Human rights in Russia

From February 24 2022 when Russia invaded Ukraine, until April of this year, more than 200 applications were submitted to the Bulgarian State Agency for Refugees requesting the granting of political asylum to citizens of the Russian Federation. Of these, only 8 were approved, according to data from the emigrant organization "For Free Russia", founded in Bulgaria.

Fake audio and video created by artificial intelligence are becoming more and more indistinguishable from the real thing. But the bigger threat is to texts, as Chat GPT will be able to amplify, multiply millions of times, the efforts of current disinformers.

Day 418 of the invasion of Ukraine. Summary of key events in the last 24 hours:

A small concrete box marked with the word SHIZO (punishment cell in Russian) in giant red letters sits incongruously next to a 13th-century church just behind the Louvre museum in Paris.

The grey box is a mock-up of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny's punishment prison cell that his team unveiled in the French capital on March 14.

The Association "For Free Russia" (За свободна Русия) will hold rallies in Bulgaria in support of Alexei Navalny and all political prisoners in Russia, as well as in support of Ukraine.

Washington – The US Office of International Religious Freedom published its 2021 religious freedom report on Thursday, noting religious communities’ concerns in Slovenia about several loopholes and pending requests, including those related to halal meals, male circumcision and a lack of certain religious staff in the military.

More than 20,000 people protested in Moscow. They demanded the release of the arrested people during the July and August unauthorized protests in the Russian capital.

AFP - Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was sentenced to 20 days in jail for organising an anti-Kremlin protest in a new court ruling Monday, the day he was freed after spending a month behind bars.

BBC - Russian authorities have charged four members of the punk activist group Pussy Riot for disrupting the World Cup final by running onto the pitch.

They are accused of violating the rules for spectators at sporting events and of wearing police uniforms illegally.

The two offences carry maximum fines of 10,000 roubles (£121; $161) and 1,500 roubles, respectively.

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, left, hugs his brother Oleg Navalny, center, after Oleg was released for the prison as Oleg Navalny's wife Viktoria smiles in Naryshkino, Orel region, 380 kilometers (237 miles) south of Moscow, Russia, Friday, June 29, 2018. AP Photo/Dmitry Serebryakov