RFE/RL BELARUS, UKRAINE, AND MOLDOVA REPORT
23.07.2013
A review of RFE/RL reporting and analysis about Belarus, Ukraine, and Moldova. For more stories on Eastern Europe, please visit and bookmark our Eastern Europe page . |
BELARUS
 Belarus Designer Convicted Of Fraud A court in Belarus has convicted Alyaksandr Varlamau, the country's most prominent fashion designer, of fraud. More  Belarusian Man Marries Same-Sex Partner In U.S. And, In A New Twist, Can Stay A Belarusian man and his same-sex partner in the United States are among the first to take advantage of recent U.S. legal changes that allow binational gay spouses to remain together. More  Belarus Backs EU Cooperation Belarusian Foreign Minister Uladzimir Makey says his country is interested in cooperating with all spheres of the European Union's Eastern Partnership program. More  Belarus Court Frees Journalist A Belarusian court has rescinded the jail sentence of a prominent journalist who was accused of involvement in antigovernment rallies in 2010. More  Moldovan Surgery Video Shocks Doctors at a Moldovan state-run hospital have apparently used household tools to perform surgery in a video leaked to local press and published on the Internet. More  Moldovan Activists Accuse Lawmakers Of Secretly Adopting 'Gay-Propaganda' Law LGBT activists in Moldova are alarmed that lawmakers in May stealthily adopted a "gay-propaganda" law similar to ones passed in Russia and Lithuania. The Moldovan measure became law on July 12, without public discussion or even awareness. More  Interview: Romanian President Says Moldova Should Decide Own Path Romanian President Traian Basescu has reassured Moldova of Bucharest's support in Chisinau's efforts to seek closer ties with the European Union. Basescu made his comments while on a one-day visit to the Moldovan capital, where he also met with officials and discussed current efforts to reach a settlement in the long-running dispute between Moldova and its breakaway Transdniester region. More  Basescu Backs Moldova's EU Hopes Romanian President Traian Basescu has told Moldova that Bucharest fully backs Chisinau's bid to sign an agreement on closer ties with the European Union. More  Attack Hospitalizes Ukrainian Reporter The Committee To Protect Journalists (CPJ) says Ukrainian authorities "need to act urgently" to protect journalist Oleg Bogdanov. More A group of Ukrainian activists has arrived in the capital, Kyiv, after a 10-day march from the village of Vradiyivka to protest against police brutality and abuse of power. Anger at police abuses reached a boiling point last month after a woman in Vradiyivka accused police officers of beating and raping her. But activists taking part in the march tell RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service that there are many other instances of police abuse that have inspired them to join the protest. More  No Stamp Of Approval: Femen Icon Sparks Twitter Outrage Only two days after Femen movement leader Inna Shevchenko was chosen as one of the inspirations for France's new official stamp, the controversial Ukrainian activist, known for her topless protests has sparked an outcry on Twitter for a July 9 tweet where she slams the holy month of Ramadan and Islam. More  Ukrainian Police-Abuse Protests Come To The Capital Ukrainians outraged at rampant alleged police abuse -- including allegations of rape, torture, bribery, and murder -- have called for an indefinite protest in Kyiv beginning July 18. The opposition sees the anger as a prime opportunity to strike a blow at President Viktor Yanukovych's government. More  Boating In 'The Venice Of Ukraine' The town of Vylkove, south of Odesa on the Black Sea coast, is known as the Venice of Ukraine due to its network of streams and canals, built to manage the marshy terrain of the Danube Delta. Residents of Vylkove use boats for transportation more often than cars, while tourists come from abroad to see the estuary's natural beauty. More  Russia Stalls Powers' Bid To Create Antarctic Marine Sanctuaries Reports from a landmark meeting to debate protections for Antarctic wildlife suggest that Russia continue to resist U.S. and European initiatives to establish no-fishing areas in the Southern Ocean. More  Ukrainian Femen Leader Becomes French National Symbol A controversial Ukrainian feminist activist has become the new face of Marianne, a popular national emblem in France. Inna Shevchenko, the leader of the Femen movement -- best known for its topless protests -- now features on France's official stamps. Shevchenko was granted political asylum in France last week after running afoul of Ukrainian authorities. More Russian comedian Sergei Svetlakov has had a lot of success, but he may have gone a step too far when he and some business partners decided to open a restaurant in Kyiv. More |
