Ukraine
Belarusian play starring Olympic basketball player sheds light on life under a repressive regime
The Belarus Free Theatre has been banned by its country’s government, so the company is making plays in exile. The troupe’s newest production that opened this week in New York City tells the story of an Olympic basketball star from Belarus who becomes a dissident and comes out as gay.
What’s next for released Russian political prisoners?
Last week, the US and Russia completed a historic prisoner swap. Twenty-six people in total were released, including 24 adults and two children. But it wasn’t just Americans — most of those released by the Kremlin were Russian political dissidents. Now, many of them are stuck in exile.
Baltics and NATO allies learn from war in Ukraine
Across Europe, NATO countries are watching Ukraine closely. Their interest isn’t just in the outcome of the war, but how the war is being fought, what tools are being used and the role innovation is playing on the battlefield. The World’s Daniel Ofman reports from Riga, Latvia.
Wall Street Journal reporter sentenced to 16-year prison term in Russia
Evan Gershkovich, a US reporter for The Wall Street Journal, was sentenced in Moscow court on July 19 to 16 years in prison on espionage charges. The Wall Street Journal and the US government have called this a “sham trial” and vehemently deny the charges. The World’s Daniel Ofman reports on the plight of Gershkovich and other Americans detained in Russia on baseless charges.
‘I will probably never be able to go home again’: Russian American journalist Masha Gessen on their Moscow court conviction
A court in Moscow handed Russian American journalist Masha Gessen an eight-year prison term in absentia for criticizing the Russian military. Gessen, who lives in the US and is a columnist for the New York Times, could end up being imprisoned if they travel to a country with an extradition treaty with Russia.
