methods," RSF said.

Belarus dropped 10 positions to 167th in the world, while Georgia, at 103th, fell a whopping 26 places.

RSF said Russia, which ranked 162nd out of 180 countries, has continued its campaign against independent journalism, using the “foreign agent” or “undesirable” legislation to arbitrarily imprison remaining journalists as more than 1,500 have left the country since the start of the war. RFE/RL journalist Alsu Kurmasheva and Evan Gershkovich of The Wall Street Journal are currently imprisoned in Russia.

Azerbaijan fell 13 places to 164th mainly due to the authorities' crackdown on the media before its presidential election, RSF said.

The report pointed to the deteriorating situation in Serbia -- down seven positions to 98th place -- as an example of the Kremlin's long reach.

Press outlets affiliated with the pro-Russian government of Serbia relayed Moscow's propaganda, while anti-war Russian journalists who found refuge in Serbia after Moscow's invasion of Ukraine are being threatened with expulsion.

RSF notes as a positive development the 18-place jump made by Ukraine due to what it says are improvements in the security and political indicators. Political interference in Ukraine has fallen, with the country being currently ranked 61st, the report said.

In Eastern Europe, the report notes a "dangerous trend" by some governments to stifle independent journalism, which RSF calls "Orbanization," after Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Orban, in power since 2010, has been accused of muzzling the free press. Hungary is currently in 67th place.

In Slovakia, ranked 29th, the situation is also deteriorating under Russia-friendly Prime Minister Robert Fico, RSF says.

In Central Asia, Turkmenistan, where independent reporting is completely banned, is listed 175th, while Kyrgyzstan is listed 120th.

Afghanistan, where the persecution of journalists has been "incessant" since the return of the Taliban to power in 2021, three journalists were killed and at least 25 were detained over the past year. Afghanistan dropped 26 places to 178th out of a total of 180 countries in the index.

A court in Russia's North Caucasus region of Kabardino-Balkaria acquitted a Jehovah's Witness in an extremism case, a rare move by a judiciary that has sentenced dozens of the religion's believers in similar cases.

The Maisky district court found Kirill Gushchin not guilty on May 2, but did not give the reasoning behind its decision.

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Prosecutors sought a seven-year prison term. Since the faith was outlawed in Russia in 2017, many Jehovah's Witnesses have had cases launched against them, with most sentenced to prison.

For decades, Jehovah's Witnesses have been viewed with suspicion in Russia, where the dominant Orthodox Church is championed by President Vladimir Putin.

To read the original story by RFE/RL's Caucasus.Realities, click here.

A military court in Russia's Far Eastern city of Khabarovsk on May 3 sentenced anti-war activist Angel Nikolayev to 15 years in prison on a charge of arson against a military recruitment center, desecration of Russia's national flag, and vandalism. Nikolayev was arrested in July 2023 after he splashed red paint on flags atop the graves of Russian soldiers killed during Moscow's ongoing invasion of Ukraine. Nikolayev pleaded not guilty to the desecration and terrorism charges. Dozens of activists have been handed prison terms for arson attacks on military recruitment centers since Russia launched its invasion in February 2022. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Siberia.Realities, click here.

TBILISI -- Tensions remain high in Tbilisi on May 3 as a standoff continues between the government and Georgians opposed to a controversial "foreign agent" law who have been staging large protests that authorities have attempted to disperse using violent means, including rubber bullets, according to eyewitnesses.

Traffic was finally restored in the early hours of May 3 at a main intersection of the Georgian capital that had been blocked for about six hours by large numbers of peaceful protesters descending upon Heroes' Square.

Police reportedly arrested several participants, although there was no forceful intervention against demonstrators similar to what had happened the previous night.

However, eyewitnesses, including two injured men, told RFE/RL that what they called "provocateurs" arrived by car around 1 a.m. in Heroes' Square and physically assaulted some of the protesters.

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At around 6 p.m., shortly after the start of the May 2 protest, police arrested several demonstrators in a first attempt to clear the road. Despite several attempts, RFE/RL was unable to get the Interior Ministry to confirm the number of those arrested.

Georgia has been rocked by days of protests over the proposed law, denounced by opponents as being inspired by similar repressive legislation in Russia that Moscow has used to stifle dissent.

The bill would require organizations receiving more than 20 percent of their funding from abroad to register as "agents of foreign influence." Opponents warn that implementing the law could jeopardize the country's move toward European Union membership.

The bill was passed in a second reading on May 1, followed by a violent crackdown by riot police against demonstrators that ended with some 15 people being hospitalized. A parliamentary session on May 2 was subsequently canceled.

In at least eight cases on May 1, the victims claimed that, in addition to water cannons and tear gas, police also used rubber bullets. RFE/RL gathered eyewitness accounts, photographic evidence of injuries, interviewed two of the injured, and filmed the rubber bullets at the scene where they were reportedly fired.

• RFE/RL's Georgian Service

The European Union and the United States have condemned the controversial "foreign agent" legislation making its way through Georgia's parliament as peaceful protests against the bill continued on May 2 in Tbilisi following violent clashes that shook the country.

Freelance reporter Davit Tamazashvili showed his injuries to RFE/RL on May 2 and recalled the events of the previous night, telling RFE/RL he was adjusting his camera when shooting suddenly started and he felt three bullets hit his legs.

The evidence seen by RFE/RL is consistent with injuries caused by rubber bullets, but Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Aleksandre Darakhvelidze denied the use of rubber bullets against demonstrators when he addressed reporters at a press briefing.

Darakhvelidze told reporters early on May 2 that "no rubber bullets" were used by law enforcement officers, "although there were sufficient legal reasons for their use."

Georgia's Special Investigation Service said a probe into excessive force against the demonstrators was ongoing.

The May 1 demonstration -- one of the largest the country has ever seen -- took place after the legislation was advanced in a second reading. A third and final reading is expected on May 17.

• RFE/RL's Georgian Service

Police in Tbilisi fired tear gas and water cannons at protesters gathered outside Georgia's parliament on May 1 after a controversial "foreign agent" bill advanced in its second reading. The bill has fueled weeks of demonstrations and warnings from Brussels it could jeopardize Georgia's EU hopes.

A large protest against the bill is currently being planned for May 11, one of the organizers told RFE/RL.

“I want you to remember this date. Let’s all organize a very large demonstration on May 11th. A large, peaceful, strong, confident manifestation. Put it on your calendars,” the unnamed organizer said.

UN human rights chief Volker Turk voiced concern about the authorities' treatment of protesters. Turk also urged authorities to withdraw the bill and engage in dialogue with civil society and journalists, who risk being affected by the proposed legislation.

"I am concerned by reports of unnecessary and disproportionate use of force by law enforcement personnel against demonstrators and media workers in Georgia’s capital, Tbilisi, this week," he said.

A wave of anger has washed across Georgia since the ruling Georgian Dream party said it was reintroducing a slightly modified version of legislation that protests forced it to back away from last year.

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Critics call the bill "the Russian law," a reference to the "foreign agent" law in Russia that the government in Moscow has used to silence its critics. Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili, who has distanced herself from the policies of the ruling party, has promised to veto the law if it is formally adopted in a third reading, as expected.

The Georgian Foreign Ministry on May 2 refused an invitation from the United States to speak directly with U.S. officials, U.S. Ambassador Robin Dunnigan said.

"Recently, we have invited senior members of the Georgian Government to engage directly with the most senior leaders in the United States to discuss our strategic partnership and any concerns with U.S. assistance; unfortunately, the Georgian side chose not to accept this invitation," she said in a statement on X, formerly Twitter.

A statement from the Georgian Foreign Ministry said the invitation was rejected because there was a condition that the parliament temporarily stop the discussion of the draft law. This prerequisite "does not correspond to the spirit of partnership," the ministry statement said.

Dunnigan's statement, which also urged Georgia to "recommit the country to its Euro-Atlantic future, as written in Georgia’s constitution," makes no reference to any conditions for holding talks.

Russia will face consequences for a cyberattack allegedly orchestrated last year by a group with ties to its military intelligence, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said on May 3. Germany has been among the Western nations providing Ukraine military support in its war with Russia, with President Vladimir Putin saying in December that ties between the two countries are largely frozen. "We can now clearly attribute last year's attack to the Russian group APT28, which is controlled by the Russian military intelligence service GRU," Baerbock told a press conference in Adelaide, Australia.

Russia has been quietly shipping refined petroleum to North Korea at levels that appear to violate a cap imposed by the UN Security Council, the White House said on May 2. The disclosure came after a UN panel of experts monitoring enforcement of long-standing UN sanctions against North Korea for its nuclear weapons and missile programs was disbanded following Russia's veto of its renewal. "At the same time that Moscow vetoed the panel's mandate renewal, Russia has been shipping refined petroleum from Port Vostochny to [North Korea]," White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters.

Russian state-affiliated accounts have boosted their use of TikTok and are getting more engagement on the short-form-video platform ahead of the U.S. presidential election, according to a study published on May 2 by the Washington-based Brookings Institution. The report states that Russia is increasingly leveraging TikTok to disseminate Kremlin messages in both English and Spanish, with state-linked accounts posting far more frequently on the platform than they did two years ago. Such accounts are also active on other social media platforms. However, the report says user engagement has been much higher on TikTok.

Russian energy giant Gazprom said on May 2 it suffered a record annual loss last year as the European market was practically shut off to its gas exports due to sanctions over Moscow's military operation in Ukraine. The state-owned firm suffered a net loss of 629 billion rubles ($6.9 billion) in 2023 compared to a net profit of 1.23 trillion rubles in 2022. The results are an indication of the heavy impact of Western sanctions on Russia following the full-scale military offensive launched in February 2022.

The new government of Serbia, which includes two politicians who have been on the U.S. sanctions list since last year, has been overwhelmingly approved by parliament.

The legislative body voted 152-61 on May 2 to approve the new government after more than six hours of debate. There were no abstentions, but only 213 out of 250 members voted.

The new government will have 25 ministries and five ministers without portfolios.

The two cabinet members designated by the United States for sanctions are Aleksandar Vulin, who will serve as deputy prime minister, and Nenad Popovic, who was tapped as one of the ministers without portfolio.

Vulin, a former director of Serbia’s BIA security agency, was hit by U.S. sanctions in July 2023 for "corrupt and destabilizing acts that have also facilitated Russia's malign activities in the region."

Popovic, a businessman and former minister without portfolio, was added to the sanctions list in November 2023 for allegedly "operating in or having operated in the electronics sector of the Russian Federation economy."

The United States said it was "disappointed" that two individuals under U.S. sanctions have been included in the new government.

"Our position on Mr. Vulin and Mr. Popovic is well-known," a U.S. State Department spokesman told RFE/RL in a written statement on May 1. "They remain under U.S. sanctions."

He added, however, that Washington plays no role in the appointments in the Serbian government.

Prime Minister-elect Milos Vucevic, leader of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), told the parliament on May 1 that his cabinet will be a government of continuity to the greatest extent possible and membership in the European Union remained the country’s strategic goal.

However, he said that the European Union's expectations were tied to Serbia "humiliating" itself by recognizing Kosovo's independence and joining sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. He said Serbia will not renounce friendship with Russia and will maintain its policy of not joining the sanctions.

The government was formed 4 1/2 months after the SNS and its coalition partners won a narrow majority of 129 mandates in the legislature in a close-fought vote that was marred by allegations of fraud.

The U.S. Department of Justice said on May 1 that a Ukrainian national was sentenced to 13 years and seven months in prison for over 2,500 ransomware attacks where he demanded more than $700 million in ransom payments. Yaroslav Vasynskiy, 24, was ordered to pay over $16 million in restitution. Vasynskiy used the Sodinokibi/REvil ransomware variant, and publicly exposed victims' data when they would not pay ransom demands. Vasynskiy pleaded guilty to an 11-count indictment charging him with conspiracy to commit fraud and related activity in connection with computers, damage to protected computers, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. To read the original story by Current Time, click here.

ALMATY, Kazakhstan -- Kazakh journalist Zhamila Maricheva went on trial on May 2 for an online article she wrote supporting RFE/RL's Kazakh Service, known locally as Radio Azattyq.

Maricheva was detained late on April 24 while she was out jogging and charged with distributing "false information."

The charge stems from an article she posted on her ProTenge Telegram channel in January where she raised the issue of problems faced by Radio Azattyq on obtaining official accreditation from the Foreign Ministry, which had sparked fears the government was trying to stifle independent media.

Maricheva praised Radio Azattyq for what she called its professionalism, stressing the importance of the broadcaster's programs in Kazakhstan.

Another Kazakh journalist, Askhat Niyazov, reposted Maricheva's article at the time and was charged with slander.

A court last week acquitted Niyazov and closed the case, stressing that there was nothing criminal in Niyazov's actions.

Maricheva reiterated her innocence at the trial on May 2 and stated that police violated her rights by detaining her for questioning while she was jogging instead officially summoning her to a police station.

Maricheva's lawyer, Asel Toqaeva, asked the court to dismiss the case against her client, and that Maricheva’s constitutional rights were violated by police during her detention and questioning.

In January 2023, the Foreign Ministry denied accreditation to 36 journalists of Radio Azattyq. Some of the correspondents had not been able to extend their accreditation since late 2022.

The situation was exacerbated when a group of Kazakh lawmakers approved a draft bill that would allow the tightly controlled former Soviet republic's authorities to refuse accreditation to foreign media outlets and their reporters on grounds of national security concerns.

RFE/RL reached an agreement with the Kazakh Foreign Ministry over the accreditations less than two weeks ago.

Maricheva's trial was adjourned until May 6.

Russian President Vladimir Putin sees domestic and international developments trending in his favor and likely will press aggressive tactics in Ukraine, but the war is unlikely to end anytime soon, the top U.S. intelligence official said on May 2. Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines told the Senate Armed Services Committee that Russia had intensified strikes on Ukraine's infrastructure to hamper Kyiv's ability to move arms and troops, slow defense production, and force it to consider negotiations. Russia's increasingly aggressive tactics were meant to signal to Ukraine that continuing to fight will only increase the damage, she said.

Regional officials and employees of local state entities in Turkmenistan's western region of Balkan have been forced to buy watches with pictures of President Serdar Berdymukhammedov and his father and predecessor, Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov, on the face of the timepiece. RFE/RL correspondents report that the watches cost between 1,500 and 3,000 manats ($410-$820). Those of higher ranks are obliged to buy the more expensive watches, while the less expensive editions are for lower-tier employees at state entities. Despite Turkmenistan's abundant resources of natural gas, the majority of its population has been living in poverty for years. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Turkmen Service, click here.

Around 30 children were injured, three gravely, when an ice cream truck careened down a hill into a national holiday celebration in the Suzak region of Kyrgyzstan on May 2. According to the police, the truck's driver parked the vehicle and left it without putting on the emergency brake. Health Minister Alymkadyr Beishenaliev said 29 children between 9 and 16 years old were injured. Seven are in intensive care, including three who are in “serious” condition. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service, click here.

A draft resolution to establish an international day to commemorate the Srebrenica genocide has been sent to the UN General Assembly for a vote, Bosnia-Herzegovina's permanent representative to the UN said.

"After several rounds of inclusive consultations, the final motion of the resolution 'International Day of Remembrance and Commemoration of the Srebrenica Genocide in 1995' by the cross-regional core group went to the President of the UN General Assembly [Dennis Francis] and all permanent missions to the UN," Zlatko Lagumdzija announced on X, formerly Twitter, late on May 1.

In July 1995, more than 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys were rounded up and killed by Bosnian Serb forces in Potocari near the eastern town of Srebrenica -- the worst mass killing in Europe since World War II.

The massacre has been deemed genocide by various verdicts of both the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

The resolution, which would declare July 11 as the International Day of Remembrance for the Genocide in Srebrenica, was initiated by Germany and Rwanda and is co-sponsored by the United States, France, Bosnia, and other countries.

It is expected to be put to a vote in the General Assembly in early May and would be observed starting from next year -- the 30th anniversary of the genocide.

The final draft, seen by RFE/RL, condemns any denial of the Srebrenica genocide as well as actions that glorify convicted war criminals and perpetrators of crimes against humanity and genocide.

It also highlights the importance of completing the process of finding and identifying the remains of victims of the Srebrenica genocide and calls for the continued prosecution of its perpetrators that have yet to be brought to justice.

So far, more than 50 individuals have been sentenced to some 700 years in prison for their roles in the Srebrenica genocide.

Leaders of Bosnia's Serb entity, Republika Srpska, and Serbia have voiced angry opposition to the resolution, which they claim would label Serbs as a “genocidal nation.” Serbia is supported by Russia and China.

On April 30, Russia’s envoy to the UN, Vasily Nebenzya, dismissed the resolution as “one-sided” and “politically charged.” Nebenzya said the move would not promote reconciliation among the peoples of Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Milorad Dodik, Republika Srpska's Russia-friendly leader, has repeatedly threatened that if the resolution is adopted, the entity "will withdraw from the decision-making process in Bosnia."

Dodik, who has been sanctioned by the United States and Britain over his efforts to undermine the Dayton peace accords, has regularly reiterated his denial of the Srebrenica genocide.

Dodik told supporters at a rally in Banja Luka on April 18 that the actions of the Republika Srpska Army in Srebrenica in 1995 were "a mistake that left the crime," but he denied it was genocide.

Serbia's nationalist president, Aleksandar Vucic, said the resolution should be subjected to a vote in the UN Security Council, not the General Assembly.

Unlike resolutions presented to the General Assembly, those put to a vote in the Security Council can be vetoed by any of its five members, therefore allowing Russia and China to sink it.

A 24-year-old man from Siberia died in hospital in St. Petersburg after self-immolating in front of a military recruitment center in Russia's second-largest city, medical personnel at the Dzhanelidze hospital said on May 2. Several Telegram channels said on May 1 that the man was hospitalized the previous day with burns over 90 percent of his body after he set himself on fire on the territory of the Leningrad region's military recruitment center. Since Russia launched its ongoing invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, several Russians have lit themselves on fire in protest. Dozens also have been arrested on terrorism charges for arson attacks on military recruitment centers. To read the original story by RFE/RL's North.Realities, click here.

Tehran has imposed a round of sanctions on a group of American and British companies and individuals, including British Defense Minister Grant Shapps, over their support for Israel in its war in the Gaza Strip.

In a statement on May 2, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said British officials and entities were sanctioned because of the United Kingdom’s “deliberate support” for Israel, including “committing terrorist acts” that threatened regional peace.

The sanctions also target several military officials, including Simon Cloke, commander of Royal Air Force Akrotiri, a British air base in Cyprus used by RAF fighter jets to target the Iran-aligned Huthi rebels in Yemen.

In a separate tranche of sanctions, Iran targeted U.S.-based arms manufacturers and senior members of hawkish think tanks for their support of Israel.

Sanction targets include Lockheed Martin and General Dynamics, as well as the energy company Chevron.

Among the individuals sanctioned by Iran is Brad Cooper, who is identified as the commander of the United States Navy’s Fifth Fleet in the Middle East. Cooper turned over command of the Fifth Fleet to George Wikoff on February 1.

The targets of the sanctions will have their bank accounts in Iran frozen and will not be issued visas to enter Iranian territory.

While the impact of these measures remains unclear, they appear to be largely symbolic.

U.S. and U.K. fighter jets targeted Huthi positions several times earlier this year in response to the Yemeni rebels targeting commercial shipping in the Red Sea. The Huthis pledged to continue their attacks unless there was a ceasefire was reached in Gaza.

Israel launched its Gaza offensive in October 2023 in retaliation for a surprise attack on Israeli settlements led by Hamas, which is designated as a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union.

Nearly 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed in the Hamas-led attack. The health ministry in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip says more than 34,000 people have been killed in the Israeli offensive.

The largest bank in the United States, JPMorgan Chase, said on May 2 its assets in Russia may be seized following lawsuits filed in Russia and the United States. In March, Russia's stated-owned VTB bank filed a lawsuit to regain its funds blocked abroad after JP Morgan Chase sued VTB in New York to halt its efforts to recover $439.5 million from an account that was blocked after Russia launched its ongoing invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and VTB was hit with sanctions. To read the full story by RFE/RL's Russian Service, click here.

Artem Marchevskiy, a close associate of pro-Russia Ukrainian politician Viktor Medvedchuk, has left Prague for Slovakia after Czech authorities imposed sanctions on him for attempts to carry out "influence operations" for Moscow's benefit on Czech territory. Media reports cited sources and Marchevskiy's lawyer on May 2 as saying Slovak authorities had provided Marchevskiy with temporary protection status. Marchevskiy holds Ukrainian and Israeli passports. Earlier, German publication Der Spiegel identified Medvedchuk and Marchevskiy as operators of the Prague-based pro-Moscow news website Voice Of Europe. The German publication said the website played a key role in financing pro-Kremlin European Parliament candidates. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Russian Service, click here.

TBILISI -- Tens of thousands of people took to the streets in Georgia on May 2 to protest against the government's push to approve a controversial "foreign agents" bill a day after a violent protest that eyewitnesses say police attempted to disperse using rubber bullets.

Protests took place late on May 2 in front of parliament in Tbilisi and on Heroes' Square, where demonstrators blocked a key intersection.

Some demonstrators were arrested in Heroes' Square as police made attempts to clear the roadway, but it soon filled up with people again after those protesting in front of the parliament building marched to Heroes' Square.

The country has been rocked by days of protests over the proposed law, denounced by opponents as being inspired by similar repressive legislation in Russia that Moscow has used to stifle dissent.

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The bill would require organizations receiving more than 20 percent of their funding from abroad to register as agents of foreign influence. Opponents warn that implementing the law could jeopardize the country's move toward European Union membership.

Activists and opposition politicians earlier on May 2 called for another mass protest after 15 people with various injuries were transported to hospitals for medical assistance following a demonstration on May 1 in Tbilisi.

The events on May 1 turned violent, and in at least eight cases the victims claimed they were hit by rubber bullets. RFE/RL gathered eyewitness accounts, photographic evidence of injuries, interviewed two of the injured, and filmed the rubber bullets at the scene where they were reportedly fired.

The evidence seen by RFE/RL is consistent with injuries caused by rubber bullets, but Deputy Interior Minister Aleksandre Darakhvelidze denied the use of rubber bullets against demonstrators when he addressed reporters at a press briefing.

Darakhvelidze told reporters early on May 2 that "no rubber bullets" were used by law enforcement officers "although there were sufficient legal reasons for their use."

Davit Tamazashvili, a freelance reporter, was at the car entrance of the parliament building where demonstrators attempting to block the gate were hit by pepper spray, water cannons, and what appeared to be rubber bullets.

Tamazashvili showed his injuries to RFE/RL on May 2 and recalled the events of the previous night, telling RFE/RL he was adjusting his camera when suddenly the shooting started and he felt three bullets hit his legs.

"I was wearing thick jeans, which saved me. Some people who were hit on the hand bled immediately...but my thick jeans protected me," he said.

A tear gas canister also was thrown at the protesters, he said, noting that surveillance cameras in the area would have recorded the incidents and it should be possible to determine who fired the rubber bullets and threw the tear gas.

Georgia's Special Investigation Service said a probe into excessive force against the demonstrators was ongoing.

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The May 1 demonstration -- one of the largest the country has ever seen -- took place after the legislation was advanced in a second-reading vote. A third and final reading vote is expected on May 17.

UN human rights chief Volker Turk voiced concern about Georgian authorities' treatment of protesters. Turk also urged the authorities to withdraw the law and engage in dialogue with civil society and journalists, who risk being affected by the proposed legislation.

"I am concerned by reports of unnecessary and disproportionate use of force by law enforcement personnel against demonstrators and media workers in Georgia's capital, Tbilisi, this week," he said.

A wave of anger has washed across Georgia since the ruling Georgian Dream party said it was reintroducing a slightly modified version of legislation that protests forced it to back away from last year.

• RFE/RL's Georgian Service

Police in Tbilisi fired tear gas and water cannons at protesters gathered outside Georgia's parliament on May 1 after a controversial "foreign agent" bill advanced in its second reading. The bill has fueled weeks of demonstrations and warnings from Brussels it could jeopardize Georgia's EU hopes.

Critics call the bill "the Russian law," a reference to the "foreign agent" law that the government in Moscow has used to silence critics. Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili, who has distanced herself from the policies of the ruling party, has promised to veto the law if it is formally adopted in a third reading, as expected.

The Georgian Foreign Ministry on May 2 refused an invitation from the United States to speak directly with U.S. officials, U.S. Ambassador Robin Dunnigan said.

"Recently we have invited senior members of the Georgian Government to engage directly with the most senior leaders in the United States to discuss our strategic partnership and any concerns with U.S. assistance; unfortunately, the Georgian side chose not to accept this invitation," she said in a statement on X, formerly Twitter.

A statement from the Georgian Foreign Ministry said the invitation was rejected because there was a condition that the parliament temporarily stop the discussion of the draft law. This prerequisite "does not correspond to the spirit of partnership," the ministry statement said.

Dunnigan's statement, which also urged Georgia to "recommit the country to its Euro-Atlantic future, as written in Georgia's constitution," makes no reference to any conditions for holding talks.

Western countries from the EU and the United States have expressed concern over the legislation and the crackdown on those voicing their opposition.

"The statements and actions of the Georgian government are incompatible with the democratic values that underpin membership in the EU and NATO and thus jeopardize Georgia's path to Euro-Atlantic integration," the U.S. State Department said in a statement.

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Explainer: Why Are Mass Protests Shaking Tbilisi?

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"The United States condemns the Kremlin-inspired 'foreign influence' legislation advanced in Georgia's parliament...and the false narrative government officials have adopted to defend it."

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned that the South Caucasus country was at a crossroads and should "stay the course" on the road to Europe.

"I am following the situation in Georgia with great concern and condemn the violence on the streets of Tbilisi," von der Leyen wrote on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter.

She added in a statement that "the European Union has also clearly expressed its concerns regarding the law on foreign influence. The Georgian people want a European future for their country."

Meanwhile, the international hacking collective Anonymous claimed responsibility on May 2 for hacking the websites of the Georgian Dream party and pro-government PosTV television channel. The two websites have been inaccessible since late on May 1.

Anonymous called the move "a response to police violence against the protesters against the law in question" and warned that more government websites will be hacked over "inhumane actions of the Georgian police against their own citizens."

With reporting by Reuters and AFP

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called for an investigation into footage appearing to show that as many as 21 Ukrainian troops had been executed as, or after, they surrendered to Russian forces, and urged that those responsible be punished for war crimes. The group said in a statement that drone footage posted on social media appeared to show 15 Ukrainian soldiers being killed as they attempted to surrender, while six others were possibly shot dead as they were surrendering or had already surrendered. HRW said the footage posted in December and February do not appear to be isolated incidents.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he discussed a schedule for receiving weapons shipments from Kyiv's allies at a meeting of Ukraine's military commanders on May 2 after a Russian missile strike on the Black Sea port of Odesa wounded 14 people and damaged critical civilian infrastructure in the third missile attack on the city in as many days.

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Defense Minister Rustem Umerov's report on the schedule of the delivery of weapons was discussed at the meeting at the headquarters of the General Staff, Zelenskiy said, adding that he also heard a report on the degree of readiness of fortifications in border regions and in the areas of active hostilities.

Zelenskiy said that he instructed commanders to take all possible measures to shorten the time it takes to receive the weapons. This applies especially to the supply of air defense equipment.

The United States said last week it would provide Ukraine with Patriot missiles for its air defense systems as part of a massive additional aid package.

Despite U.S. efforts to deliver weapons, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has admitted that Ukraine's allies are behind schedule.

Earlier on May 2, Oleh Kiper, head of the Odesa region's military administration, said the strike on Odesa ignited a fire, and the storage depots of the local branch of Ukraine's postal service were damaged.

A Russian attack on Odesa the previous day seriously wounded a man who later died in a hospital.

Russia has been targeting Ukraine's energy infrastructure for months and repeatedly attacked Odesa in recent days, including on April 29 using an Iskander missile. Five civilians died in that attack and 23 were injured, officials said.

Kuleba said on May 1 in an interview with Foreign Policy that as much as half of Ukraine's energy system had been damaged by Russia's attacks.

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Russian Missile Strike Damages Odesa Postal Hub

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Zelenskiy told NATO members last week that his country needs a minimum of seven additional Patriot air-defense systems to counter Russian air strikes amid a shortage of weaponry sparked by delays from the United States, where lawmakers were unable to agree on an aid package for months, while European allies have been unable to deliver ammunition at the scale promised.

An influx of weapons is expected to flow after U.S. President Joe Biden signed the long-delayed $61 billion military aid package last week. Biden said the package would include air-defense munitions to help Ukraine protect its cities and infrastructure, artillery shells, and long-range missile systems.

SEE ALSO:

U.S. Weapons Are Coming To Ukraine. But Russian Forces Have The Momentum.

Faced with the quasi-daily Russian onslaught on its infrastructure, Ukraine has resorted to striking Russia's energy facilities -- especially oil refineries -- with its own drones, whenever possible.

On May 2, Smolensk Governor Vasily Anokhin said on Telegram that Ukrainian drones targeted energy infrastructure in his region.

"Today, the Smolensk region was again attacked by Ukrainian UAVs. In the Roslavl district, the enemy attempted to damage a civilian energy infrastructure facility. There were no casualties. Emergency and law enforcement services are working at the scene," Anokhin said, without giving details.

Separately, Russia's Defense Ministry said its air-defense systems downed 12 Ukrainian drones over several regions.

It said five drones were destroyed over the Bryansk region, three over the Krasnodar region, two over Rostov, and one each over the Kursk and Belgorod regions.

Kursk Governor Roman Starovoit said on Telegram that a Ukrainian drone damaged power lines in the village of Ponyri.

Regional officials in three more Russian regions -- Smolensk, Oryol, and Voronezh -- said they had been targeted by Ukrainian drones. In Oryol, Governor Andrei Klychkov said energy infrastructure was damaged in two districts where the electricity supply was partially disrupted.

Ukraine has not commented on the Russian claims, which could not be independently verified immediately.