Radio Free Europe

RFE/RL journalists report the news in 22 countries where a free press is banned by the government or not fully established, including Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Russia.

More news

U.S. Imposes Sanctions Against Head Of Bosniak-Croat Federation For Alleged Misuse Of Power

Prime Minister of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Fadil Novalic (file photo)

Prime Minister of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Fadil Novalic (file photo)

The United States has imposed sanctions on the head of Bosnia-Herzegovina’s Bosniak-Croat federation and others over the alleged misuse of pensioner data.

The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated Prime Minister Fadil Novalic on October 3, saying he acquired pensioner data through his official position in the week before the 2018 elections and used it “for the benefit of his own political party and contrary to [Bosnian] law.”
Novalic allegedly misused the data by sending out letters listing his accomplishments and promising increased pensions, the Treasury Department said in a statement .
Additionally, Bosnian tycoon Slobodan Stankovic and his engineering firm Integral Inzenjering A.D. Laktasi were blacklisted for allegedly having links to corruption.
The Treasury Department said major construction projects are often handed to Stankovic's firm without fair and open competition and that the vast majority of Stankovic’s wealth comes from public money. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken referred to the sanctions on Twitter, saying political parties and leaders "should not be able to use public resources for their own benefit, and people should not get rich helping them."
The Treasury Department described Stankovic as one of the wealthiest people in Bosnia and said he was linked to Milorad Dodik, the Serb member of Bosnia's tripartite presidency, who was previously designated for U.S. sanctions for “secessionist rhetoric" and actions that threaten "stability and undermine" the Dayton peace accords. The sanctions designation freezes any assets or property interests owned by Novalic, Stankovic, or his engineering firm in the United States and bars U.S. nationals from transactions involving them without special permission from the OFAC. “Today’s action underscores how politicians in Bosnia and Herzegovina are undermining democratic institutions and processes for their own political gain and to reward their patronage networks,” Brian Nelson, Treasury’s undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, said in the department’s statement on October 3. “We will continue to target those that destabilize the region, as well as their supporters, and hold them to account.” The sanctions come less than a week after the Treasury Department levied sanctions on a Bosnian state prosecutor accused of being complicit in corruption and undermining democratic processes in the Western Balkans.
Treasury called Diana Kajmakovic a “brazenly corrupt state prosecutor with links to criminal organizations." She was designated for sanctions on September 26.

With reporting by AP

Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich's detention in Russia nears 1 year mark.

Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich's detention in Russia nears 1 year mark.

This week marks one year since Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich was detained in Russia. On Tuesday, a Russian court extended Gershkovich's time behind bars to at least June. "60 Minutes" correspondent Lesley Stahl, who has been report...

CBS News -

Was Tun -  «What Can be Done?»  - Filmmaker Searches For a Young Woman in Bangladesh - 52 Documentary.

Was Tun - «What Can be Done?» - Filmmaker Searches For a Young Woman in Bangladesh - 52 Documentary.

"After watching a documentary that interviewed a young girl who had been forced into prostitution, Michael Kranz wanted to help her. Was this just ""white-savior syndrome"" or could something actually be done? He traveled to Bangladesh and began t...

VOA News -

Daylight Reveals Devastating Aftermath of Baltimore Bridge Collapse - VOA News.

Daylight Reveals Devastating Aftermath of Baltimore Bridge Collapse - VOA News.

Daylight has revealed the major damage to a bridge in Baltimore which collapsed in the early hours of Tuesday, March 26, 2024, after a container ship smashed into it, sending cars and people plunging into the river below. Rescue crews are searchin...

VOA News -

Officials confirm 6 people unaccounted for following Maryland bridge collapse.

Officials confirm 6 people unaccounted for following Maryland bridge collapse.

No evidence of terror as desperate search continues. Read more: ––– Subscribe to ABC News on YouTube: Watch 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events on ABC News Live: Watch full episodes of World News Tonight with David Muir here: Read ABC N...

ABC News 2

West Reliant on Russian Nuclear Fuel Amid Decarbonization Push.

West Reliant on Russian Nuclear Fuel Amid Decarbonization Push.

An analysis by Britain’s Royal United Services Institute has found that many Western nations still rely on Russian nuclear fuel to power their reactors, despite efforts to sever economic ties with the Kremlin following its 2022 full-scale invasion...

VOA News -

6 people unaccounted for after Baltimore bridge collapse, officials say.

6 people unaccounted for after Baltimore bridge collapse, officials say.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and other officials gave an update Tuesday morning on search and rescue efforts after Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed hours earlier. Two people have been rescued from the water so far and six were unaccounted...

CBS News -