Ex-Soviet state arrests opposition cleric on terrorism charges
Armenian authorities have arrested a high-profile cleric for alleged terrorism and attempts to stage a coup last year, according to the country's Investigative Committee and footage on social media.
Bagrat Galstanyan was a key leader in the demonstrations calling for Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to step down after he agreed to return several border villages to Azerbaijan. The move was meant to help mend still tenuous relations between the two former Soviet republics.
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Russia Today
5 hours ago
- Russia Today
India has shown zero tolerance for terrorism
India has demonstrated zero tolerance for terrorism and will not hesitate to target terrorists wherever they are, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said on Thursday. Singh, who is in Qingdao, China for a meeting of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) defense ministers, called on all members of the group to 'unequivocally' condemn terrorism. 'India's zero tolerance for terrorism is manifest today through its actions. This includes our right to defend ourselves against terrorism,' he said. Regarding New Delhi's strikes on May 7 against suspected terrorist facilities in Pakistani-controlled territory, the Indian defense minister added: 'We have shown that epicenters of terrorism are no longer safe and we will not hesitate to target them.' Singh said SCO members should tackle common challenges 'related to peace, security, and [a] trust deficit.' He added, 'India believes that reformed multilateralism can help build cooperation to prevent conflict between countries by creating mechanisms for dialogue and collaboration. No country, however large and powerful, can manage alone.' These threats do not respect national boundaries, and they demand a unified response rooted in transparency, mutual trust, and collaboration. India reaffirms its resolve to fight terrorism in all its forms and manifestations: RM The defense minister stressed that peace and prosperity are incompatible with terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction by non-state actors and terrorist groups. 'It is imperative that those who sponsor, nurture, and utilize terrorism for their narrow and selfish ends must bear the consequences,' Singh said in a veiled reference to Pakistan. 'Some countries use cross-border terrorism as an instrument of policy and provide shelter to terrorists.' At the SCO meeting, India refused to sign a joint statement. 'On our side, India wanted concerns on terrorism reflected in the document which was not acceptable to one particular country and therefore the statement was not adopted,' Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at a briefing in New Delhi on Thursday. ❗️🇮🇳MEA Spox Randhir Jaiswal on NO Joint SCO Statement'On our side, India wanted concerns on terrorism reflected in the document which was not acceptable to one particular country and therefore the statement was not adopted." In an interview with RT this week, Indian MP Shashi Tharoor said Pakistan continues to provide safe haven for terrorists and allows them to freely operate training camps. Pakistan has denied allegations of involvement in terrorist activities in India.
Russia Today
9 hours ago
- Russia Today
Deaths reported during protests in Kenya (VIDEO)
At least eight people have been killed in Kenya during nationwide protests against police brutality and alleged government corruption, the East African country's National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR), has reported. More than 400 people, including journalists and police officers, were injured during the protests, held across 23 counties on Wednesday, the commission said in a statement. 'Most of them were treated and discharged, eighty-three (83) of them were referred for specialized treatment, eight (8) with gunshot wounds,' KNCHR stated. Irungu Houghton, executive director of the non-profit human rights organization Amnesty International in Kenya, told Reuters that at least 16 people had been 'verified as dead,' most of them 'killed by police.' The latest rallies are being held to commemorate last year's youth-led demonstrations against a controversial finance bill aimed at raising $2.7 billion in revenue to service government debt, during which at least 60 people were killed by security forces, according to rights groups. Ni kama Thika Road have managed.# On Wednesday, thousands of young Kenyans took to the streets, with some in the capital, Nairobi, waving national flags and holding placards featuring images of those killed last year, chanting 'Ruto must go' in reference to President William Ruto. Some protesters, cornered in a blocked alley, were caught on camera pleading with CNN reporter Larry Madowo not to leave, fearing they would 'get killed' if he did. As the reporter spoke with them, riot police fired teargas in their direction, leaving the protesters gasping for breath. 'We are demonstrating peacefully. As you can see, we have nothing, I only have my phone…but we have been cornered and we are afraid for our lives,' one of the protesters, who had been rounded up along with security guards, told Madowo while on his knees. Kenyan police cornered peaceful protesters in a blocked alley, beat them up, then teargassed them. "Larry ukienda tutauliwa," one of them said. "If you leave, we'll get killed."Police brutality during protests against police brutality Other clips show main roads into the capital's central business district blocked, while government buildings were barricaded with razor wire. The Kenyan Communications Authority had initially ordered TV and radio stations to stop live coverage of the protests, but the directive was later overturned by the Nairobi High Court. The anniversary marches come amid widespread outrage over the death of 31-year-old blogger Albert Ojwang, who was killed in custody earlier this month after criticizing a senior police officer. Six people, including three policemen, were charged with murder in connection to Ojwang's death, though they all pleaded not guilty. While police have stated that protests are allowed if peaceful and unarmed, two officers were arrested last week for shooting an unarmed civilian during a protest in Nairobi over Ojwang's death.
Russia Today
9 hours ago
- Russia Today
Russian chess legend linked to South Sudan coup plot
Garry Kasparov, a former world chess champion and Russian opposition figure, has been implicated in an alleged coup plot in South Sudan, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday. The grandmaster is said to have introduced a local activist to a US financier who unknowingly funded a plan to procure weapons. The alleged plot emerged from the US prosecution of Peter Ajak, a Harvard fellow and exiled South Sudanese activist, as well as his associate, Abraham Keech. The two are facing federal charges of conspiring to illegally export arms to South Sudan; both pleaded not guilty. Ajak – who allegedly wanted to buy AK-47s and Stinger missiles to topple the government – lacked the cash to put his plan in motion, Bloomberg said. However, he received $7 million from Robert Granieri, a co-founder of the Jane Street trading firm, sources told the agency. Granieri insists that he was 'duped' into funding the coup plot, with his lawyer claiming that the financier thought the money would be used to support human rights activism. The alleged plot also involved Kasparov, who introduced Ajak to Granieri, Bloomberg said, noting that the chess grandmaster met Ajak during his tenure as chair of the Human Rights Foundation. Responding to a question about the case, Kasparov neither confirmed nor denied his involvement, telling Bloomberg via his spokesperson: 'My record and my values are clear, and they remain unchanged. I have spent much of my life standing up for civil rights and promoting democracy around the world.' Neither Kasparov nor Granieri is facing charges. South Sudan was embroiled in a multi-sided civil war from 2013 to 2020, with factional conflicts still a major source of instability. The clashes have been accompanied by a humanitarian disaster, numerous atrocities, ethnic cleansings, and mass deportations. Kasparov, a liberal activist who is widely regarded as one of the greatest chess players ever, has a history of making controversial political statements. In 2016, he defended the US decision to invade Iraq, stating that he 'cannot condemn any action that removes a dictator.' Later, he opposed US talks with Iran over its nuclear program and criticized Washington for withdrawing from Syria. In a May 2024 opinion piece for the Wall Street Journal, Kasparov openly advocated for 'regime change' in Russia and Iran. A vocal critic of the Russian government for decades, Kasparov left Russia in 2013 and has since resided in New York City. In 2022, the chess grandmaster, who advocated for Ukraine's NATO membership, was labeled a 'foreign agent' in Russia, and two years later was designated as a 'terrorist and extremist'.
