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Articles by Boris Mitov
Russia Reports 'Massive' Drone Strike On Air Base, Triggering Blaze And Partial Evacuation
Ukraine’s surprise incursion into Russia showed no signs of abating on August 9, with a fire at a military airfield and a “massive” drone attack reported inside Russia by state media and local officials, prompting an evacuation of people from parts of its western region of Lipetsk.
U.S. Charges 2 Iranian Brothers, 1 Pakistani In Deadly Weapons Smuggling Case
Two Iranian brothers linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps face terrorism charges in the United States in connection with deaths of two U.S. sailors during the interception of a vessel in the Arabian Sea earlier this year. The indictment announced on August 8 by federal prosecutors charges Shahab and Yunus Mir'kazei and Pakistani boat captain Muhammad Pahlawan with providing material support to Iran’s weapons-of-mass-destruction program and other charges. The brothers are at large.
Former Kazakh Minister Gets Suspended Sentence Over Deadly 2022 Unrest
A court in Astana on August 8 handed a suspended five-year prison term to former Kazakh Interior Minister Erlan Turghymbaev, who pleaded guilty to a charge of abuse of office and power during nationwide antigovernment demonstrations in 2022 that turned deadly after police and security forces opened fire at protesters. The court also banned Turghymbaev from holding public office for 10 years.
Russia's Medvedev Calls For Further Advances In Ukraine Amid Kursk Incursion
Dmitry Medvedev, the former president who is now deputy chief of Russia's Security Council, has called for Russian troops to press deeper into Ukraine as Moscow claims to have intercepted Ukrainian drones and missiles targeting the Kursk region. Kursk's acting regional governor, Aleksei Smirnov, on August 7 declared a state of emergency as a Ukrainian ground offensive continued that Russia says is supported by tanks, armored vehicles, and artillery.
Bulgarian Parliament Adopts Amendment Banning LGBT 'Promotion' In Schools
The Bulgarian parliament passed an amendment on August 7 to ban LGBT “propaganda” in schools andvoted to pass a separate change that defines the concept of “nontraditional sexual orientation.” The amendment to the Law on Preschool and School Education -- proposed by the pro-Russian Revival (Vazrazhdane) party -- passed 159-20 with 10 abstentions.
Moartea unui pacient și practicile „inumane” din spitalele de psihiatrie din Bulgaria
Gheorghi era tratat de aproape o lună în Spitalul psihiatric de stat din Loveci, Bulgaria, când la etajul trei al pavilionului a izbucnit un incendiu. Toți ceilalți au reușit să scape, cu excepția bărbatului de 25 de ani. Incendiul a izbucnit în camera sa, însă pacientul era legat de pat, iar ușa era încuiată. Ceilalți pacienți au auzit alarma de incendiu și au văzut fumul. Unul dintre ei a spus că l-a auzit pe Gheorghi țipând din interiorul camerei încuiate.
Horrific Death Of A Patient Exposes 'Inhumane' Practices In Bulgaria's Psychiatric Hospitals
Georgi had been treated in the State Psychiatric Hospital in Lovech, Bulgaria, for almost a month, when a fire broke out on the third floor of the building. Everyone else managed to escape except the 25-year-old man. The fire started in his room, but he was tied down to his bed and the door was locked. Other patients heard the fire alarm and saw the smoke. One of them said he heard Georgi screaming from inside the locked room.
Old Coins, An Anonymous Tip, And 'Urgent Actions' Land A Bulgarian Investigative Reporter In Jail
A Bulgarian journalist with a penchant for hard-hitting stories probing official malfeasance and corruption is awaiting word on possible charges after a bizarre run-in with authorities over ancient coins and possible national heritage objects.
Special Investigation: Bulgarian Blasts, Russian Agents, And The War On Ukraine
Pe 21 martie 2015, nu mult după apusul soarelui, cerul de deasupra celei mai mari și noi fabrici de armament de stat din Bulgaria s-a umplut de bubuitul și tumultul asociate în mod normal cu un câmp de luptă. Incendiul masiv de la uzina VMZ a distrus un mare depozit de arme și muniții și a îngrozit locuitorii din Sopot, în centrul Bulgariei, și din orașele din Munții Balcani învecinate, care se întind de la granița de vest a Bulgariei cu Serbia până la coasta Mării Negre.
Special Report: Bulgarian Blasts, Russian Agents, And The War On Ukraine
SOPOT, Bulgaria -- Shortly after sunset on March 21, 2015, the skies above Bulgaria's biggest, and last remaining state-owned, armaments factory filled with the crackle and fury normally associated with a battlefield. The massive fire at the VMZ plant destroyed a large cache of weapons and ammunition and terrified residents of Sopot, central Bulgaria, and neighboring towns abutting the Balkan Mountains that stretch from Bulgaria's western border with Serbia to the Black Sea coast.
Special Report: Bulgarian Blasts And Russia's War In Ukraine
Over the past decade, Bulgaria's arms industry has been shaken by a string of unexplained explosions at munitions depots. The country is a major producer of ammunition for Soviet-caliber weapons, the kind widely used by Ukraine's military. A special RFE/RL investigation looks into allegations of Russian sabotage, cover-ups by Bulgarian authorities, and whether Bulgarian arms depots are still at risk as Russia's war in Ukraine enters a second year.
EU's Stern Message On Bulgarian Justice Gets Muddied By 'Pistol And Gold' Photo Scandal
By Boris Mitov, Genka Shikerova, Andy Heil July 14, 2022 SOFIA -- The European Commission has issued a key set of recommendations to dramatically reform and depoliticize Bulgaria's justice and prosecutorial system, which has been a constant irritant to Brussels and millions of Bulgarians.
EU's Stern Message On Bulgarian Justice Gets Muddied By 'Pistol And Gold' Photo Scandal
SOFIA -- The European Commission has issued a key set of recommendations to dramatically reform and depoliticize Bulgaria's justice and prosecutorial system, which has been a constant irritant to Brussels and millions of Bulgarians.
The Week's Best: 10 RFE/RL Stories You Need To Read (Or Watch)
Hey, you're busy! We know rferl.org isn't the only website you read. And that it's just possible you may have missed some of our most compelling journalism this week. To make sure you're up-to-date, here are some of the highlights produced by RFE/RL's team of correspondents, multimedia editors, and visual journalists over the past seven days.
Bulgarian Businessman Investigated After Helping Reveal 'Eight Dwarves' Scandal
SOFIA -- Bulgarian prosecutors want to question a prominent Sofia businessman who fled the country after helping to reveal a fraud scheme allegedly involving prosecutors in the capital, Sofia. The move against Iliya Zlatanov appears to be part of a related criminal investigation, and is the latest chapter in the scandal that erupted last year with the release of a documentary called The Eight Dwarves. The scandal has highlighted Bulgaria's continuing problem with corruption and organized crime.
Back To The Beach In Bulgaria. Or Is It A Beach At All?
On a recent Sunday this month, a few dozen people showed up at a spot along Bulgaria's Black Sea coast armed with hoes and shovels. But what might look like a bit of landscaping is actually part of an ongoing legal battle involving some of the country's most influential politicians. "We are here to clean the beach of what we think is planted grass," one of the activists explained to the media.
Vindication? Ex-Minister Takes Aim At Bulgaria's 'Totalitarian Instinct'
A former Bulgarian foreign minister who has since been targeted by the country's courts has vowed to help pull back the curtain on autocratic tendencies and anti-Western elements in the European Union's poorest state. Daniel Mitov got word last month that Bulgaria's Supreme Court of Cassation upheld lower-court dismissals in consecutive prosecutions that began soon after the fall, in 2017, of the government in which he served.
Sofia Cautious On Reports Tying Soleimani To 2012 Bulgaria Bombing
SOFIA -- International media organizations have reported on ties between assassinated Iranian Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani and a 2012 terrorist bombing in Bulgaria that killed five Israeli tourists and their Bulgarian bus driver. But Bulgaria’s current political leadership and its judicial system are not making the link -- backtracking from statements made by previous government officials.
Bulgarian Poison Probe Focuses On Russian Spy Chief Suspected In Novichok Attack On Skripals
SOFIA -- Bulgarian officials say an investigation into the attempted assassination of an arms maker is focusing on five suspected Russian agents -- including a Russian military intelligence general alleged to have commanded a team accused in the 2018 Novichok attack in Britain against former Russian spy Sergei Skripal.
White House Now Says 400 ‘Peacekeepers’ To Remain In Syria, Up From 200
SOFIA -- Emilian Gebrev, a Bulgarian businessman who fell into a coma in April 2015 with symptoms of severe poisoning, says he believes whoever was involved in the attack against him had help from inside Bulgaria. Gebrev, a veteran of the Bulgarian arms industry, survived the poisoning, as did his son and a company executive who were treated for similar symptoms.
Trump Says Will Nominate U.S. Envoy To Canada As Next UN Ambassador
SOFIA -- Emilian Gebrev, a Bulgarian businessman who fell into a coma in April 2015 with symptoms of severe poisoning, says he believes whoever was involved in the attack against him had help from inside Bulgaria. Gebrev, a veteran of the Bulgarian arms industry, survived the poisoning, as did his son and a company executive who were treated for similar symptoms.
Turkey Orders Almost 300 Military Personnel Arrested Over Alleged Links With Coup
The Netherlands' Foreign Ministry says Tajik authorities have confirmed that an opposition activist who resurfaced in Dushanbe last week from self-imposed exile was arrested, and that he is accused of "criminal activities." "At this time the Dutch [Foreign Ministry] investigates whether and how it can assist [Sharofiddin] Gadoev. We are following the case closely," ministry spokeswoman Willemien Veldman said in a statement sent to RFE/RL on February 21.
Tens Of Thousands Rally In Slovakia On Anniversary Of Journalist’s Killing
The Netherlands' Foreign Ministry says Tajik authorities have confirmed that an opposition activist who resurfaced in Dushanbe last week from self-imposed exile was arrested, and that he is accused of "criminal activities." "At this time the Dutch [Foreign Ministry] investigates whether and how it can assist [Sharofiddin] Gadoev. We are following the case closely," ministry spokeswoman Willemien Veldman said in a statement sent to RFE/RL on February 21.
Poisoned Arms Dealer Suggests Attackers Had Help Inside Bulgaria
SOFIA -- Emilian Gebrev, a Bulgarian businessman who fell into a coma in April 2015 with symptoms of severe poisoning, says he believes whoever was involved in the attack against him had help from inside Bulgaria. Gebrev, a veteran of the Bulgarian arms industry, survived the poisoning, as did his son and a company executive who were treated for similar symptoms.
Data Shows Alleged Russian Agents In Bulgaria Around Time Of Arms-Depot Blasts
SOFIA -- On the evening of March 21, 2015, around 7:30 p.m., the skies over Iganovo burst into fiery shades of red and orange, and the windows of homes in the tiny Bulgarian village rattled and shook. Panicked locals rushed to flee from the source of the chaos: explosions at the Vazov Machine-Building Plant, a state-owned facility where anti-tank munitions, antiaircraft missiles, and other weaponry is manufactured.
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