Author: Rea Christoglou

The former lawyer to Salah Abdeslam — the key figure in the 2015 Paris terrorist attacks — is taking over the defense of Greek MEP Eva Kaili in the probe looking into alleged corruption in the European Parliament. Sven Mary, a prominent criminal defense lawyer in Belgium, told POLITICO on Monday that he would take over from André Risopoulos, who has been representing Kaili until now. “I’m taking over the torch,” Mary said in a text. Kaili’s former lawyer, André Risopoulos, confirmed to POLITICO he was no longer in charge of the file, but declined to respond on why that’s…

New York, Brussels, Paris (15/2 – 67) Led by authoritarian head of state since the 1990s, a regime change for the people in Tajikistan might take a while. In any case, changes and growth often take too long. Especially when we are talking about the change of a commanding ruling power in the country. History recorded that power shifts happened due to factors not necessarily through any kind of violent revolution. One key factor that influences such power shifts is the role of the army in the country. Tajikistan President Emomali Rahmon seems unshakeable in his presidential seat, at least…

These threats were made by Alisher Mirzanabatov (лишер Мирзонаботов), the former deputy head of the dreaded Tajik secret police, the GKNB, which is modelled after the Soviet KGB. Currently, Mirzanabatov is the governor of the restive Gorno Badakhshan Autonomous province (GBAO), home of one of Tajikistan’s oldest indigenous citizens, the Pamiris. Mirzanabatov made no empty threats. He installed a regime of terror on the Pamir residents and created an unprecedented assault on the Pamiri society, culture and economy. For his efforts he received what civil society actors call, the “order of the blood banner” for his efforts to kill and exterminate many of the…

A team of Israeli hackers who claim to have manipulated more than 30 elections around the world has revealed that they have a “presence” in Greece which is due to hold a general election after April. The news broke by an international team of journalists who investigated the team with the codename “Team Jorge” run by Tal Hanan, a 50-year-old former Israeli special forces operative who now works privately using the pseudonym “Jorge”. The Guardian says that by using hacking, sabotage and automated disinformation on social media “Team Jorge” claims covert involvement in 33 elections around the globe. The group…

Greece is expected to welcome a large number of international visitors, after being considered the Best Tourism Destination for this year, at the annual Grand Travel Awards in Oslo, Norway. According to the National Herald, the announcement came after the Greek National Tourism Organization branch was considered Best Foreign Office after it worked to promote the country, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports. “What characteristic makes our country attractive to Norwegians? Is it just the sea and the sun, the sandy beaches, the gastronomy, the nature, the culture, and the scattered monuments and archaeological sites that transform the country into an “open-air museum?” the…

Bomb shelters across Russia are undergoing systematic inspections and repairs following a Kremlin order to upgrade the country’s crumbling Soviet-era infrastructure, according to current and former officials who spoke to The Moscow Times. Many of Russia’s thousands of bunkers, reinforced cellars and other safe hideouts have been mothballed for decades. But as the war in Ukraine drags on, local authorities appear to be spending hundreds of millions of rubles to again make them fit for habitation. “A decision to inspect the network of bomb shelters was made by the government in the spring,” said one Russian official, citing knowledge of…

Mukhtar Ablyazov, Kazakhstan New York (15 December 2022 – 33). Mukhtar Ablyazov, a Kazakhstan citizen, was found guilty of embezzlement and money laundering in the U.S. Court for $218 million against BTA Bank. Following a three-week trial, a jury of four men and four women in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York against Mukhtar Ablyazov. Today issued a verdict in favor of BTA Bank on all claims against Triadou SPV S.A. The jury awarded BTA more than $100 million in damages with interest accrued since mid-2013, bringing the total judgment to more than $218 million. The Honorable John G.…

THESSALONIKI, Greece (AP) — Thousands of protesters marched through the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki and the capital Athens Tuesday night, as Roma community leaders appealed for calm hours after the death of a teenager shot in the head last week during a police chase over an allegedly unpaid gas station bill. The Dec 5 shooting of the 16-year-old Roma youth in Thessaloniki triggered days of often violent protests in the two cities and other parts of Greece despite repeated calls from his relatives and community leaders for protests to remain peaceful. “I call on everyone, on all of Greece,…