Search Results for: espionage

The UK Commons Foreign Affairs Committee (FAC) published a report Thursday finding that the FCDO failed to protect UK national Matthew Hedges from torture in United Arab Emirates. This comes following a similar Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman’s verdict issued on August 3. The Foreign Affairs Committee’s report draws on the findings of the Parliamentary [...]

US-Russian journalist Alsu Kurmasheva was arrested in Russia Wednesday for failing to register as a “foreign agent.” Kurmasheva, a reporter for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), holds dual citizenship in Russia and the United States. According to a statement from RFE/RL, Kurmasheva traveled to Russia in May for a family emergency. When she tried to [...]

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) announced on Wednesday the release of French-Afghan journalist Mortaza Behboudi by a Taliban court in Afghanistan. Following a 284-day detention, all charges, encompassing allegations of espionage and illegal support for foreigners, were nullified during a criminal court hearing held in Kabul, as per the statement. He was immediately released from Pul-e-Charkhi [...]

Matthew Hedges, a British academic and researcher, was arrested and accused of espionage in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in May 2018. There were allegations that Hedges was tortured while in detention. According to reports, he was subjected to solitary confinement, physical assault, prolonged interrogation and denial of basic rights during his imprisonment. The UAE [...]

A Russian court dismissed an appeal Tuesday from Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who has been held in pre-trial detention for more than six months on allegations of espionage, ruling that Gershkovich will continue to be held in jail. According to Russian state-affiliated news source TASS, the court “considered the appeal of Gershkovich’s defense [...]

The Slovakian foreign ministry announced on Thursday that it had expelled a Russian diplomat suspected of violating the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, which delineates the rights and responsibilities of diplomats. In a press release, the Slovakian Ministry of Foreign Affairs wrote that the diplomat’s actions were “thoroughly documented by the competent authorities of the [...]

The US State Department informed Congress on Monday that it would be waiving sanctions and unfreezing $6 billion in Iranian assets at banking institutions to be used for “humanitarian aid” in exchange for five US citizens held as prisoners in Iran. The exchange has allegedly been in the works for some time, with talks beginning [...]

The German prosecutors office has officially charged two individuals with suspected treason on Friday, after they were indicted on August 24. The two suspects referred to as Carsten L and Arthur E were accused of high treason through the passing on of state secrets to Russia’s Secret Service. Both are currently being held in pre-trial [...]

Chongqing, a Chinese city with 32.12 million residents, has taken a monumental step in bolstering national security by introducing on Friday a localized Anti-Espionage Regulation. With its population outstripping even that of Shanghai’s 24.89 million and Beijing’s 21.88 million, Chongqing’s move sets an impactful precedent for other major Chinese cities. Reacting to China’s recent amendments to [...]

US journalist Evan Gershkovich appealed the latest extension of his pre-trial detention in Russia on espionage charges Saturday, according to Russian state media. This is Gershkovich’s third appeal, having appealed his previous extension of pre-trial detention and his original arrest and detention in April. According to Russian state news agency TASS, the Wall Street Journal [...]